We have a lot of posts on the Pinery Provincial Park because we visit it often throughout the entire year. With an Annual Park Pass we can spend the day or just an hour at the park. The Pinery is about 50 minutes drive from our home and we love seeing it in different seasons and in different years.

This was our second trip to the Pinery in the spring of 2015. On this trip, since the park had opened up all the trails after the winter, we decided to spend some time on the Hickory Trail. In the winter this part of the park is closed, so as soon as it’s opened up we head that way first.

The Hickory Trail is only 1 kilometre long, but it has a lot to offer. First, there’s a picnic table and facilities at the parking lot. Along the trail we saw some American Toads, a wide variety of spring wildflowers and shrubs blooming and, as usual, several different bracket mushrooms. The trail ends up at the deck along the Old Ausable River where we frequently spot birds, frogs and turtles.

This trail is fantastic in all three seasons that it is open and even though it’s short, it shouldn’t be overlooked. If you want a longer walk then you can walk across the road and hike the Bittersweet Trail right after.