It was a beautiful spring day, April 2017, so we took Kirra (our foster dog from last year) for hikes up in the Lambton Shores area. One of the first stops we made was at the Ausable River Cut Conservation Area, just west of the Pinery. This is a quiet park that parallels the Ausable River Cut and isn’t usually too busy. The park offers free parking, privy toilets and a canoe launch.
The trail system includes one large loop, which is 2 kilometres long, and two different cross-overs that allow hikers to take either a moderate or easy hike. It would be quite easy to turn this hike into a longer one by ‘zig-zagging’ back and forth on those cross-over trails. 
As with any Conservation Area, owners are asked to keep their dogs on leashes and to clean up after them. Obviously it goes without saying that all hikers should clean up after themselves and leave no garage behind. There are garbage cans at the parking lot to make this easy for everyone.
Kirra was always ready to go for a walk and at this point she hadn’t become too reactive to people while on leash. 
The trail isn’t flat, there are several hilly sections with large roots that would make it impossible for a wheelchair to traverse the path. And, even though the trail isn’t long, if you have difficulty walking, the first trail (red blazes) would be recommended.
At the top of a steep, sandy incline there is a bench so that hikers can take a break and enjoy the views from the top of the dune. This is a great stop to have a snack and just enjoy being outside.
Kirra patiently waited for a few snacks of her own. What a beautiful pup!
This little girl is now living up north with her family and her new herder sister, Lilly. Every day she gets to run the Bruce Trail with her sister, other canine friends and her very active Mommy. 
After taking a break on the bench we ventured down the even steeper side of the dune. The sand is very deep here and one has to be careful when walking down. I found it best to walk down either by zig-zagging back and forth, or with my feet to the side. I’m sure I would have ran down this thing when I was younger!
This side of the trail was mainly made up of coniferous trees. Check out the blanket of pine needles on the ground. This part of the county is great for walking in the spring because all of the sand soaks up the water, leaving the trails dry, instead of muddy.
There was a fairly new look out with some history of the area and the purpose of the made-made “cut”.
This park use to be called the Thedford Conservation Area, I’m not sure when or why it changed.
The first, small loop of the trail is wheelchair accessible with this crushed stone and wide path. 
The conservation area is within a region considered to be an “Important Bird and Biodiversity Area”. The Port Franks Forested Dunes covers over 45 square kilometres and is the “largest forested area on the eastern shore of Lake Huron south of the Bruce Peninsula.”
Near the parking lot there are some picnic tables where you can enjoy the sound of birds singing, chipmunks chirping and leaves rustling.
When you are finished here, check out one of the many other hikes in the area.
Nature Trail Areas in Lambton Shores & Vicinity
Watch a video to learn more about Canada’s IBA Program.
Sources:
IBA Site Listing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ibacanada.com/site.jsp?siteID=ON024
