With our Annual Provincial Park Pass we can visit any Provincial Park in Ontario for the day, for free. So, we packed up the truck with lunch, snacks, water and Maya, and off we went to the Pinery for the day.
We started at the first trail you come to when you drive into the park. It use to be called the Lookout Trail, but it is now known as the Sassafras Trail.
We came across this magnificent Monarch before we even reached the trail head. As you can see it is sitting on a plant, not actually collecting pollen. This is because it was early in the morning and the butterfly was waiting for the day to heat up.
Along the trail we found a variety of summer wildflowers blooming. There were Knapweeds, Rough Woodland Sunflowers, Black-eyed Susans, Queen Anne’s Lace and several other wildflowers.
After a fairly flat, easy section, the trail heads up wooden stairs that climb up the side of a tall sand dune. As we were walking up the never-ending set of stairs it began to feel like we walking in the forest’s canopy.
The views at the top are of the surrounding country-side, including forests and fields.
Our next stop was all the way on the other side of the park to hike the 1.8 kilometre Carolinian Trail. Like the first trail, there are stairs that protect the sand dunes from erosion.
Along the trail we saw wildflowers, a variety of hardwood trees (including the Tulip Tree) and a stripey caterpillar.
Tulip Tree Leaf
We then went to a picnic spot by the river to take a break and eat our lunch. Maya may have even went for a small dip in the Old Ausable. The river is a great place to relax, eat, swim and hang out with a good book. It’s also an awesome area of the park to bird watch.
After lunch and some relaxation it was time to tackle the Pinery’s longest trail, the Wilderness Trail. The gentle slopes makes the 3 kilometre trail an easy and enjoyable one.
Before we even started our hike Chitra spotted this Northern Walkingstick on someone’s vehicle. Not the best spot for this insect to try to blend in to its surroundings but so cool to see. These insects are fragile and harmless and should be handled carefully for their safety.
The trail will take you to a lookout with stairs down to the beach. Why not go for a dip during your hike and cool off?
The narrow path leads through a mixed hardwood forest that offers plenty of cool shade during hot summer days. We have found that most of the trails are not too busy during the summer months because the majority of campers and day visitors come to the Pinery for the beaches. We like to hike and then hit the beach to cool off. With two full, sandy pet beaches, there is always a spot to take a dog for a swim and a bit of fetch.
In 2014 Maya was still doing really well on walks and we were taking for for lots of water exercise to keep her muscle tone up while putting less strain on her joints. We were lucky that Maya absolutely loved the water and was always willing to go for a swim. 
The Wilderness Trail is also a great area of the park to look for a variety of fungi colonies, like Turkey Tails, Chicken of the Woods, several species of Bracket Fungi and more.
So, pack some water, a snack, your bathing suit, a towel, and don’t forget your camera before you enjoy all this trail has to offer.
