It was a TRCA Kind of Weekend
Oh boy, I had a wonderful weekend! Sunday was mother’s day and to celebrate, my family went hiking at Glen Haffy Conservation Park. It was my fourth hike of the year. We had a fantastic time out on the trails. Glen Haffy is located in Caledon, Ontario and it is managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). The main entrance to Glen Haffy is on Airport Road approximately 2 kilometres south of Highway 9.
This is the second time I have been at Glen Haffy. I visited for the first time last summer and had a great experience so I was looking forward to our visit this weekend. To beat the sun, we decided to head out early in the morning. We arrived around 9:30 AM and began our hike. We wrapped up our adventure at around 11:00 AM just in time for us to drive home and dig into a delicious lunch.
Glen Haffy has four hiking trails - Green Trail, Blue Trail, Red Trail, and Bruce Trail - that take you through a variety of ecosystems including forests, wetlands, and open fields. The trails are fairly short and involve uphill and downhill slopes adding some challenging elements to the hike. During our visit, we decided to take on the Green and Blue trails. The Green Trail starts with a climb down a stone staircase that takes you down to the forest floor. You will cross a few bridges and there are several portions of the trail where you will be walking along rivers. The variation in terrain makes it very fun to walk on. It was not busy on Sunday. We pretty much had the trails to ourselves so we took our time walking slowly and making the most of being outdoors. The sound of flowing water and birds singing made our walk even more enjoyable. Nothing like having a unique soundtrack to listen to while you hike.
There are portions of the trail that are quite muddy. Not a problem if you are dog but it can be quite challenging if you are a person with bad knees or ankles, or not equipped with proper footwear. People should take their time, especially when going uphill or downhill in wet and muddy areas. Once you get past them, it’s all right.
| Trail Name | Length | Typical Slope(%) | Maximum Slope(%) | Typical Cross Slope(%) | Maximum Cross Slope(%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Trail | 1.36 km | 14.5 | 68.8 | 10.8 | 42.9 |
| Blue Trail | 2.5 km | 8.6 | 46.9 | 5.5 | 28.6 |
| Red Trail | 2.7 km | 8.5 | 45.2 | 5.7 | 50.3 |
| Bruce Trail | 4.06 km | 8.6 | 43.1 | 5.9 | 32.7 |
If you are used to hiking, then you probably are used to seeing trail markers that help you stay on track so you won’t get lost. Unfortunately, some of the trail markers at Glen Haffy are hit and miss. We came across several trail markers that were not attached properly leading it to point in the incorrect direction. Make sure to pay attention as you are walking to ensure you don’t go off-trail. Bring a paper map or better yet, take a photo of the trail map and keep it on your phone so you can consult it if you get lost. Or, consider using an app like All Trails that gives you an option to download trail maps that you can use offline and use your phone’s GPS to guide you on your hike.
The Green Trail begins with climb down a stone staircase that takes you to the forest floor.
The white trillium is Ontario’s official flower. The white trillium is one of several native species in Ontario that bloom in the early spring for several weeks.
There was so much to see, hear, and smell. We spotted a porcupine, a lot of different birds, and wildflowers like trilliums. The leaves of the deciduous trees have not budded yet, so there isn’t much shade at this time. I remember when I visited last August, the trees were full of leaves that provided shade during the hike.
When we arrived at the first junction that connects the green and blue trails, we opted to turn onto the Blue Trail. This trail takes you past the fishing ponds and connects with the Bruce Trail and other trails at the park. There are parts of the trail where you will be able to peer down into the forest floor. While there are no lookout points along the trails, there is enough variation in elevation and ecosystems to make your hike a very interesting and enjoyable one.
As a dog who loves to hike, Glen Haffy is a great place. Although the trails are not long, the changes in elevation add a challenging element. We hiked about 4 kilometres on Sunday and the constant up and down sure made us tired. I spent the afternoon sleeping and recovering after a nice hike.
Heart Lake Conservation Park
The day before we visited Glen Haffy, we went on a short hike at Heart Lake Conservation Park. I am lucky enough to live near Heart Lake Conservation Park and I visit it often. We usually park in a small parking lot at a nearby park close to Heart Lake and walk into the conservation park. During the summer months, I visit Heart Lake almost once a week. This past Saturday, I went there for a short 2 kilometre hike. Heart Lake has several trails that are very fun. Throughout your hike, you can expect to hear the birds sing and if you are lucky you may even catch glimpses of deer, raccoons, chipmunks, or other wildlife.
There is a nice wooden bridge at the Sandalwood Parkway entrance to Heart Lake Conservation Park.
While hiking through Heart Lake you will walk through deciduous and coniferous forests.
Heart Lake is one of my favourite places to hike. There are a total of five trails ranging that are all less than 4 kilometres long and take you to various parts of the park and through a mix of deciduous and coniferous forests and past different bodies of water. The trails are relatively flat with a few steep areas. There is enough variation in elevation on the trails to make it interesting and a bit challenging. We usually enter from the entrance along Sandalwood Parkway and hike parts of the Wetland Trail to the Esker Trail and then double back to our car. On days when we want to go for long walks, we will start on the Esker Trail walk to the main parking lot and connect onto the Lake Trail that loops around Heart Lake.
| Trail Name | Length | Average Slope(%) | Maximum Slope(%) | Average Cross Slope(%) | Maximum Cross Slope(%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esker Trail | 3.10 km | 0.8 | 25.2 | 4.5 | 32.4 |
| Lake Trail | 3.7 km | 0.3 | 35.2 | 8.5 | 40.0 |
| Rayner Trail | 0.6 km | 1.2 | 13.7 | 5.0 | 27.0 |
| Terry Fox Trail | 1.0 km | 1.5 | 29.2 | 6.0 | 40.0 |
| Wetland | 2.5 km | 0.7 | 31.8 | 6.5/td> | 32.0 |
Simply put, I had a wonderful weekend full of hiking. I get super excited every time my best friend, Henry, picks up his hiking pack or camera bag on the weekends because I know we are going on an adventure. The TRCA has excellent parks. We have visited several. We have a Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) Pass that gets us free access CVC parks and TRCA parks. We have been using it to explore the great outdoors. Until next time, happy trails every one!
