Six scenic spots to exercise your body and rest your soul:
- Simcoe County Forest on West St North, about 3 km past the mall
- a 2.5 km loop with an extension down to the rail trail and a small creek
- a wide dirt trail rolling through hardwood bush on the top of a drumlin
- Grants Woodlands on Division Rd, 2 km west of West St
- a series of looping dirt trails, the longest being about 2 km
- managed by the Couchiching Conservancy the trails are well maintained and guidebooks and maps are available at the start
- look for the corkscrew tree.
- Orillia Fish and Game Conservation Area on Bass Lake Sideroad about 3 km west of Coldwater Rd
- a 3 km woodland loop around a marsh with 4 observation decks on the water to view the wildlife.
- gravel and boardwalk trails through marshy land
- the Fish and Game club maintain a small collection of birds on view including swans, peacocks, wild turkeys and pheasants
- the club asks that no dogs come onto their delicate ecosystem
- Scout’s Valley on the 15th Line just north of Forest Home
- a series of loop trails on city owned land totaling about 8 km
- dirt and gravel trails wind through hardwood and softwood forests with mostly rolling land but with one big slope
- a viewing stand on the hill gives a view across Lake Simcoe
- the pioneer “Regan House” has been re-constructed near the parking lot
- Ganaraska Trail a quarter mile north of and parallel to the Old Barrie Road stretching from the 12th Line to the Copeland Forest some 12 km away
- the Ganaraska Trail is a continuous trail from Lake Ontario to Midland, maps are available
- this beautiful dirt trail winds through tall hardwood bush up and down rolling hills
- look for one of the best displays of trilliums in Ontario in mid-May near the 10th Line
- the trail is marked by white slashes on the trees, one slash, go straight, two means turn
- Lightfoot Trail through Orillia’s parks system along the waterfront
- If you haven’t explored this trail you can’t have lived in Orillia long! 9km of paved trail for biking, blading or walking along some very scenic waterfront
- access it at Tudhope Park, Couchiching Park or at the start on Hughes Rd
- I especially like the series of historical Orillia plaques along the route
