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Can anyone recommend some good areas in ontario to hang? Im located in the GTA and I dont mind a drive to go somewhere worth it. Ive been out and about on my property a bunch but its getting stale. Ive seen a few posts about Valens, I live not too far away from there so somewhere less popular would be nice. As soon as this Covid quarantine is done and over with I want to get out on the trails asap.
I wouldn't say it falls under the category "less popular," but I can vouch for good hanging along hte Highland Trail in Algonquin. I'm heading there again, in a few weeks.
Valens is nice for the group gatherings... Typically it's a fun bunch talking around a fire, cooking a LOT of food. Definitely not an off the beaten path hang, with its heated washrooms. The COVID thing has put the brakes on big group hangs though.
There aren't a lot of "wild" spots within an hour of Toronto, but drive an hour or two longer, and you've got nearly unlimited world-class options.
A few conservation areas make good midweek hike/paddle hanging destinations. I've found a new favourite but I'll keep it to myself for now, as it's already too popular! I haven't tried Rockwood yet, but it's on my list.
There are some spots in the Niagara region mentioned in the forums, and some west-end folks may be able to suggest options out that way.
I'm in Ajax, so I probably owe it to myself to explore out my way some more. Durham region has been a bust for me to date, and I haven't looked any farther east yet.
North is where you'll have the most luck. Algonquin is the obvious choice, and you'll never get truly tired of it.
You could try Queen Elizabeth Wildlands too; a bit closer. It's also on my list to try soon. I think Kevin Callan may have posted a video from a trip this year, if memory serves. Apparently moves are underway to bring it up to operational status, so it might be good to get in while it's still fee-free, less known, and open to explore freely.
There are crown land options, but the trick is to find parking and access. The known spots are kept somewhat guarded to keep out rif-raf. If you join on some of the group hangs, they get spoken of in mysts and shadows. Otherwise, pull up the crown land atlas and start looking down roads on Google maps. You might find a gem to share around a group campfire next year.
My favorite spot in the area is crown land a little north of Peterborough, high falls, there's a little parking lot, few hours to hike to the falls, great hanging spots all over the place. Crown land so you can hang anywhere.
QE2 wildlands are good too. The hike is further, and rougher. If the crown hike was easy, qe2 is a med difficulty. And that's just to the first campsites, qe2 has designated spots, first come first serve, so it could be a lot longer than you expected...qe2 is great for portaging, and has campsites only accessible from the water. Qe2 has a little parking lot at devils lake I think.
Hello! I know this post is a few months old but I'm down in Newcastle and I'm interested in this sport north of Peterborough, Could you tell me where it is?Quote:
Originally Posted by davem835
Thanks
Nick
High Falls
https://maps.app.goo.gl/13J9WdhAch5Ad3AA6
It's literally High Falls in the Kawarthas. I asked for clarification in a PM, then smacked my forehead for not realizing it was that easy to look up.
Alltrails reports it as a 5km hike out and back. Apparently it's a icy/getting muddy due to spring melt, and a small bridge may be washed out.
There's a very small parking lot off northeys bay road, just after a little bridge, but it can fill up pretty quick. The trail was roughly flagged, at least when I was last there like 4 years ago.