Ontario East

Special Places and Species

There are many exciting and accessible natural places to explore within the Ontario East region

1. Bon Echo Provincial Park is probably best known for the spectacular cliff that stretches along the east shore of Mazinaw Lake. This monumental piece of upthrust granite has obviously had a powerful effect on visitors for centuries – from the aboriginal peoples who painted pictographs on the lower wall to the carved Walt Whitman quote added by a lodge owned centuries later. But this 6,500-hectare park also offers visitors a chance to explore a rugged landscape of rock outcrops, scenic lookouts, shallow lakes and wetlands.
   
   
2. The east side of Algonquin Park is the land of pines, thanks to sandy soils and dry conditions. The eastern third of the park is dominated by white, red and jack pine along with aspen and birch. Drive up the Achray Road to the campground on Grand Lake or more ambitiously paddle into Lake Lavielle wilderness zone. A good east-side day trip is to visit the Barron Canyon along the Sand Lake Road (28.9 km). This deep gorge has rock walls that rise 100 metres.
   
   
3. Just north of Kingston is the 400-hectare Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area. With ponds, mixed woodlands, including a sugar maple bush, and plenty of trails, this is a good place to see everything from beavers, ducks and amphibians to songbirds. The site is situated on a series of clay ridges that are thought to mirror the bottom of the ice sheets that lay over the region in the last ice age. Go north from Kingston on Division Street (eventually County Road 10) to 1.5 km. past Hwy 401; watch for the sign on the left.
   
   
4. One of the best birding areas in the Ottawa region is the Britannia Conservation Area. Situated on Mud Lake, an old emayment of the Ottawa River, it includes shallow ponds and swamps that are home to Midland, painted and snapping turtles. The hardwood forests growing on the area’s uplands are home to numerous bird and flower species. The tangled shrubbery of the wetter areas makes good cover for migrating songbirds, while the more open waters attract many waterbirds, including black-crowned night herons, blue and green winged teal and wood ducks. From Carling Ave. (Hwy. 17B) in west Ottawa, go north on Britannia Rd. to Cassels St.; turn right and park at the end of the street near the filtration plant.
   
   
5. An exceptional place to explore for unusual plants or fall mushrooms, Westmeath Provincial Park protects one of the last undeveloped stretches of the Ottawa River. Look for blue beech or silky dogwood among other rare species near the park’s beaches and terraces. Pine forests dominate a good portion of the park, while waterfowl use Bellows bay as a staging area for spring and fall migrations. You’ll also probably find shorebirds bobbing along the park’s beaches through the summer and early fall. Follow the Ottawa River, first on Hwy. 148 from Pembroke for 16.5 km; then follow County Roads 21 and 12.
   
   
6. Shaw Woods.
   
   
7. Gillies Grove.
   
   
8. Stewartville Swamp - Federation Nature Reserve.
   
   
9. Hungry Lake Conservation Centre.
   
   
10. Puzzle Lake Provincial Park/Mellon Lake Conservation Reserve.
    
    
11. Frontenac Provincial Park.
    
    
12. Charleston Lake Provincial Park.

For more areas to visit, see A Nature Guide to Ontario, available from Ontario Nature.

	The Ontario Nature Network is a province-wide network of more than 140 groups that protects Ontario's nature and provides provincial leadership in parks and protected areas, land-use planning policies and conservation science. A strong commitment and concern for nature is shared by each group and demonstrated through their own activities.