A peaceful afternoon exploring Heber Down Conservation Area
Wow did we get lucky on this outing! I didn’t know much about Heber Down going in, but we wanted to go in a different direction this time so I went to my list and picked one of the conservation areas located East of the city. I knew there was a tall staircase that takes you up (or down) the bluffs/ridge of the ancient Iroquois Lake shoreline and thought the kids would get a kick out of that, but otherwise wasn’t really sure what to expect.
The staircase was fun and the landscape here is totally different from anything along the Niagara Escarpment. It’s more hilly. You don’t see the sharp cliffs that you get along the Niagara Escarpment. And you don’t get the same big vistas looking out over the landscape either. But the landscape here has it’s own special charm. It isn’t as dramatic, but it’s somehow peaceful and comforting which is a nice change of pace.
Overall Heber Down offers a really tranquil, relaxing, low-key trail experience. There are some climbs up hills, but the trails are short and sweet and the terrain is pretty easy to navigate. The trails mostly run through forested areas, so you get a true forest walk experience. And despite it being a relatively small conservation area, the trails take you through quite a variety of different landscapes from hilly mixed forest, to areas that are dominated by coniferous forest. There is also a creek and a little pond along the way.
The one thing we didn’t expect, and honestly could not have planned better, was the dramatic show being put on by a field of goldenrod on a small trail section at the other end of the conservation area. We opted to take a detour to check out the Maple Leaf trail. We were curious about the lookout (which I think is intended for bird watching) and had time and energy to spare so we decided to check it out. And boy were we glad we did. When we got there we were greeted by a blaze of yellow. The Maple Leaf trail is an accessible trail that runs around an area cut from a field in the shape of a giant maple leaf. The trail was built as a Canada 150 project back in 2017. On either side of the trail are large fields of goldenrod (or at least it was pretty much all goldenrod when we were there, no idea what it looks like at other times of the year). Apparently late summer to early fall is peak bloom time for goldenrod (we looked it up) so we got to see the fields when they were bursting with their brightest display of the year. Compounding the effect was the fact that we happened to be there in the late afternoon/early evening, just when the sun is burning bright, but low in the sky – the golden hour. And there were plenty of busy pollinators – bees and butterflies – hanging around, which the kids enjoyed. This was honestly probably the highlight of the afternoon. And to think we almost skipped it. There’s definitely something to be said about serendipity.
Actually, it’s funny. Paul said it when we were there. Whenever we’re at a trail destination and we have to make a choice whether to take a detour or a longer loop back to the parking lot, we have a tendency to say “might as well” and we have never been disappointed yet. In fact, we always say how glad we are that we decided to go that way because otherwise we might have missed whatever special feature it is we discovered. It seems that there is always something special and unique about every single one of the trails at each destination. I usually try to plan out a path that takes us on as many of the trails as possible so that we can get a little taste of everything on offer. But some of these conservation areas have very complex trail systems or very long trail loops and it isn’t always possible for us to see it all. Still, it just goes to show that there is always something else that you could discover. I guess that just means that when we’re done the bucket list challenge, we can go back to some of our favourites and check out the trails we missed (or am I being too ambitious?)
That’s it for now. Stay tuned for the next review!
What you need to know to plan your visit!
Managed by: Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority
Hike Length: 5.5 km - check out the trail map to follow in our footsteps
Trail Style: The trails are mostly packed earth, gravel or sandy and they are fairly wide and flat (except for a couple of climbs up or down hill). There’s also that one tall wooden staircase.
Wayfinding: The wayfinding on-site could be better. Trail junctions aren’t marked and there are a couple of spots where the trails intersect with other paths and roadways so if you aren’t careful you could take a wrong turn. But the trail system is pretty simple and there aren’t many trail junctions, so it’s easy enough to find your way if you have a copy of the map handy.
BUT – you can download the AVENZA MAPS app which allows you to download a trail map onto your phone and it will track your location on the trails using your phone’s GPS. We didn’t use the app, but it’s nice to have the option especially since there isn’t much in the way of analogue wayfinding on-site.
Sun Exposure: Goldilocks – There’s plenty of coverage but there are also sections of trail that let the sun shine down on you.
Bug-o-meter: Bug free! Almost, anyway. We can’t say we didn’t encounter any mosquitoes, but I would still classify it as bug free because it was really only around the pond that we sensed there was a presence and it was very minimal. The mozzies usually love T and he didn’t have any bites, and I only felt one or two bites the entire visit.
Key Features & Little Surprises: The goldenrods in bloom along the Maple Leaf Trail; Wooden staircase
Hot tip: If you are going to visit, try to time it for late summer or early fall so you can take in the glory of the blooming goldenrods!
Parking & Logistics: Pay and Display parking. There are 2 parking lots: One off Lyndebrook Road, which is only open seasonally; and the main entrance which is off Cochrane Street. We used the seasonal entrance, but the Maple Leaf Trail is right off the main entrance parking lot.
Driving Time: >1h
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