HIKE IN HURON
BANNOCKBURN - One of the best trails to experience the changing of the seasons is Bannockburn Conservation Area managed by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority. This 62-acre park has six different natural communities: Wet Meadow, Eastern White Cedar Forest, Bannockburn River and Walden Creek, Deciduous Forest, Old Field and Mixed Scrub, and Marsh. The variety of trees makes it a lovely shaded walk on a hot summer day.
There are interpretive signs along the trail giving information about various points of interest.
The trail begins with accessible boardwalks and then goes up a rustic set of steps and proceeds through winding and hilly terrain of moderate difficulty. Allow at least an hour to hike the outer loop (about two kilometres). The short side trail will add an additional half hour to your visit, but is well worth the extra time. It circles through a former farmstead and passes what remains of a stone foundation. The trail winds through an old meadow full of milkweed that will be a monarch haven by late summer, before returning to the main trail.
The views along the river are pretty and the old iron bridges and boardwalks make for some excellent selfie opportunities. 76249 Bannockburn Line (south of Bayfield Road, between Clinton and Bayfield).
MacNAUGHTON-MORRISON TRAIL - If you’re in the mood for a little exercise, you can enjoy two of the Exeter area’s attractions in one hike. MacNaughton Park in the north end of the town and Morrison Dam Conservation Area, east of town, are linked by the MacNaughton-Morrison Trail.
The four-kilometre trail travels through the picturesque Ausable River Valley along both sides of the river through towering hardwood and pine forests with several lookouts that give a bird’s eye view of the valley. Along the way, benches allow you to rest and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.
The trail is designed for all ages with a granular surface that makes travel easy for hikers, runners, bicycles, strollers and wheelchairs. You can take the whole trail or, for a shorter hike, cross the river at the 75-metre Stirling Bridge, midway between the two parks, and return.
You can access the MacNaughton-Morrison Trail either from the town end at MacNaughton Park or at Morrison Dam Conservation Area, run by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority.
Morrison Dam Conservation Area, located two kilometres east of Exeter, just off Hwy 83 on Morrison Line is a 30-hectare site that’s excellent for those interested in fishing, hiking, walking, boating and swimming. Across the lake — or more properly, reservoir — is the headquarters of the Conservation Authority.
The lake is a serpentine formation reflecting the section of the Ausable River from which it was created in 1959 by the construction of the Morrison Dam, originally intended to supply water to a local canning factory then in operation.
The wooded shoreline which outlines the lake, is a small remnant of the great hardwood forest that once covered much of the county. The majority of the species are consistent with a hardwood bush, although a few sections of white pine were originally planted when the dam was constructed.
There is the familiar maple and beech, but less well known species such as hawthorn, black cherry and hop hornbeam, help create an interesting mix for the visitor.
The more adventurous hikers can follow the narrow paths near the water’s edge and the added effort is often rewarded with brief encounters with the area’s more permanent residents including the birds and animals.
If that proves to be too strenuous, well-groomed trails provide the walker with a pleasant stroll among the trees.
Nesting boxes for bluebirds and wood ducks have helped these species build up their numbers in the area, which will give delighted birdwatchers the chance to get up close and personal with many of Huron’s species, including great blue herons that can be seen eyeing the shallow waters along the shore.
At the other end of the trail, MacNaughton Park is a showcase for horticulturalists, made up of a number of display gardens. The park’s genesis was in the 1980s when the Exeter Lions Club pitched the idea of turning a simple flat parkland, into a beautifully landscaped area for recreation or relaxation. Trailheads at 62 MacNaughton Drive or 71108 Morrison Line, Exeter