A bird in the hand …
The F.W.R. Dickson Wilderness Area in North Dumfries Township
Cover Photo Credits: © 2016 C.L. Curran
Introduction
EcoPost 1.1 Hike this 33 ha area in any season. The cross-country skiing and snowshoeing can be excellent, especially using the connecting trail to Bannister Lakes Conservation Area. There is a small picnic area by the car park that makes a good start or finish. Dickson Wilderness area is always rich in bird life and reptiles & amphibians abound in summer. The flora is outstanding and colourful.
Things To Do
The area includes two small lakes with well developed aquatic, marsh, willow-dogwood thickets and deciduous edge forest that provide habitat for a variety of birds. There is a 4.8 km figure-of-eight trail, suitable mostly for walking, with a surface that is primarily hard-packed dirt with several gravel sections. Small mammals can be seen along the trails.
Where Next?
Bannister Lakes, great for birdwatchers, is just a 1km trail hike away. Other nearby Grand River Conservation Authority Lands include the Sudden Tract; and the Walter Bean Trail along the Grand River Trail is but a short drive away. If the weather turns bad, try the Waterloo Regional Museum and Doon Heritage Village in nearby Kitchener.
Getting Here
Coordinates:
43.280219, -80.395818
Access is from the Brant-Waterloo Road or one can take a pleasant hike here from the car park at the Bannister Lake Conservation Area (1 km approx. each way).
By Bus: No access
Maps and Trails
Travel on foot, by cross-country skis or snowshoes is via a 4.8Km figure-of-eight trail. This rolling path has a dirt surface with wetland boardwalks, steps and stairways.
Accessibility
 | On-site ramps at some locations |
 | Boating prohibited |
 | Not pet-friendly |
 | Not suitable for cycling |