A bird in the hand …
The F.W.R. Dickson Wilderness Area in North Dumfries Township
Cover Photo Credits: © 2016 C.L. Curran
Dickson Wilderness boardwalks were upgraded in late 2018. It is now possible to access the boardwalk by wheelchair. However, the trails beyond the boardwalk have not been maintained in 2019. The steep slope beyond the boardwalk now rutted and the trails are growing in rapidly.
Take a map!
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 Ken Seiling 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 |