This event is in partnership with Diverse Nature Collective, a BIPOC led organization dedicated to creating space for conservation-minded folks to help empower and mobilize diverse voices.

Pick Up and Drop Off Point for Bus Passengers: 34 Asquith Avenue (2 min walk from Yonge/Bloor TTC Station) Pick Up at 9:45 am and drop off at 6pm pending traffic.

Start Point of Hike: Ken Reid Conservation Area, Lindsay, Ontario.

End Point of Hike: Ken Reid Conservation Area, Lindsay, Ontario.

Length: 10 km

Pace of hike: 4 km per hour - Moderate

Difficulty: Intermediate - Must be comfortable walking for up to 3 hours

Family-friendly:(suitable for young people 17 and under) Yes

Stroller-friendly: (paved trails accessible for strollers) There is a shorter accessible trail at Ken Reid park that includes a nice lookout point that is suitable for strollers and mobility devices, but not all trails at the park are accessible. Please let Let’s Hike TO know if you’d like to hike on the accessible trails only.

Dogs permitted: No

Open to people who want to drive to the start point to meet the group: Yes - see below for more details

Requiring hiking boots: Recommended but if you don't have them, comfortable shoes will do

Requiring crampons/ice cleats: No

Requiring walking poles: Not essential, but worth bringing if you have them

Join us for a day trip to Ken Reid Conservation Area, a 110-hectare (272-acre) property that provides protection to forests, meadows and the provincially significant McLaren’s Creek Wetland on Sturgeon Lake. Enjoy an intermediate hike on well maintained trails at the Kawartha’s Conservation flagship conservation site, with stunning views of the Sturgeon Lake wetlands from a floating boardwalk! Ken Reid Park offers great birdwatching and nature watching opportunities.

(From the website for Ken Reid Conservation Area)

In 1857, Isaac W. Reid bought the land at the mouth of McLarens Creek which we know today as Ken Reid Conservation Area….In 1981, Kawartha Conservation bought the Reid property with a grant from the Nature Conservancy of Canada. In 1982, Kawartha Conservation received a grant from Ministry of Natural Resources to develop the land into the Conservation Area you know and love today.”

We’ll enjoy a 10km intermediate-level hike along the many interconnected trails at Ken Reid Conservation Area, including a newly renovated floating boardwalk along McLaren’s Creek Wetland Marsh on Sturgeon Lake.

For those taking the bus: Plan to arrive at the pick up point at 9.45 am sharp.

We will be leaving promptly at 10 am.

We will be dropped off at the same place we started (34 Asquith Ave) around 6pm pending traffic.

For those driving their own cars to the park: We will begin our guided hike at 1pm sharp - please be ready at the entrance to start promptly. Parking at Ken Reid Conservation Area is $4 including HST.

Let's Hike T.O. is a hiking community open to everyone with a focus on newcomers, people of colour, and young adults aged 20-40. All are welcome on our walks.

What To Expect

Hike leader: Patricia (she/her), Tirtha (she/her), and Robin (he/him)

What's included: Chartered bus from Yonge and Bloor, a hike led by Patricia - leader of Diverse Nature Collective and other trained hike leaders, opportunities to stop to take photos of nature and the wetlands of Sturgeon Lake

What you should plan to bring with you: Packed lunch, snacks, bug spray, a towel or headband, 2+ litres of water, long pants, hat, sunscreen, comfortable shoes. If you are interested in birdwatching and have binoculars please bring them

Registration fee:  Bus Hike is $33.28 ($30 for the bus + $3.28 Eventbrite fees) though if you cannot afford it, please contact us at letshiketo@gmail.com to request a Pay What You Can registration based on your circumstance. We will have 4 tickets available for those who are currently unemployed or cannot afford the fee.

Car hikers will be able to register for free but will need to pay for parking at Ken Reid Conservation Area - parking is $4 including HST.

Limited tickets: This bus hike is restricted to 46 registrants who will be travelling with the group on bus and 40 registrants who will be driving to the park. Tickets will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis and are non-refundable.

Pre-hike email: Registrants will receive additional details by email the day before the hike, such as what to bring on the day, what to wear, etc.

Weather precautions: The hike will take place regardless of rain, wind, or snow so please dress accordingly! We will only cancel or postpone the hike if weather conditions are considered extreme or dangerous, in which case registered hikers will be informed 48 hours in advance.

Questions? Email LetsHikeTO@gmail.com