PART 1: Owned and managed by Couchiching Conservancy
Size: 113-acres
Status: Open to the Public, with trails.
Protected: 2007
Donors: Ms. Hope Smith
PART 2: Owned by Ontario Heritage trust, managed by Couchiching Conservancy
Size: 106-acres
Status: Not open to the Public
Protected: 2008
Donors: Stan Hope Smith
Background:
This Nature Reserve is intersected by Boyd's Creek just north of the village of Washago and was donated in two sections. It is now known as the Alexander Hope Smith Nature Reserve, in memory of their grandfather.
Landscape and Species:
The Reserve lies on a bed of exposed Precambrian granite rock. It is part of the Land Between, a band of granite and limestone plains that stretches across the southern Canadian Shield from the Georgian Bay to Kingston. Characteristic of this region are thin soils, rock outcrops, and lowlands of mixed forest and wetland.
The Land Between is a hotspot for biodiversity, and this property provides vital habitat for species at risk.
Visit this Nature Reserve:
Address & Parking: Drive north on Muskoka Street 1.7 kms to Cooper’s Falls Road; turn right onto Cooper’s Falls Road and travel 1.7 kms to Riverdale Drive; turn right onto Riverdale drive and travel 2.9 kms to the Property Sign on the right, just before the cul-de-sac. Park on the side of the road, NOT in the cul-de-sac.
Trail Length: 3.2km
Trail Type: in and out, loop
Estimated time: 1 hour
Description: follows Boyd's Creek over moderate terrain through the forest. Two granite lookouts are excellent for nature watching.
Maximum Elevation: 221m Elevation Gain: 5m
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Best time to visit: any time. Be prepared for expected conditions (mosquitoes in the spring-summer, damp in the spring and fall, etc).