A new hiking trail in Desbarats

Nothing beats a good long hike in nature to keep you in shape and let life’s stresses disappear.

One afternoon we hiked the Foster Parkland and Walking Trails maintained by the Kensington Conservancy. The trails are located on Mink Point Road in Desbarats, east of Sault Ste. Marie. It is about a 40 to 50-minute drive from Sault Ste. Marie to Mink Point Road.

The Kensington Conservancy is a land trust that protects lands and waters through land donations, land purchases, and voluntary conservation agreements. Foster Parkland and Walking Trails are on donated land to the Kensington Conservancy. Janet and Maurice Foster and Family donated this unique piece of land The Kensington Conservancy website has further information about this fantastic organization. The Conservancy has worked extremely hard preserving the current Foster Parkland and Walking Trails and clearing the newly just opened 1.7 km loop on the south end.

When you reach the trail area on Mink Point Road, the parking lot is on the right side of the road. The trail signs are well marked and there is a grassy area to park your vehicle in front of these signs.

The beginning of the trail is marked by little white arrows as you start hiking to the left of the signs through a hay field and up into the mixed forest. Along the trails are information plaques or interpretive signs that teach you about the flora you encounter along the trails. You will learn about an unusual amount of species of trees growing here such as the Red Maple, White Spruce, Ironwood, Sugar Maple, Red Oak, Large Tooth Aspen, Striped Maple, Mountain Maple, White Birch, Eastern White Pine, Red Pine and Balsam Fir. Plants on the forest floor include False Solomon’s Seal, Staghorn Sumac, Round Leafed Dagwood, Trembling Aspen, Reindeer Lichen, Star Flower, Canada Mayflower, Spotted Touch-Me-Not, Common Juniper, Velvet Leaf Blueberry, and Common Strawberry.

Read the full article about the new hiking trail in Desbarats