Now that things are beginning to open up we've been able to hike and explore outside of the Greater Toronto area. This past weekend we were able to explore a hike I've been excited about for a while, The Tree Museum in Gravenhurst Ontario an outdoor art exhibit site and hiking trails. It did not disappoint!
There is no fee for parking here and a small parking lot. When we arrived one other car was leaving, so it appears this trail isn't that popular, particularly since we arrived mid-morning on a Saturday.
It is about a 1.5KM walk into the art installations from the parking lot, so with walking around the grounds to explore the art you can expect to log anywhere from 7-11KM depending how adventurous you're feeling. There may be some times when the gate is open so you can drive direct to the art installations and shorten the hike dramatically, but that wasn't an option while we were there.
The roads and trails were buggy, but we'd been warned in advance, so we came armed with plenty of bug spray and wore our bug nets over our hats to protect our faces while we hiked.
The trails are well marked and the art installations are in a loop, with signs making it easy to explore.
Bring plenty of water to keep you hydrated while you check out the art.
Exhibits ranged from large in size, like this stone house, to small, like reflectors placed in wooded sections to enhance the light in particular sections of the trail.
This stone house would be a great place to stop for a snack mid-hike.
One of my favourite exhibits was this mirrored box where you could "disappear" into the forest arond you, although it translates better in person than in photograph.
These cars have become a part of the land in this installation
An upside own shed.
Although the bugs were really distracting and a nuisance (5 days later I still have quite a few bites I'm dealing with), Molly said this hike still made her top 15 favourite hikes. I know we missed a few exhibits, but we couldn't handle the bugs and heat anymore. I plan on returning for a fall hike sometime when (hopefully) the bugs aren't so bad. I was also happy that my new hiking boots allowed me to confidentaly cross new terrain with very little blisters and breaking them in pain. This hike is worth adding to your list, but only if you have kids and/or adults who are prepared to hike the 7-11KM required to see everything.
