Muskoka Lakes looks at improving its trail system

DAY TREK. Snowshoers take advantage of the trails at Torrence Barrens on a sunny winter day. Photo by Bev McMullen

Trails in Muskoka Lakes include:
Fish Hatchery: 1 km, easy, only accessible trail, former fish hatchery produced trout by raising fingerlings and releasing them in local lakes and streams, 1,320 steps.
Hazelwood Trail: 2.5-km linear trail, moderate, the trail once connected Port Carling and Port Sandfield, 3,300 steps.
Artist Loop Trail: flooded out and permanently closed.
Torrance Barrens Trail: 3-km, 5-km, and 6-km trails, most difficult trail in navigation and accessibility, Ontario’s only lizard and a threatened species of rattlesnake can occasionally be found here, 4,000-8,000 steps.
Huckleberry Rock Trail: 2.4 km, moderate, rocks on trail some of the oldest in the world, west view over west Muskoka, 3,300 steps.
Hardy Lake Trail: 3-km, 7-km, and 8-km hikes, moderate to difficult, views of Hardy Lake and Lake Muskoka, 4,000-11,000 steps.
Port Carling Mural Walk: 2.5-km, easy, walk through Port Carling, 3,300 steps.
Bala Historic Walk: 4.5-km, easy, walk through Bala, 6,000 steps.
Raymond Trail
Weir Lake Trail: difficult, curvaceous, in Rosseau.

Muskoka Lakes is talking about increasing both its land and water trail systems.
There are currently 42 kilometres of hiking trails spread throughout the township used for hiking, biking, horseback riding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. Many of the 10 trails in the township are about three kilometres long and all of them are on government land.
During a committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 4, Muskoka Lakes Mayor said she would like to see a longer trail in the township.
“Wouldn’t it be great if we had some long-distance trail that linked all of our communities?” Murphy said.
Coun. Ron Brent noted there are no abandoned rail lines such as there are in Seguin township to create that kind of trail.
“We would need to identify all colonization roads and owners of them and figure out how to get from A to B,” he said.
Amy McLeish, a recreational trails co-ordinator for the township, suggested council consider a route on the Crown land from Torrence Barrens to Georgian Bay instead, as one of the problems with the suggested trail system are the highways going by many of the communities.
McLeish said they have also looked at water routes, but overnight trips become a problem because of the lack of Crown land that could be used for camping sites, unless the township were to use municipal road allowances by the water for camp sites.
Murphy suggested starting with day trips.
Municipally owned trails are relatively new in Muskoka Lakes. Council began a recreational trails committee in 1997 to look at the need for trails in the township, resulting in five trails. Since then more trails have emerged through a partnership between the Muskoka Trails Council, Muskoka Lakes Association, Muskoka Ratepayers’ Association, Ontario Parks, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and local landowners.
McLeish compared the economic benefits the trails bring to the relatively low cost of maintaining trails for the township using studies of the Bruce Trail, which brought in 410,000 users and $26 million in a year.
“While it is very difficult to reflect those numbers onto our trails, it is recognized that trail users generally incur about $50 per user per trip,” she said.
That includes buying shoes, food at the local convenience store, and gas.
Trails also increase property values, induce spending, and are regarded as important features in communities to provide walkability from home to key places such as a grocery store.
McLeish said Muskoka Lakes’ trails are used extensively by residents, seasonal residents and tourists, as well as astronomers, bird watchers, and support groups.
The trails were not as heavily used this year because of bridge repairs on some of the trails and the temporary closure of the Huckleberry Rock, one of the most popular trails, because of the fire this summer, she said.
Over the next few years McLeish said there will be ongoing improvements on the trails as more bridges are repaired or replaced and additional signs are posted for clearer trail marking.
While the more rugged trails are being maintained, the township is also considering asking for money from the district’s reserve for active transportation to make Port Carling more pedestrian friendly, with things such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and paved shoulders.
There is a lot of opportunity to make Port Carling more pedestrian friendly, Murphy said.

Small - Large
|
Print
|
Email
|
|