#NationalTrailsDay #June3 #Best #Hiking #Trails in #OttawaValley #Ontario #Canada

National Trails Day: Favourite hiking trails in the Ottawa Valley

June 3, 2017- It's time to hit the trail because today is National Trails Day! I really enjoy hiking with my fur-family here in the Ottawa Valley because we are surrounded by some of the most beautiful parks in Ontario. The photo below shows favourite parks and hiking trails in the Ottawa Valley.

Algonquin Provincial Park is by far my favorite park to visit. The photo below shows my two favorite trails in Algonquin Achray: Barron Canyon trail and High Falls. Barron Canyon trail is a shorter hike, but the view is breathtaking. The trail overlooks the Baron Canyon. High Falls is a longer hike that leads to a beautiful water fall and a natural rock waterslide. It's a great swimming spot. My dog Keira loves swimming in the large pools of water speckled across the tops of the rocks.

Bonnechere Park is a smaller Provincial Park with camping available. While there aren't very many trails, the Bonnechere River is so beautiful that it completely makes up for it. Canoeing the Bonnechere River is such a spiritual experience. Early morning hikes are recommended because you see so much wildlife. The dewy morning eco-system that surrounds the misty Bonnechere River is worth waking up early.

National Trails Day is June 3 Best Ottawa Valley Hiking Trails

Foy Park and Petawawa Terrace are both non-operating Ontario Provincial Parks. Petawawa Terrace has an upper deck trail system through a red pine forest. The lower deck takes you to an old fish-hatchery. It features a longer, more advanced trail system through the swamp and forest. It's my favorite trail in the park. I love the photo boards with educational information about the different wildlife in the park. Foy Park is on Round Lake and has a long, quiet beach. The park is no longer maintained so it offers more privacy than some of the other parks. It has a creepy abandoned summer camp.

Shaw Woods is not a Provincial Park, but it's my second favorite park in the Ottawa Valley. It's an outdoor education centre, with an intricate trail system that teaches you about nature and wildlife along the way. The lookout over the water gives you an amazing view, and my dogs love running up the mountain.

Shaw Woods
Photo by Stacey McIntyre-Gonzalez Copyright©

What I love the most about hiking is the connection I make with nature. It relieves my stress; I feel happier and healthier. That's why issues like pollution and climate change are so important. I've made a deep connection to my roots- to nature- and I want to preserve the beauty that I witness on the trail.

Funding and maintaining our parks should be a priority. It's so discouraging that two of the Provincial Parks on my list of favourites are non-operating. We need to protect the eco-systems from pollution nd climate change. Climate change will make a once beautiful park almost unrecognizable if we continue to produce the emissions that we are currently producing. Treelines are moving pole ward, species are migrating and diminishing, and deforestation is a cancer attacking the lungs of the Earth. That's why I'm sharing my favorite trails today, so I can raise awareness about how to protect them. Support your local parks and trails today and have some fun outside!

Question: What is your favorite trail? Tweet me @PawsForReaction or post in the comments!

Find out how you can help support Ontario Parks on #NationalTrailsDay