Located just east of Goderich, Morris Tract Provincial Nature Reserve contains a few hiking trails that weave through the forest, into steep valleys and along the shore of the Maitland River. Morris Tract is a non-operating park, so besides hiking, there are no other activities or facilities. I’m not entirely convinced that there’s even a real parking lot.

Lookout Provincial Nature Reserve is a non-operating park located on the Niagara Escarpment just south of Georgian Bay. It offers some great hiking opportunities along the Bruce Trail and contains a few other side trails that weave through forested slopes, on top of the Escarpment, and through caves and crevices.

Selkirk Provincial Park is located along the northern shore of Lake Erie and is surrounded by wetlands and forests. It offers just over 100 campsites across four campgrounds, a large picnic area, a pebble beach along the lake and a single hiking trail through the hardwood forest and marsh.

Located along the northern shore of Lake Erie, James N. Allan Provincial Park is reputed to be a good spot for swimming, boating, and bird-watching. It features two swimming areas, one that spans a kilometre along a pebble beach and the other, smaller beach with fine sand. The park commemorates the life of James Noble Allan who was born in Haldimand County where the park is located and was a prominent Ontario politician.

Rock Point Provincial Park is located along the north shore of Lake Erie near the mouth of the Grand River. It features a one-kilometre sand and pebble beach with fossils embedded in a limestone shelf along a portion of it. It has 178 campsites and a single hiking trail that winds through the different habitats in the park, including the forest, sand dunes and wetlands.

rovincial Park is located along the shore of Lake Ontario in Brighton, Prince Edward County. Presqu’ile in French means “almost island” as it is joined to the mainland by an extremely narrow piece of land. It is open year-round and contains one of the largest wetlands along the lake. Presqu’ile also offers a sandy beach and several trails that wind through the different habitats in the park.

Duncan Escarpment Provincial Nature Reserve is located just west of Collingwood along the Niagara Escarpment. Due to seasonal extremes in temperatures and the forces of gravity, large boulders have broken off from the main face of the Niagara Escarpment, creating a series of crevice caves. While Duncan Escarpment is a non-operating park, the Bruce Trail runs through here and features a few trails for hiking.

The Blue Mountains are located along the southern shore of Georgian Bay and feature a variety of recreational activities for every season. During the winter it is a top destination in southwestern Ontario for snowboarding, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. During the spring, summer and fall there are plenty of activities to do in and around the rugged shores of Georgian Bay, including hiking, swimming, fishing and boating.

Located along the southern shore of Georgian Bay between Collingwood and Thornbury, Craigleith Provincial Park is situated on fractured oil shale plates. It is a relatively small park and is famous for its spring and fall offshore fishing. While the park itself doesn’t offer many activities, there are a number of trails and other provincial parks located nearby.

Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve is located along the Niagara Escarpment in the town of Mono. It is a non-operating park so there are no visitor facilities or washrooms. However, there are a few hiking trails and countless opportunities to just appreciate nature.