For many, being able to easily access such a wild place with so many things to do so close to the city is what keeps them coming back. To “hear the quiet”, you need only find some time to experience this urban jewel.
Below are listed some of the more popular activities. Click on each tab to find out more.
There’s a lot more to do in and around the BMBCL including: geocaching; snow-shoeing; swimming; nature study; education ( e.g. via guided interpretive walks), and youth adventures.
We’ll continue to add more content to this section, so please check back!
Hiking is easily the most popular activity across all of the lands within the Wilderness Area and throughout the buffer properties which provide some of the access to the interior (back country). The trails are not managed or fully signed and as such, can present challenging conditions for a novice hiker. A trail plan was completed in 2017 but not implemented. See the plan here.
All types of terrain can expect to be encountered including steep, rocky grades which can then transgress to almost flat, pine needle paths in a matter of a few steps. Wet areas are not uncommon around the lakes and winter travel can be hazardous with icy sections the norm, depending on the vagaries of the season. Throughout the Wilderness Area and much of the surrounding buffer zone, you truly will, hear the quiet.
Friends of BMBCL offers guided hikes for those who might want to explore the woods but who would feel more comfortable in a group with others leading the way. If you want to join in, check out the Guided Hikes Calendar.
Popular access points include:
– Bayers Lake Business Area
– Collins Road (via Belle Street & Kearney Lake Road)
– Anahid Drive, (Kingswood Subdivision, via Hammonds Plains Road)
Important information for all hikers:
Susies Lake, the heart of nine Birch Cove Lakes, offers a canoeing experience that rivals those found in our national parks. Paddling these waters, it is not uncommon to see otters, beavers, and bald eagles soaring overhead.
Paddling here, you truly will “hear the quiet”.
With the extensive variety and mix of woodlands, plant species, food sources and wetlands, the BMBCL is able to offer considerable options for bird habitat. One of the species of interest is our common loon, so well known to Canadians. If you are aware of a nesting pair on any of the many lakes found within the BMBCL, please let us know, and we will confirm their status and register their presence with the Birds Canada, national loon survey.
iNaturalist has a dedicated page for all types of flora/fauna sightings in teh BMBCL.
Here are some of the bird species recorded in the Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area & Buffer Lands (partial list):
