Tour - Barnum Creek Nature Reserve Discovery Tour

Barnum Creek Nature Reserve Discovery Tour

Ontario K0M, Canada

Created By: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust

Tour Information

The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust would like to welcome you to the Barnum Creek Nature Reserve. This fabulous 500-acre property was kindly donated to the Land Trust in 2017 by Leopoldina and Margaret Dobrzensky. Historically, from 1865 until the late 1950s, this site was utilized for mixed-farming practices,
despite its shallow and rocky soils. Signs of this difficult farming still exist throughout the area and are
especially evident in the large stone piles still dotting the landscape. The property was last farmed in the late 1950s, when land use reverted to a more forestry-based model. Portions of the property have since been managed for timber harvesting, and have been selectively harvested as recently as 2007, as evidenced by the wide trails you will be exploring. Since being acquired by the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust, the property’s main uses are now environmental and wildlife protection, research, education, and low impact recreation.

Tour Map

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What You'll See on the Tour

Welcome to HHLT’s Barnum Creek Nature Reserve

Barnum Creek

There is nothing like the sound of running water to soothe the soul! Listen to the song of Barnum Creek as it dances downward, tumbling over rocks and ledges, on its way to Barnum Lake far below. From here, it eventually drains into Lake Ka... Read more

Mature Forests

As you wander along this next stretch of trail, you’ll probably notice how dark it has become in places. You seem to be walking through a tunnel of trees, with a full canopy above and to the sides of you. Although this area was logged d... Read more

Indigenous History

Although Barnum Creek Nature Reserve has been occupied by European settlers for the past 150 years, it had been visited and stewarded long before by Indigenous First Nations. The first inhabitants to this general area were hunter-gatherers,... Read more

An Explosion of Colour

Hiking through this area in late April and early May can be breathtaking as tiny wildflowers carpet the ground in a tapestry of colour. These first blooms, the spring ephemerals, spend the majority of their life as dormant roots and bulbs i... Read more

Vernal Pools – An Amphibian Bonanza

Look down the slope from this point and you will see a depression in the landscape where water collects. This is an example of an ephemeral pond, also called a vernal pool. These wetlands are incredible places in the spring and early summ... Read more

The Importance of Open Spaces in Haliburton County

Look at any satellite photo of Haliburton County and a few things stand out. We live in a sea of trees, dotted with a myriad of lakes and wetlands. Many other counties in southern Ontario are not so lucky and have lost virtually all their w... Read more

Sunny Refuges

You are standing near the location of the original Dugan homestead. The Dugan family were early settlers and farmers. In late May and early June, the sweet smell of lilac bushes permeates the air. Although not a native species in Ontario,... Read more

Protecting Biodiversity for Future Generations

One of the mandates of the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust is to protect habitat for all flora and fauna, including species at risk. Barnum Creek Nature Reserve provides a 500-acre refuge for many local species and several species at risk i... Read more

Thank You for Your Support

We hope you have enjoyed your guided walk through the beautiful Barnum Creek Nature Reserve. If you would like to support the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust in their endeavour to conserve and steward lands and waters for future generations... Read more