Nature Hikes

Toronto residents and visitors can find it difficult to get far enough away from city noise and hustle to experience the restorative quiet of a natural setting. But that's only if you don't know where to go.

Nature Hikes: Near-Toronto Trails and Adventures is a guide through 56,000 acres of Ontario's most compelling nature destinations. This fifth edition adds six more Conservation Areas selected from the most accessible Conservative Authorities in the area -- Credit Valley, Nottawasaga Valley, Toronto and Region, Lake Simcoe Region, Central Lake Ontario -- for a total of 39 hikes. They are Caledon Trailway (Central Region) and Hilton Falls, Rattlesnake, Mount Nemo, Kelso and Mountsberg (all West Region).

All 33 hikes in the first edition have been updated to incorporate any changes, and together with new hikes are organized by region and presented with beautiful color photography and all the information needed to choose and get to the destination:

• Highlights, Difficulty, Trails, Markers, Surface, Type, Open, Entry Fee, Directions, Activities, Dogs Allowed
• Description of the site, history or points of interest and tips on what to do and see
• Map of the Conservation Area indicating roads, watercourse, trails, entrance, parking, natural feature (e.g. forest, wetland) and more, such as best birdwatching or fishing spot
• All of the maps have been redone to professional standards, making the book much more user friendly.

Written as a narrative, the book describes the hikes in practical terms and as the writer experienced them. There are also informative sidebars throughout, such as Why do birds sing?; Plant Invaders; Wonderful Wetlands; There is No New Water and How To See Wildlife: Step One.

Just minutes out of the city or from their doorstep, day trippers can find bird migration stopovers, fishing holes, wildlife hot spots, hiking and biking trails, secret photography spots, sites of archaeological or historical importance, swimming spots, orchid forests and much more.

Nature Hikes is a must-have guide for groups and individuals who love wild places and the special creatures that live there. Perfectly sized for car side pockets.

Written by Janet Eagleson, with photography by Rosemary G. Hasner