WELCOME TO DUNDAS VALLEY OUTDOORS

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” - John Muir How are you managing during these unprecedented times? Heightened uncertainty, conflicted messaging and new protocols in place for almost everything that are regularly changing. Up until 6 months ago, I had never even heard the term “social distancing” and the idea that a mask had been added to the “must bring when I leave the house”

“A walk in nature walks the soul back home.” - Mary Davis After a busy work week, the call of the outdoors is generally expected and unrelenting, a persistent pull that urges me to venture out and reconnect. Giving in to that call, it wasn't surprising that I found myself wandering down the Spring Creek Trail yesterday afternoon and like always, it was time well spent. We've received snow early this year, much earlier than I recall from past years and as a result, the trail w

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." - John Muir There are certain winter days that appear to be just about perfect, and today would be one of those days. Bright blue skies, brilliant sunshine and a fresh blanket of pristine snow making sunglasses an absolute necessity; perfect conditions to be outdoors. Taking full advantage of the conditions, we wandered the Spring Creek Trail today, crunching between snow covered pines and the meandering creek w

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” - John Muir For decades, the Crooks Hollow dam and reservoir was a magical place, like a secret paradise known only by a small group of local residents. When the dam came into disrepair, there was significant controversy over the decision of repairing or demolishing it. I recall at the time (2011 – 2012) that I was firmly in the camp of those that favoured repair over demolition. That didn’t happen, and the deci

“Exploring is an innate part of being human. We're all explorers when we're born. Unfortunately, it seems to get drummed out of many of us as we get older, but it's there, I think, in all of us. And for me that moment of discovery is just so thrilling, on any level, that I think anybody that's experienced it is pretty quickly addicted to it.” - Edith Widder It amazes me when you live in a particular area but still find spots that you had no idea even existed before and when y

I've heard it described as a northern lake in southern Ontario and paddling the beautiful lake at Rockwood Conservation area, it is easy to imagine that you've traveled somewhere far as the topography is unlike anything else in the area. This small lake created by damming the Eramosa River is in a word, stunning and is so fun to explore. Surrounded by high glacial bluffs, the view while kayaking is ever-changing but always picturesque. As I typically visit there in the early