This hike is part of the Adventure Report Ottawa Hiking Challenge! If you hike this trail, you’re officially working on the Road Trip Edition!

Join our Hiking Challenge Facebook Group to connect with other hikers working on the challenge, and don’t forget to tag us on social media so we can share your progress!

Adventure Report Ottawa Hiking Challenge Route Specification: Make sure to hike the outermost loop- the White Pine Way Trail, Bear Trail, Spooky Marsh Trail, Wolf Trail, Spring Peeper Trail, North Wind Trail, Lost Antler Trail, Beaver Pond Trail, Mcwatty Trail, and Joel’s Pond Trail.

Last week, I decided to head out with the baby and immerse ourselves in the fall colours while they lasted. Wanting to head somewhere new, and trying to think of a place that might not be too crowded, I decided to head to the High Lonesome Nature Reserve.

The Nature Reserve is made up of 200 acres, with about 8 kilometres of trails winding through the forest. According to the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust, there are seven at risk species that have been seen in the area! That is VERY cool.

The High Lonesome Nature Reserve is out in Pakenham, so we got to take a nice little drive through the country before arriving there. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to stop at the gift shop or the fudge store in Pakenham, but I think if you were to stop in town you could turn this hike into a really lovely little day trip.

The Nature Reserve is so off the beaten path that there was absolutely no one else there when we arrived on a Friday morning. The trails were well established and well-marked. It’s clear this land has been well loved. But with how little traffic there is, it really feels like an immersion into nature.

Dogs are allowed on the trails, but posted signs ask that they be leashed. There was a fire pit close to the Welcome Centre with benches around it. Maybe when you go you’ll bring S’mores supplies?

I’ve heard that there were ticks in the area this year, so as always, it’s a good idea to check yourself before getting back in the car.

Getting There

High Lonesome Nature Reserve is just fifty minutes from Ottawa, and we took the highway most of the way there. Then, the paved road ended and we kept going! At the end of Carbine Road in Pakenham is the Nature Reserve. There’s parking at the end of the road, so we parked beside the big gate leading into the Nature Reserve. You can use these coordinates to get there: 45.332926, -76.370186.

We took a few minutes to eat lunch and get ourselves organized, then let ourselves in through a little gate that was to the left of the big one. We walked down the road leading into the Nature Reserve, towards a barn that we could see not too far away.

Right beside the barn (which is getting torn down, according to the guy who was working there) was a Welcome Centre. We stopped to sign a waiver, and tried to grab a paper map, but they were all out!

The Trailhead

I wanted to explore as much of the area as possible, so I decided that we would hike every single outer trail.

Two trails leave from the Welcome Centre, and for no reason in particular, I decided we would hike in a counter clockwise fashion. We stopped in at the outhouse right beside the Welcome Centre before heading out.

Having looked at the map, I knew we would be starting on the White Pine Way Trail and turning right almost every time the trail joined another trail. The two exceptions to this “rule” would be where the Lost Antler Trail reconnected to White Pine Way, and where we needed to leave the McWatty Trail to get onto Joel’s Pond Trail.

Posted at the trailhead was a little white sign, signalling that we were headed in the right direction.

Trail Markers

Setting out on the Bear Trail was the first time I noticed trail markers posted. Before seeing official trail markers, I noticed printed signs that had obviously been in place for some time. But, I soon saw little red tree trail markers. It was obvious that they were doing some upgrades in the area, and trail markers seemed to be a part of that plan. Throughout the entire hike, the colors of the trail markers corresponded with the colours of the trail on the map for the High Lonesome Nature Reserve. I love when that happens!

There were tons and tons of leaves down, so at certain spots the trail actually became a bit tricky to follow, and there was more than one time on this hike that I had to retrace my steps. But, the trail markers (and old, printed signs) were posted so frequently that I never felt I was in any actual danger of getting lost.

Trail Splits

Most of the trails that we hiked at the High Lonesome Nature Reserve felt very similar to one another. For the most part, they were super skinny foot paths that hadn’t been widened by too much overuse. At other times (but not often), we found ourselves on trails that were wide enough for an ATV to travel along them. And rutted enough that I was sure they had!

Because the trails were so similar, I think it’s probably more helpful if I just jot down distances to each split. So here we go!

Split to the Bear Trail from White Pine Way: 0.1 Km.

Split to Spooky Marsh Trail/Sam’s Hill Trail from the Bear Trail: 0.3 Km.

Split to Wolf Trail from Spooky Marsh Trail: .64 Km.

Split to Spring Pepper Trail from Wolf Trail: .9 Km.

*On the map, it says there’s a lookout here, but there was little more than a break in the treeline over the marsh. Oh well!

Back to the Wolf Trail from Spring Pepper Trail: 1.2 Km.

Split to the North Wind Trail from the Wolf Trail: 1.3 Km.

*The old oak tree was huge, and just beautiful.

Entering Bear Rump Glade and the split to the Lost Antler Trail: 2.25 Km.

Split to White Pine Way from the Lost Antler Trail: 2.67 Km.

Split to the Beaver Pond Trail from White Pine Way: 2.96 Km.

*There are lawn chairs and a nice view over the pond right after the split!

The McWatty Trail carries on straight from the Beaver Pond Trail: 3.93 Km.

Through Damselfly Clearing: 4.24 Km.

Split to Joel’s Pond Trail from the McWatty Trail: 4.32 Km.

*Make sure you take the SECOND split for Joel’s Pond Trail to head back to the Welcome Centre.

Trail Thoughts

By putting together the longest route possible at the High Lonesome Nature Reserve, we ended up hiking a total of 4.7 kilometres. The trails were nice and flat, with the exception of a few little hills here and there, so I was able to move pretty quickly. We covered the distance in just over an hour and a half. Which isn’t actually that quick, but I stopped a lot to take pictures!

Each trail was really well marked, which was super helpful because there were SO many of them that it could have been easy to get turned around. I was also glad that I had looked at the map ahead of time and made a plan. I didn’t have to think too much while I was out there, because I already knew most of my turns would be right turns. Downloading a copy of the map onto my phone before leaving, was also really helpful. There are so many trail splits that I wouldn’t want to be out without one.

We absolutely loved being immersed in the fall colours at the High Lonesome Nature Reserve. The trails were really easy to hike, and would be fun for absolutely all ages (including dogs and puppies!). Having so many options to shorten or lengthen a hike is always great, in my books. The only thing that would have made our day better was if we could have stopped at the fudge shop in Pakenham. Next time!

I hope this trip report has enough info to get you there too. Let me know in the comments, or share and tag a friend to start planning your next adventure!

Map and Elevation Gain

Whenever I’m hiking somewhere new, I tend to wonder about who was on, and who took care of that land before me. I’ve enjoyed using this website as a place to start learning more about the indigenous people whose land I’m on: Native-land.ca.

Gear I Brought