Two days to introduce little feet to the fun of hiking

Start your adventure in Milton. Boasting one of the best cliff-edge ecosystems in the province, Mount Nemo Conservation Area also offers jaw-dropping views. On a clear day, it’s easy to spot the CN Tower. The park’s trails run along the Bruce Trail, which is Canada’s oldest and longest footpath, and offer interesting sites like thousand-year-old crevice caves, ancient cedars and wild turkeys gliding across the sky.
While you’re in Halton, make time for a visit to Mountsberg Conservation Area’s Raptor Centre. The Centre is currently home to 15 different species of native birds of prey, including eagles, hawks, owls, vultures and falcons. Birds of Prey shows are held daily in the summer and on weekends and holidays the rest of the year. For an additional fee, private 45-minute Raptor Encounters can be arranged.

The next day, make your way to Brant County. The 2-kilometre Six Nations of the Grand River Nature Trail in Oshweken is a great option for young hikers. The trail takes hikers on a journey through one of Ontario’s last remaining Carolinian forests. Interpretative signs along the route help create an appreciation for the largest single block of Carolinian woodland in Canada. While you’re there, pick up a copy of the Natural Heritage Scavenger Hunt from Chiefswood National Historic Site. It’s a great way to learn more about the site’s restored tall grass prairie and the great variety of animal and plant life in the area.

Next, head to Apps’ Mill Nature Centre. The centre’s naturalists host great family programming with an environmental, outdoor focus, including Owl Prowls, Frog Frolics and Bug Hunts.