I’m continuing my project of visiting all the conservation areas of Eastern Ontario! This time, I drove to the south of the region and went to visit the Two Creeks Forest Conservation Area near Iroquois. And I must admit that this was probably my favourite of all the ones I have visited so far.
Two Creeks Forest is located between the communities of Morrisburg and Iroquois, not far from the St. Lawrence River in southeastern Ontario. It has a 4-kilometre trail, interpretive trail signs and a variety of ecosystems unique to those of the St. Lawrence Lowlands.
Maybe it was the soft morning light, the bright colours of spring, or the fact that I have been spending too much time at home lately, but after hiking only a few metres on the trail, the Two Creeks Forest seemed to me like straight out of a fairy tale.
Okay, I might be exaggerating a bit, but the forest is particularly pretty with its young silver maple trees, its two creeks that the trail crosses a few times (Doran and Hilliard creeks, hence the name of the forest, Two Creeks) and its many spring flowers.
The forest includes nine different types of ecosystems. In addition to its plantation of silver maples, there is a plantation of conifers, wetlands and a meadow. Interpretive trail signs explain the importance of each of these habitats for local flora and fauna.
We also find in the forest some old bur oaks, some of which are more than two hundred years old! These oaks were therefore present during the War of 1812, some of whose battles took place nearby. The silver maples are more recent. They were planted in the 1990s by the Domtar paper mill for harvest. Domtar has since closed its plant in Cornwall and the trees are now protected within the conservation area.
And what about the hike? The trail was particularly muddy when I was there, but nothing compared to my hike the previous week at Robert Graham Conservation Area. Otherwise, it’s a fairly easy hike, on mostly flat terrain. Unlike the other conservation areas that I have visited so far, the trail is well marked, and arrows indicate the direction to follow and the number of kilometres left to the parking lot.
In short, another great visit and a place where I intend to return!
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