Ontario is once again in lockdown. Much like it was the case last spring, we must avoid non-essential travel in order to curb the spread of Covid-19. As much as I’m dying to get out of my region, I decided to limit my hikes to places that are near my house and that is the reason why I ended up at Nokomis Park in Limoges.
I had never visited Nokomis Park, even though it is located very close to my home. It must be said that Limoges is one of the gateways to the magnificent Larose Forest, so I had never seen the point of visiting the small park when there are kilometres and kilometres of trails nearby in the forest. But since I wanted to explore a new place and it is not recommended to travel far from home at this time, I thought that this might be the perfect time to visit Nokomis Park.
In fact, Nokomis Park is officially part of Larose Forest, even though it is separated from it by the village of Limoges. Like the forest, the park is also managed by the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, in collaboration with the South Nation Conservation, the local conservation authority.
Maybe that’s why the trails at Nokomis Park almost seemed familiar to me. Its tall straight white pines are reminiscent of those of the Larose Forest. The trails are wide, flat, and groomed in winter, making it a perfect spot for an easy walk or snowshoe walk.
In all, I hiked almost 2.5 kilometres in Nokomis Park. The trails are not marked so it’s hard to tell if I was following an official park trail or just walking in the footsteps of a hiker who was meandering randomly in the forest. I felt a bit lost at times, but it felt good to be outside, enjoying nature. Limoges is definitely lucky to have such a beautiful park in the middle of its village.
I will probably come back to the park in the next few weeks. These days, every outing, even if it’s close to the house, provides a much needed breath of fresh air to keep our spirits up during these difficult times.
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