Ontario may not be a province known for its mountains, but there are still a few summits that offer pretty views. This is the case with Blueberry Mountain, located near Flower Station in Lanark County. At 353 metres above sea level, it is the highest peak in the entire county.
Driving up to Blueberry Mountain feels like stepping deep into the bowels of Ontario’s Highlands. The gravel road zigzags between lakes and hills for a few kilometres, reminding me that my native province is less flat than I often imagine it to be. At the end of this gravel road, you’ll find cliffLAND, the private property on which the small mountain sits.
The mountain may be on private property, the owners (the Clifford family) make it accessible to the public through an agreement with the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust. A trail of just over two kilometres leads to the summit.
Blueberry Mountain is on the Lanark County Seven Wonders List, a list that also includes Purdon Conservation Area and Mill of Kintail Conservation Area, which I have really enjoyed visiting last year. So I had pretty high expectations for my hike, and I was not disappointed.
The trail is wide and well maintained and the climb is very gradual (it was almost hard to believe I was hiking towards the summit of a mountain). The trail passes through a pretty mixed forest where there were still some fall colours. After following a waterfall (which I heard more than seen), the trail passes near a pond, near a marsh and through old pine and cedar groves. Interpretive signs along the trail allow you to learn more about the flora and fauna of the area.
The climb is a little more sustained in the last few metres of the trail. After going around some large rocks, the view clears between the trees and I arrived at the rocky summit of Blueberry Mountain.
It seems that the mountain takes its name from the blueberry bushes once found at its summit. Not sure if there are still blueberry bushes around, but the summit is definitely worth the short hike to get there. The many hills of the Lanark and Madawaska Highlands stretched out before my eyes. In the distance, I could even see the chairlifts of the Calabogie Peaks Resort at the top of Dickson Mountain.
The hike back down is via the same trail, so my hike totaled just under 5 kilometres. I passed a few hikers on the way back and the little parking lot had filled up by the time I got back to my car. The proof that this small mountain located at the end of a long gravel road is no longer a well-kept secret!
Blueberry Mountain:
Altitude : 353m
Ascension : 165m
Trail (return) : 4.5 km
Access : cliffLAND, at the end of Hills of Peace Road
For other mountain hiking stories, check out the Mountain Hikes page.
Great photos. Looks beautiful.
Thank you! It was a beautiful fall hike!
This is a great time of year for it; good temperatures and no bugs!
It’s so beautiful, especially with the colours of the leaves 🙂
It was a beautiful hike! It’s pretty stunning in fall! 🙂
Beautiful views from the top! Great captures!
Thank you! I was a lovely hike!