Following Macnamara Nature Trail in Arnprior

Last winter, I really enjoyed hiking the trails of the historic forest of Gillies Grove in Arnprior, in the Ottawa Valley. I was so impressed by the tall trees of the forest and by this first visit to Arnprior that I promised myself I would come back to hike another trail found in the area, the Macnamara Nature Trail. And that’s what I finally did last weekend!

A year after my first visit, I was therefore back in Arnprior, this small town located at the confluence of the Madawaska and Ottawa rivers, in Eastern Ontario. The Macnamara Nature Trail is located east of the town, on private land belonging to Nylene Canada Incorporated.

I parked my car in the small parking lot found along McNab Road. As soon as I arrived, I noticed that there was ice covering the trail in places, so I decided to put my micro-spikes on, and I headed into the forest.

The Macnamara Nature Trail was created by the Macnamara Field Naturalists’ Club, with the aim of highlighting the different ecosystems, fauna and flora, and the history of this sector of Arnprior. The trail is named after Charles Macnamara, a naturalist and photographer who explored and documented different features of this forest in the early 20th century. Some of his “discoveries” are now highlighted along this interpretive trail.

As the Macnamara Nature Trail is located on private property owned by a factory, I was worried that this hike would not feel like a “real” nature walk. In the end, it was quite the opposite.

The Macnamara Nature Trail first goes into the pretty mixed forest, which looked ready for spring on this lovely Sunday in February. Although icy in places, the trail was mostly flat and well marked, so not very hard to follow. After a few metres I arrived at a junction with the Nopiming Loop, which I decided to follow.

This loop of approximately 1 kilometre long is named after the Nopiming Game Sanctuary, an area that Charles Macnamara managed to have protected after lobbying the Ontario government. Macnamara wanted to avoid overhunting of the beaver colonies found there. The word “Nopiming” is Ojibway and means “in the woods”.

The loop passes near McLean Avenue, goes by a marsh and has a few climbs and descents. I think that’s when I really realized how well laid out this trail is. It really allows you to appreciate the forest in all its simple beauty.

I completed the loop and returned to the main trail. I then passed over a long wooden boardwalk crossing a wetland. It seems that you can often find orchids along the boardwalk at the beginning of summer. February is definitely not the right month to observe orchids, but I still found the boardwalk very pretty under its cover of snow.

After the boardwalk, I came across the ruins of a lime kiln which dates from the mid-19th century. There is platform near it to be able to observe the ruins more closely. Then the trail divides to make a large loop, and I walked by an area with several bird feeders and a bench, the perfect place to take a break and appreciate the nature of the place. As I said, this trail is really well laid out and fun to follow with all its different features.

Over the next kilometre, the trail has a few side trails that you can follow to get a closer look at different features of the forest. First, a side trail called “Walking Ferns” allows you to descend along a staircase to see a colony of ferns growing on a rocky escarpment. Further on, another side trail leads to an observation tower above a marsh.

Finally, a slightly longer side trail (about 1 kilometre) leads to a beautiful lookout over Goodwin Bay and the Ottawa River. The river is still completely covered in ice, but the silence of the forest made the place very peaceful.

After this short break by the bay, I returned to the Macnamara Nature Trail and completed the loop. The forest continued to be very pretty, and short boardwalks helped me cross the small streams that flow through the place. Then I reached the start of the loop and retraced my steps towards the parking lot.

In total, with the many detours I took, this hike totaled almost 7 kilometres. And I am still amazed by the beauty of the forest, and the efforts made by the Macnamara Field Naturalists’ Club to maintain this trail. There is an interpretive guide online if you are interested to learn more about the different features of the trail. Truly a beautiful gem of the Ottawa Valley!