Albion Hills Conservation Area | |
---|---|
Location | Caledon, Ontario, Canada |
Coordinates | 43°55′37″N79°49′45″W / 43.92702°N 79.82926°W Coordinates: 43°55′37″N79°49′45″W / 43.92702°N 79.82926°W |
Owner | Toronto and Region Conservation Authority |
Website | trca |
Albion Hills Conservation Area (AHCA) is located in the Town of Caledon within the Regional Municipality of Peel. AHCA is located eight kilometers north of Bolton, off of Highway 50 at 16500 Highway 50, Palgrave, Ontario. It is owned and managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). AHCA sees about 120,000 visitors each year, who visit the conservation area for mountain biking, camping, swimming, special events, cross-country skiing and more. [1]
With over 446 hectares (1,200 acres) of largely forested land located completely within the Humber River Watershed in the headwaters of the Oak Ridges Moraine, AHCA is recognized as a key natural heritage site. Located on-site is the first-ever residence for the Palgrave area, a historical log cabin built by the Jefferson family in 1833.
AHCA opened its doors in 1955, and since then has been recognized as the first Conservation Facility in Ontario. AHCA is also home to one of the largest breeding grounds for Herons in Southern Ontario.
Located on-site are two educational field centres that students can visit as a part of their educational curriculums. AHCA also features a community farm which employs sustainable agricultural practices while providing the surrounding community with local and ethically produced food.
Since the late 1990s TRCA has partnered with Chico Mountain Bike Racing to put on numerous mountain biking festivals throughout the summer. The Chico 24hrs of Summer Solstice riding event is the largest 24-hour race in North America and the largest riding event hosted within AHCA.
Mud Hero offers participants a military-style obstacle course, with challenges such as mud pits and wall climbs. The event, rated one of Canada's best-rated obstacle events in 2013, has been hosted at Albion Hills Conservation Area since 2012, and brings in around 8,000 participants yearly.
In 2014, AHCA hosted its first colour run, Run or Dye. Participants ran a 5k trail through AHCA, getting sprayed with powdered colour at "colour stations" throughout the race. The event drew over 4,000 participants.
Since 1996, AHCA has hosted an annual July 1 Caledon Canada Day event. Each year, around 10,000 people attend to take part in festivities which include live music, food vendors, exotic animals and children's activities. The event is closed off with a spectacular firework show, lighting up the sky at dusk.
Albion Hills offers mountain biking trails in Southern Ontario. AHCA's trail system offers users over 40 km of double- and single-track trails, and is designed for riders of all ages and skill sets.
AHCA's single-track trail system totals 13.5 km in length. The system is made up of the following trails: [2]
Trail | Length (m) |
---|---|
IMBA Alley | 850 m |
Gnarly Berms | 870 m |
Goat Path | 710 m |
Woo Wu | 790 m |
Sugar Shack Shuffle | 1090 m |
Sugar Rush | 510 m |
Get Groen | 450 m |
Moraine Momentum | 330 m |
Pining for More | 380 m |
Pinecone Express | 800 m |
Tea Cup | 380 m |
BMBC Twister | 580 m |
Albion Witch | 470 m |
Live and Learn | 570 m |
Epic Ride | 650 m |
Handle with Care | 1050 m |
High Roller | 910 m |
Hot August Night | 280 m |
Ridge Run | 290 m |
In Speed we Trust | 370 m |
Speed-o-Rama | 530 m |
Summer Solstice | 840 m |
AHCA offers users five double-track / hiking trails, equaling close to 23 km in length. [3]
Trails include:
Trail | Length (km) |
---|---|
Green Trail | 1.8 km |
Yellow Trail | 2.5 km |
Blue Trail | 5.5 km |
Red Trail | 8.6 km |
Black Trail | 4.5 km |
All trails at AHCA are multi-use, unless otherwise stated, however, single-track trails are mountain bike preferred.
During the winter months, AHCA opens its doors for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing along its winter trail system.
This system includes close to 27 km of terrain accessible for winter users when weather permits.
Trails include:
Trail | Length (km) |
---|---|
Green Trail | 1.8 km |
Yellow Trail | 2.5 km |
Blue Trail | 5.5 km |
Red Trail [4] | 8.6 km |
Black Trail (skate ski) | 6.5 km |
Pink Trail (snowshoeing) | 2 km |
Albion Hills Campground offers campers natural views, activities, and amenities, 40 minutes outside of the city. The campground offers users 234 serviced and unserviced sites, along with and pull-through sites for RVs. [5]
Amenities offered at Albion Hills Campground include: Campground Store, Washrooms, Showers, Fire Pits, Children's Play Areas, Wireless Internet in the Chalet. [6] Furthermore, campers at Albion Hills have access to all of AHCA's amenities, including hiking, fishing, and for an added fee, canoeing and swimming.
Camping season begins at Albion Hills at the end of April to the end of October.
Overlooking Lake Albion is AHCA's interactive pool and splash pad facilities. The facility includes a 440 sq metre wading pool (4 ft deep) and a 125 sq metre splash pad. [7]
Nestled within the woods, Albion Hills chalet offers high ceilings, a large deck, and panoramic forest views. [8] The facility can accommodate up to 135 people indoors, and is available for weddings, social or corporate events.
There are 11 picnic sites located throughout AHCA.
Customer service representatives are available to assist visitors in arranging caterers, tent rental and entertainment for their events. [9]
Caledon is a town in the Regional Municipality of Peel in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. From a shortened form of Caledonia, the Roman name for North Britain; Caledon is a developing urban area, although it remains primarily rural. It consists of an amalgamation of a number of urban areas, villages, and hamlets; its major urban centre is Bolton on its eastern side adjacent to York Region.
Palgrave is a Compact Rural Community and unincorporated place in the Town of Caledon, Regional Municipality of Peel in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. It is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Bolton and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) northwest of Toronto. Palgrave is located east of Orangeville, south of Alliston, west of Newmarket and north of Brampton.
Boyd Conservation Area is a suburban land preserve owned and operated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in the city of Vaughan, Regional Municipality of York, Ontario, Canada. It also overlaps a life science Area of Natural and Scientific Interest of the same name.
Oak Mountain State Park is a publicly owned recreation area located approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Birmingham in the northeast quadrant of the city of Pelham, Alabama, United States. It is the state's largest state park at 9,940 acres (4,020 ha) and is home to the Alabama Wildlife Center, Oak Mountain Interpretive Center, and Oak Mountain BMX Track. Park activities include hiking, swimming, camping, fishing, horseback riding, and golf. The park is managed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The Scarborough Bluffs, also known as The Bluffs, is an escarpment in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There are nine parks along the bluffs, with Bluffers Park being the only one with a beach. Forming much of the eastern portion of Toronto's waterfront, the Scarborough Bluffs stands above the shoreline of Lake Ontario. At its highest point, the escarpment rises 90 metres (300 ft) above the coastline and spans a length of 15 kilometres (9.3 mi).
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority(TRCA) is the largest of 36 conservation authorities in Ontario, Canada. It owns more than 16,000 hectares of land in the Toronto region and employs more than 400 full-time employees and coordinates more than 3,000 volunteers each year. TRCA's area of jurisdiction is watershed-based, and includes 3,467 square kilometres: 2,506 on land and 961 water-based in Lake Ontario. This area comprises nine watersheds from west to east: Etobicoke Creek, Mimico Creek, Humber River, Don River, Highland Creek, Petticoat Creek, Rouge River, Duffins Creek, Carruthers Creek.
The Oak Ridges Trail Association (ORTA) is an incorporated charitable organisation whose purpose is to develop, maintain, promote and expand the hiking trail system across the Oak Ridges Moraine in south-central Ontario, Canada. ORTA has ten chapters, each of which maintains a section of the approximately 250 km of trail. The Oak Ridges Trail is connected to the Bruce Trail, Ganaraska Trail, Nokiidaa Trail and Trans Canada Trail. ORTA is governed by a Board of Directors who have responsibilities for managing the various aspects of the organization. Directors on the Board are elected at an Annual General Meeting. ORTA Mission Statement is "To build and maintain a public hiking trail system on the Oak Ridges moraine, off-road where possible, and To organize and promote hiking on this trail system, and To encourage responsible stewardship of the Moraine's natural environment."
Bronte Creek Provincial Park is located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Ontario Parks system.
Kelso Conservation Area is located near Milton, Ontario on the Niagara Escarpment and is owned and operated by Conservation Halton. This park has an area of 3.97 square kilometres and contains Lake Kelso which was built for flood control of Sixteen Mile Creek and has a sandy beach for swimmers in the summer with a food concession and board walk along the lake to the Boat Rental shop which offers the rentals of canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, paddle boats and is also open to any non-motorized watercraft. The Park also offers 20 campsites, 18 reserve-able picnic sites, and two camping/picnic mixed sites. Glen Eden Ski & Snowboard Centre is located in the park and offers downhill skiing, snowboarding and tubing during the winter months. In addition, the Halton Region Museum is also located on the Kelso grounds. The park also features marked mountain biking and hiking trails.
Rouge National Urban Park is a national urban park in Ontario, Canada. The park is centred around the Rouge River and its tributaries in the Greater Toronto Area. The southern portion of the park is situated around the mouth of river, in Scarborough, and extends northwards into Markham, Pickering, Uxbridge, and Whitchurch-Stouffville.
The Claireville Conservation Area is a suburban conservation area located on the border of Peel Region and Toronto in Ontario, Canada. The major part of the area is located in Brampton. The park is a 343 hectare parcel of conservation land located on the west branch of the Humber River. It is one of the largest tracts of land owned by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). Claireville contains significant natural and cultural heritage features, and has recreation, tourism, and educational facilities and programs.
Wells State Park is a public recreation area located off Route 49 in the town of Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The state park includes frontage on Walker Pond and the scenic metamorphic rock cliff face of Carpenter Rocks. Terrain is rugged with ledges interspersed between wetlands. Woodlands are of the oak-hickory forest and northern hardwood forest types with groves of eastern white pine. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Moose Mountain Provincial Park is a Provincial Park, located in south-eastern Saskatchewan 24 km north of the town of Carlyle on the Moose Mountain Upland. It is one of Saskatchewan's few parks with a community inside the park as there are several subdivisions with both year-round and seasonal residents. The village of Kenosee Lake is completely surrounded by the park but is not part of the park.
Brushy Creek State Recreation Area is a state park in Webster County, Iowa in the United States. With an area encompassing over 6,000 acres (24 km2), the facility is one of Iowa's largest public outdoor recreation areas.
Blackstrap Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the RM of Dundurn. It was established as a provincial park in 1986. The park runs along the eastern shore of Blackstrap Lake and consists of a conservation area, campground, beaches, Mount Blackstrap, cross country ski trails, biking and hiking trails, and several picnicking areas. It is located at LSD 32-3 W3, east of Dundurn and accessed via Saskatchewan Highway 211. Mount Blackstrap is a man-made mountain built as a skill hill for the 1971 Canada Winter Games. It continued to operated as a ski hill until 2007.
Brock Road landfills are a series of landfills used by Toronto from 1975 to 1990s. The North and West site are in Pickering, while the South site is in Ajax.
The Cumberland County Biker/Hiker Trail is a Pennsylvania rail trail at Pine Grove Furnace State Park and is almost entirely on the "Old Railroad Bed Road" between Fuller Lake and Laurel Lake. The trail is a pleasant 2.2 miles within the Pine Grove Furnace State Park located in the Michaux State Forest. The park is home to many species of wildlife and is a common attraction for locals and tourists alike. Walking, hiking, and biking are the opportunities offered by the trail year round. The biker/hiker trail shares roughly half of its trail with the Appalachian Trail and is a very popular route within the State Park.
Petticoat Creek is a stream in the cities of Pickering, Toronto and Markham in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. The creek is in the Great Lakes Basin, is a tributary of Lake Ontario, and falls under the auspices of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Its watershed covers 26.77 square kilometres (10.34 sq mi), and the cumulative length of all its branches is 49 kilometres (30 mi). Land use in the watershed consists of 52% agricultural, 27% protected greenspace and 21% urban.
Bruce's Mill Conservation Area (BMCA) is a conservation area located off Stouffville Road in the town of Whitchurch–Stouffville, Regional Municipality of York, Canada. The conservation area is about 108 hectares in size. BMCA is home to a diverse ecosystem, including 1.2 hectares of wetlands and 44 hectares of deciduous, coniferous and mixed forest. It is owned and managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).
Heart Lake Conservation Area (HLCA) occupies 169 hectares in the Etobicoke Creek watershed, within the City of Brampton, Ontario. It is owned and managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).