Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area: One of the Biggest Rocks You’ll See!

Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area is home to one of the largest known glacial erratics in North America, estimated to be 2.3 billion years old. The massive boulder itself is the highlight of this conservation area in Quinte West, near Glen Miller and Trenton, Ontario. This property is maintained by the Lower Trent Conservation Authority.

Bleasdell Boulder is over two stories tall, and it is 3.4 metres long, 7.3 metres wide and 6.7 metres high (44’ x 24’ x22’). It’s truly a sight to behold in person, and it’s the main attraction of this 1.5km easy loop trail. Here’s how to plan your hiking trip to Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area.

Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area Trails

There is one main loop trail at Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area. From the parking lot, you’ll walk on the trail. There will be a rock near the entrance pointing you in the proper direction to reach the boulder. With that said, you really can’t miss it. About halfway into your hike, you’ll come across a massive rock!

This hiking trail is quite peaceful and never really busy. It is a flat path through the forest. You will come across a little bridge at one point and views of surrounding meadows. It is a nice little hike through the forest that isn’t anything spectacular, but it is a great place to get in to nature.

It’s possible that you may spot some wildlife while you are here, especially if there aren’t many people around. I didn’t really see any wildlife on my visit though. From the Lower Trent Conservation website, they state that you may spot beaver activity, rabbits, hare, weasels, raccoons, fox, deer, squirrels, chipmunks, grouse, hawks, waterfowl, songbirds, reptiles and amphibians.

There is one other shorter trail from Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area that serves as a link to the Lower Trent Trail. The Lower Trent Trail is a 17km out and back trail. It follows an abandoned rail bed that runs parallel to the west side of the Trent River.

Facts About Bleasdell Boulder

Bleasdell Boulder is probably the largest boulder I’ve ever seen! It is one of the largest glacial erratics in North America. Also known as the Glen Miller Rock, it was first described in scientific journals by Reverend William Bleasdell in the 1800s. Bleasdell Boulder is a metamorphic rock originating from northeastern Ontario.

In 1997, Paul and Maria Heissler purchased the land and then created the Bleasdell Boulder Preservation Corporation. Through creating this corporation, they set out to protect this natural heritage site for recreation and educational purposes. In 2005, they donated the property to Lower Trent Conservation. They increased the signage, improved the trail, created bridges, and continue to provide free public access to this amazing site.

For those who are into geocaching, Bleasdell Boulder is an EarthCache. While there aren’t any hidden boxes as you would find with a geocache, EarthCaches are unique and special geological places around the world.

Plan Your Visit

To get there, you take Highway 33 towards Glen Miller. Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area is located north of Trenton in Quinte West.

There is ample free parking at Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area, and you’ll surely always get a spot. This isn’t a very long hike, so you’ll definitely spend under an hour here. The hike itself takes about 20-30 minutes, but you’ll spend a little bit more time at the boulder itself, stopping to admire it and perhaps take some photos.

The Bleasdell Boulder trail is an easy flat path. It is wheelchair friendly, stroller friendly, kid-friendly and dog-friendly (on a leash). In the winter, if there’s enough snow, you could go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on this trail.

More Hikes in Southeastern Ontario

Looking for more hikes in Southeastern Ontario? As Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area is a shorter hike, it’s easy to pair this one with other hikes in the same day. Here are more hiking trails and places to hike in Southeastern Ontario.

• Sager Conservation Area
• HR Frink Conservation Area
• Guindon Park
• Gray’s Creek Conservation Area
• 5+ Best Hiking Trails in the Bay of Quinte Region
• Best Hikes in the Thousand Islands Region
• Marble Rock Conservation Area
• Jones Creek Trails (1000 Islands National Park)
• Landon Bay Trails (1000 Islands National Park)
• Sheffield Conservation Area
• Topsy Farms Trails, Amherst Island
• Potter’s Creek Conservation Area
• Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve
• Lemoine Point Conservation Area
• Menzel Centennial Provincial Nature Reserve
• Rock Dunder Nature Reserve

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