Perth Wildlife Reserve Conservation Area: Beautiful Hike in Perth

Perth Wildlife Reserve Conservation Area is a wonderful place to go hiking in the town of Perth, Ontario. This 257 hectare reserve helps preserve the wildlife and nature surrounding the Tay Marsh. This is a quiet and peaceful place to go for a hike, and you might have the opportunity to view some wildlife while you're there.

Perth Wildlife Reserve Trail Map

Here is a trail map for Perth Wildlife Reserve Conservation Area. When you drive towards the conservation area on Wildlife Road, you'll reach a parking lot where the road hits a dead end. From the parking lot, you can hike the main Betty Wilson Nature Trail starting at either side as it forms a loop through the park.

Hiking at Perth Wildlife Reserve Conservation Area

Upon your arrival at Perth Wildlife Reserve Conservation Area, you'll immediately spot the first lookout tower. This overlooks a gentle meadow and another shorter trail at Perth Wildlife Reserve, the Butterfly Trail (0.7km). In this space, you can walk among wildflowers and butterflies, depending on the season.

From there, you'll start your hike around the main loop trail, the Betty Wilson Nature Trail (2.5km). It is a mostly flat, easy hiking path that takes you past meadows and grasslands, through the forest, and eventually reaches the Tay River and Tay Marsh lookout.

At about the halfway point of the hike, you'll reach the observation tower. This was the highlight of my trip Perth Wildlife Reserve as there's the chance to spot some wildlife here. You'll have the best opportunities in the spring and the fall, during bird migratory seasons.

Perth Wildlife Area is surrounded by the Tay Marsh, Tay River, and Jebbs Creek. The Tay River is one of the healthiest rivers in eastern Ontario, and it's very important that we protect this habitat. These wetlands are prime locations for critical spawning and fish nurseries. The American Eel, which is highly endangered in Ontario, is known to live in the Tay River. Their numbers were once in the millions and now they are down to only hundreds.

These wetlands are extremely important for migratory birds, like mallard ducks, and species at risk, like the Black Tern and Least Bittern. Jebbs Creek, a slower moving waterway, is home to two turtles that are at risk, the Blandings Turtle (freshwater turtle found only in North America) and the Stinkpot Turtle (one of the smallest turtles in Ontario that emits a skunk-like smell when disturbed).

As you hike back into the forest, you may have the chance to spot even more wildlife. Deer, rabbits, squirrels, and even the elusive Southern Flying Squirrel are known to live at the park. They live in cavity trees, which is why it is so important that we don't remove dead and decaying trees in the forest. Dead and decaying trees are also nesting sites for owls and woodpeckers.

Before long, you'll emerge back at the parking lot. Perth Wildlife Reserve is a shorter hike. You'll spend anywhere from a half hour to an hour here. It all depends on how long you stop to admire the views on the observation towers. Bring binoculars to look for birds and wildlife if that interests you. I loved the changing sceneries on this shorter trail. You'll see everything from forests to grasslands and meadows.

Plan Your Visit

When you visit Perth Wildlife Reserve Conservation Area, you must buy a day pass in advance. The fee is $7 and you can purchase a pass over the phone, online, or through their app. There isn't a pay machine on site.

It's important to note that dogs are not allowed at this conservation area, even on a leash. As this is a wildlife reserve, the conservation authority wishes to protect the wildlife in every way possible. As the wildlife may become scared or stressed by the presence of dogs, please keep your pets at home while hiking this trail.

There's an outdoor center at the main parking lot, though it wasn't open when I visited. There's also a small outhouse with toilets at the parking lot. You can learn about the wildlife and the natural ecology of the region through several interpretive signs, posted all along the trail.

More Hikes in the Haliburton Highlands to the Ottawa Valley

Looking for more hiking trails from the Haliburton Highlands to the Ottawa Valley? Here are some more suggestions:

• Bonnechere Provincial Park

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