Henry David Thoreau once opined, ‘I am struck by the simplicity of light in the atmosphere in the autumn, as if the earth absorbed none, and out of this profusion of dazzling light came the autumnal tints.’
While it’s not likely that Thoreau was talking about the sights to be seen along the Avon Trail, his words capture the idyllic beauty to be seen there at this time of year.
Winding its way crosscountry from St. Marys to Conestogo and covering 130 kms, the trail has been there for people to enjoy since 1976 when it was completed. Following rivers and streams, it passes through mixed forest and wooded areas while crossing farmland with various crops and livestock. It’s really the ideal place to spend a few hours on a brisk fall day with your camera and a few friends in tow to see who can get the best pictures.
Bruce Graham, the Avon Trail president, said the trail is suitable for hikers of any skill level and offers a number of amazing views.
“First, we like to acknowledge that the trail is possible because of the generosity of over 90 landowners whose land the trail passes through,” he said. “There are fully forested parts of the trail, such as the Queen Elizabeth Loop, or Amulree eastwards – those are the best sports for fall colours, but really any part of the trail is forested and will exhibit colours.”
Hikers who are interested in seeing the trail end to end need to be aware that it’s open only from dawn to dusk, so you’ll have to plan your hike’s logistics out ahead of time. Graham said there are printable maps on www.avontrail.ca that help with that.
“Planning the itinerary by using the trail’s printable maps or the Ondago trail app is key,” he said. “Some people leave one car at the beginning of a day’s walk and another at the end, while others who are energetic and walking solo will use a car/bike combination. In August, I met a solo gentleman who parked his car at the day’s start then walked out and back. That made his end-to-end hike 260 kms.”
Graham said the Ondago Trail app is a handy investment for anyone wanting to really explore the trail. It allows users to see the whole trail and easily zoom in on particular sections of it. Street and highway names are visible, and if the user is within the maps’ range they will show up as a blue dot to help serve as live navigation. There are access points marked on the app’s map, as well as some parking options.
“Whether using the app or the Avon Trail printable maps, each access point is labelled with a kilometre marker,” he said. “This allows walkers to plan their intended walk, say between the 33.8 and 38.1 km marks to give them total distances out and back. Cellular reception is usually good, he added, but it can get spotty at times. Graham said the app functions well once downloaded.”
With so much to see between the endpoints, Graham did mention two sections that he favours: the Nith River loop and the Queen Elizabeth loop side trail.
“The Nith River loop offers views and vistas over the river, woodlots, elevation change, farm paddocks and even a flying club,” he said of the section in Wilmot. “The Queen Elizabeth loop is almost entirely through forest with a variety of tree and plant species, views over crops and low hills, and it can be found in Oxford County just west of Fairview.”
There is no cost to hike along the Avon Trail, but by joining the group or making a donation helps with the ongoing maintenance of the trail.
“The Avon Trail is managed and maintained entirely by volunteers and no government funds are used,” he said. “Money that comes in goes towards things like paint for blazes, lumber for bridges, the trail app – that’s all financed by memberships and donations.”
If you’re thinking of making the hike to appreciate the fall colours, Graham reminds you to keep safety in mind, wear proper hiking footwear and dress accordingly for the weather on the day of your hike.
