Hardy Lake Provincial park
Visit the most beautiful lake with a clear water reflection of the trees! It is just gorgeous!
Address: Highway 169, Torrance, ON P0C 1M0, approximately 2 hours drive from Toronto
It is one of best and most beautiful places to visit in all seasons– maybe in spring, summer, fall and winter. I am not sure if they open or have winter maintenance during the winter months. I visited this place during the mid of September month, when the weather is perfect- it is not too hot and not too cold. It is also a good place for taking a walk with our family and kids as well. My kid just loves it and enjoys taking pictures at every corner of the rocks at the side of the rivers. It is just right for strolling on the trail and enjoy the views. When we arrived there at around 2 pm, the parking was quite limited within the park area, but it is also fine to park on the street.
At the entrance of the trail, there is a map and sign that you should look at or take a picture of a map, just in case you forget where you are when you enter the woods. There are short and long trails to explore. Both of them are worth exploring and absorbing all the sceneries along the ways. I haven’t done or made it to the long trail yet, but I will try it one day soon. It is 8km long but it will take you to a very small island and pass through a wooden bridge. There are two wooden bridges to take you through the water to those small rocky islands. It needs a lot of commitment to get through those bridges to get to the other side and take very beautiful pictures. It is quite a long hike/walking. If you go there in summer, you need to bring a lot of water!
The first trail from the entrance is quite flat and wide and easy to walk. It is also safe when you encounter other people walking pass by during this pandemic to avoid closer contact. I also met some people with dogs on the leash. The pathway has rocks on the side, which is really good to enjoy the view in the rocky forest. The kid also enjoyed the hike because it is not that difficult. Along the way, there are plenty of spots for taking very nice photos of rocks on the site of the water with colorful reflections of fall colorful leaves in the water during the time that I was there. It is just so spectacular. It is just like a three-dimensional tree in a mirror.
The trails are also well-marked with a white sign on the tree. Look for those signs so that you would not get lost. There are also some people going there with their fishing rods. It might be pleasant to be a bit patient and sit on a big rock near the edge of the water to enjoy your fishing.
In sum, if you decide to take a larger loop, it is will be a very long hike for making a rewarding commitment to see small wooden bridges. But, if you are too tired, it is also ok to make a half or a quarter of the way and then return back to the parking lot.
What a hike, and it is worth exploring!
Note: There is no admission fee to enter this park and the parking is also free
