Categories: Travel

This historic Ontario town is home to a lesser-known park & hiking trail

Photo via Ontario’s Conservation Areas

If you’re looking for a really isolated, outdoor adventure, we got just the thing. Archie Coulter Conservation Area is a hidden gem within a historic small town in Ontario and it has a beautiful hiking trail. Here’s what to know.

The small town in question is Aylmer. If you haven’t heard of this town, it’s about a two hours drive west of Toronto.

According to Elgin County, the small town was once a hamlet and can be traced back to 1835 when it was known as Hodgkinson’s Corners or Troy. It was then re-named to Aylmer in honour of the Governor of Canada.

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“The community grew and in 1852 was designated a Police Village, and then formally incorporated as a Village in January 1872,” shares the historical site.

Now, this small town offers all the joys and luxuries that come with tight-knit communities. Here you’ll find farmers markets, Amish-built furniture and even a museum dedicated to dairy.

Though all of that may seem fun, you’ll also want to check out its local conservation area, Archie Coulter.

According to Ontario’s Conservation Areas, the Archie Coulter Conservation Area spans 133 acres but surprisingly, it is not widely used.

It contains a wide cross-section of Carolinian wildlife and a 4.2 km trail which could take you about 90 minutes to complete.

Luckily for you, this conservation area can be enjoyed year-round.

So even if you don’t get to explore this gem this summer, you still have fall, winter and hey, even spring!

But let’s make the most of this summer and explore all that Ontario has to offer.