Autumn is here! Bringing with it midterms, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and fantastic fiery colours. With all this excitement getting tossed into a single month, the season of red and gold whisks by and all the lovely leaves have fallen before you even get the chance to say “fall.” It is for this reason that I have compiled a list of local trails that will not require you to go out of your way to find, and that are definitely worth taking the time to check out before the season’s leafy hourglass runs out.
The Ivey trail in the Arboretum
For all on-campus dwellers looking for a quick breath of fresh air before class or a fresh outdoorsy place to get some readings done, the Ivey trail is a convenient spot. The Arboretum’s main entrance is at the south end of the East Residences and is home to a variety of native species, from trees to wildlife. The Ivey trail itself is 1.1 km long and is an access point for most of the other trails in the Arboretum. It is a great path to wander amongst the fall colours and a good place to run to if you are trying to get away from campus life without actually having to leave campus. You can explore the trails, stop by the J. C. Taylor Nature Center on Sundays, or have a seat on one of the many park benches scattered about.
Trails in the downtown area
Grab a cup of tea and a sandwich at the Boathouse in downtown Guelph then head over to the Eramosa River Trail (4.1 km), the Silver Creek Trail (4.9 km), or the Downtown Trail (3.6 km). All three follow along the Speed and Eramosa rivers, each in a different direction, and offer spectacular views of fall colours. Additionally, the most of trails can be identified by the covered bridge near The Boathouse. If you want to take it a step further, you can continue the Silver Creek and Downtown trails to their links with the Hanlon Creek trail, the CNR Spurline trail, and the Speed River trail which leads all the way to Cambridge.
The Radial Line trail
For the avid hiker with a weekend to spare, this one is for you. It is 33 km long from Guelph to Limestone where it then connects to the Bruce trail. The trail alternates between following the path of an old electric railway, forest trails, country roads, and farmers’ fields, and is quite the adventure in itself. Grab your backpack, sleeping bag, water bottle, a whole bunch of snacks, and spend the weekend hiking out in the bush. Just be sure to do some research about the trail beforehand! Happy hiking!