The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Scugog

Lake Scugog wetlands are the lake's rich ecosystems, full of reeds, cattails, and aquatic plants. The shallow waters are home to birds, turtles, fish, and amphibians. These wetlands filter water, provide flood control, store stormwater, and support the lake's teeming biodiversity.

Lake Scugog is a large, shallow lake stretching about 60 square kilometres between Port Perry and Lindsay. The average depth of the lake is only 1.5 meters, so it's full of shores made up of marshland and animals that fish in the shallow water. There are often boaters, paddlers, and fishermen enjoying this lake in the summer.

The scenic Waterfront Trail is made up of a mix of limestone, woodchips, and wooden boardwalks along the marshland and over creeks. The terrain is flat with no elevation gain the entire way and explores some beautiful local ecosystems and neighbourhoods along Lake Scugog.

Crow’s Pass Conservation Area spans 64 hectares on the Oak Ridges Moraine, with a diverse landscape of forests, wetlands, and gently rolling hills. As part of a larger Natural Core Area, it plays a vital role in protecting important wildlife habitats and preserving ecological connections throughout the moraine. Several trails run through the area, including the Crows Pass trail, which is ideal for spending time enjoying a hike in a peaceful, relatively undisturbed setting.

Oak Ridges Moraine Trail is a long-distance, 275-kilometre multi-use route that follows the Oak Ridges Moraine, one of the most distinct physiographic landforms of southern Ontario, passing through forests, wetlands, and glacially formed hills. Within Crow’s Pass Conservation Area, a section of the trail briefly overlaps with the Crow's Pass trail, tracing a narrow path through mixed woodland and small clearings before continuing on its broader route. This stretch captures the Moraine’s gentle rises and dips, perfect for a quiet walk through ecologically significant terrain that connects larger natural areas across the region.

Crow's Pass trail is a picturesque loop that winds through forested landscape, gently traversing the ridges and low-lying areas of the Oak Ridges Moraine. As you walk the trail, you’ll experience a blend of mixed woodlands, moving from bright, sunlit high points to quiet, damp lowlands filled with seasonal pools and dense undergrowth. Portions of the trail connect with the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail, and despite its short length, the varied terrain and steady ups and downs make it an enjoyable trek through this beautiful area.

The Discovery Trail is the longer of the two trails through the Purple Woods and it travels through woodlands and open meadows. If you're here in the lead up to the annual Purple Woods Maple Syrup Festival that takes place each March, you may see trees being tapped for sap collection.

Purple Woods Conservation Area offers year-round hiking with sweeping southern views and connections to the Oak Ridges Trail. Visitors can enjoy short, accessible routes like the Sugar Shack and Discovery Walk trails, while spotting migratory songbirds in spring and fall, Monarch butterflies in summer, and vibrant foliage in autumn. Each March, the 41-acre site transforms into the hub of the Purple Woods Maple Syrup Festival, celebrating the area’s 150-year-old sugar maple forest. The festival highlights the evolution of syrup-making from Indigenous traditions to modern techniques, with maple products available for visitors to take home.