Grand River Country | Trails Take Flight

FWR Dickson Wilderness Area - South of Cambridge

Latitude/Longitude: 43° 16' 48" N , 80° 23' 44" W

This is a 4.8 km loop trail, suitable mostly for walking, with a surface that is primarily hard-packed dirt with several gravel sections. At the start of the trail there is a parking lot with signage and an aerial photograph. The trail is a figure “8” with short or long loop options, used year round for hiking. Access to this trail is also available from the Wrigley Lake Trail.

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The trail is easy to moderate level of difficulty with some hilly terrain involving steps, boardwalks through wetland areas, and narrow paths through heavy plant growth. The short loop trail features a variety of habitats such as mixed forest with a heavy under-story of shrubs, vines, and wildflowers. A swamp is filled with water plants, grey dogwood, and tamaracks. There is even some remnant tall-grass prairie, dominated by Indian grass and showy tick-trefoil, which is maintained through prescribed burning.

Beyond that on the longer loop are an oak-hickory forest, orchards of apple and crab-apple, and transitional forest and shrub replacing cleared land. Other trees are white pine, aspen, and poplar. Wild grape, bittersweet nightshade, Virginia creeper, wild rose, common horsetail, bracken and sensitive ferns round out the picture.

In such rich, diverse habitat a wide variety of birdlife is to be expected. Black-capped Chickadees are accustomed to eating birdseed from your hand. Most species of woodpeckers breed here including Northern Flicker, Downy, and Hairy. Other fairly common birds include Eastern Wood Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Warbling and Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Screech Owl, warblers such as Common Yellowthroat and possibly Nashville Warbler and Chestnut-sided Warbler, Eastern Kingbird, Wood Thrush, Song, Field, Fox (migrant only) Sparrows, and (in winter) White-throated Sparrow. Winter birds include Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-winged Crossbills, Evening Grosbeak and American Goldfinch.

During spring and fall migration, birds that may be seen are Blackpoll, Black-throated Blue, and Orange-crowned Warblers, Philadelphia Vireo, Hermit and Swainson’s Thrush, and Fox Sparrow. Birders are also encouraged to watch above as Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, and Cooper’s Hawk regularly search the area for food. Occasionally one may see the majestic Bald Eagle soaring over the trail.

Trail Owner and Manager: Grand River Conservation Authority