Hello readers! How is everyone? I can’t believe autumn is nearly over. I feel like it just began! In today’s post I will be talking about a little road trip I took this past Saturday with my boyfriend Mikey. We drove to Foley Mountain Conservation Area in Westport, Ontario. Mikey is a big nature fan, so I knew he’d be in his element going for a relaxing hike.
Roads, Park Amenities and Social Distancing
The 1.5 hour drive down to Westport from Ottawa was definitely worth it, and really fun! Once we drove past Perth, the last 35 minutes of the road were filled with curves and hills, some of them being quite steep. I was having a blast and letting cruise control do the work for me. Parking in the park costs $7, but free street parking is also available on the road beside the park entrance. There are free outhouses on site with sanitizer available.
It may be partly due to the pandemic and partly due to being late in the season, but there were not many people around during our hike. We only saw a handful of families out exploring the trails. The trails are currently one-way with signs showing the right direction to go, to help with social distancing. Masks are not mandatory but recommended. Since there were not many people around at all, we only wore our mask when we passed by other families.
Trails and Sights
The trails themselves are gorgeous. There are maps posted throughout the main pathway, and little maps are available near the park entrance to take with you. Some of the trails are more advanced than others with steeper climbs. I really appreciate the markers on the trees along the way to prevent hikers from getting lost. We arrived a bit later in the day so we didn’t have time to venture too far out before nightfall, but our timing was just right to catch the sunset at Spy Rock. The view of the Westport village below is dazzling!
Overall, I definitely recommend visiting Foley Mountain Conservation Area. The park is also open during the winter for snowshoeing! I’ve never been snowshoeing before, but I’m thinking about trying it this year. Where are some of your favorite places to hike? Thanks for reading 🙂
