The Darling Wildlife Area contains a relatively short, pleasant walk along a trail to a rundown shack. The terrain is quite diverse with everything from open meadows to fake forest (man planted rows of pines) and some naturally mixed forest as you approach the Otonabee River. The banks of the river are totally untouched, heavily overgrown with shrubbery, very swampy, and unstable to walk on.
The terrain is fairly level without any serious trip hazards. The trackless forests near the water are fairly negotiable if you want to do a “wander”. Otherwise the rest of the forested areas are quite easily navigated.
Directions: Take Hwy 28 North out of Port Hope to the 5th Line – turn right on it – drive until you have to turn right again, and the WA is right there in the corner. Just walk straight into the corner, through the trees and bushes and you’ll come upon a trail leading you to an open meadow with a rundown shack directly in front of you. That’s where the trail ends. You might see something of a trail or two meandering off into the meadows and trees, but they’ll disappear soon enough. The trail length would be less than 1 km.
Link to the location of the Darling Wildlife Area: https://www.google.com/maps/place/44%C2%B011’10.4%22N+78%C2%B020’52.7%22W/@44.1873922,-78.3550061,2919m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x763a2346c4218bd1!7e2!8m2!3d44.1862262!4d-78.3479725
This material is from the 2oldguyswalking website which has a great article with images. Go here to read this article.
We would also direct you to read our DISCLAIMER and our TRAIL USERS CODE.
Region(s): Peterborough County
Nearby towns and cities: Peterborough
Darling Wildlife Area characteristics
Length: less than 1 km one wayDifficulty: Easy (Trail classifications)
Trail surface: Natural
Trail use: Hiking, Cross-country skiing, and Snowshoeing
Accessibility Notes: Not wheelchair accessible.
Fees: None
Flora & Fauna:
Not yet reported.
Amenities: None
Attractions: None
Contact:
otonabeeca@otonabeeconservation.com
Otonabee Conservation Phone: 705-745-5791
Find it: 310 5 Line, Fraserville, ON K0L 1V0
GPS Coordinates (main trailhead):
Latitude: 44.1862220
Longitude: -78.3479720