The Millbrook Valley Trails are situated south of the village of Millbrook in Cavan Monaghan Township. The five trails follow the shores and valley of Baxter Creek, a coldwater stream that starts in the Oak Ridges Moraine and flows through Millbrook village. Baxter Creek provides habitat for trout, herons, kingfishers, mayflies and many other species. It’s popular with anglers – catch and release is preferred. The trails wind through forests, wetlands, meadows and provide several scenic lookouts, including a railway bridge built circa 1865 for the Grand Trunk Railway. The trails are accessed from two locations. The Medd’s Mountain Trail and Baxter Creek Trail begin in the village of Millbrook next to the millpond at the end of Distillery Street. The Grand Trunk Pathway, Cedar and Meadow Trails are accessed from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources provincial fishing and nature area parking lot off Zion Line. These are walking trails. Motorized vehicles, horseback riding and cycling are not permitted. The trails are not maintained during the winter. Walkers are reminded to stay on trails. Dogs on a leash are welcome. Please remember to clean up after your pet.
Baxter Creek Trail 3km
The trail begins beside the Millbrook millpond close to historic
Needlers Mill. It follows the pond and Baxter creek through
magnificent cedar forests, crosses a floating boardwalk over a
wetland and through meadows.
Medds Mountain Trail 0.6km
The trail begins from Medds Mountain park and follows
the shores of the millpond and Baxter Creek before looping
through the surrounding old-growth deciduous forest.
Grand Trunk Pathway 1.4km
The trail begins at the MNRF Provincial Fishing and Recreation
Area parking lot, south of the Zion (4th) Line. The trail is
accessed between the two fishing ponds and features a view of
the historic railway bridge over Baxter Creek built circa 1865.
Cedar Trail 0.7km
The trail begins the MNRF Provincial Fishing and Recreation
Area parking lot and provides a connection to the old Grand
Trunk Railway line via bridges and boardwalks.
Meadow Trail 1km
The trail begins on the Grand Trunk Pathway across from the
end of Cedar Trail and travels through meadows of spruce and
red pine.
Station Trail 1.6km
The trail can be accessed via the entrances on King St West and
County Road 10 and follows the part of the rail bed of the long
forgotten Grand Trunk Railway (GTR).
Deyell Detour 2.1km
The trail begins at the end of Elgar Drive. The mostly flat
trail follows an old road allowance traversing through scenic
farmland and the Oak Ridges Moraine.
Ganny Transit 1.6km
This trail crosses two waterways and follows beautiful rolling
forested hills and connects to the over 11,000 acres of the
Ganaraska forest. Users are reminded that a paid pass is
required to access the Ganaraska Forest
Link to trail map & brochure: https://www.cavanmonaghan.net/en/things-to-do/resources/MillbrookTrailsbrochure.pdf
2oldguyswalking website has a great article (posted 2015, updated 2020) with images and map. Go here to read this article.
Millbrook Valley Trails are just some of the many nature trails and hiking trails you can find throughout Ontario by using the search features of OntarioNaturetrails.com
Region(s): Peterborough County
Nearby towns and cities: Millbrook | Peterborough
Trail feature tags: Boardwalk
Millbrook Valley Trails characteristics
Length: 5 trails totalling 6.6 km.Difficulty: Moderate (Trail classifications)
Trail surface: Boardwalks and Natural
Trail use: Hiking
Accessibility Notes: Not wheelchair accessible
Fees: None
Flora & Fauna:
Not reported yet
Amenities: None
Attractions: Boardwalk
Contact:
Township of Cavan Monaghan Toll Free: 1-877-906-5556
Find it: South end of Distillery St, Millbrook, ON
GPS Coordinates (main trailhead):
Latitude: 44.1489660
Longitude: -78.4471640