Prairie Smoke Alvar
Karen Popp, a long-time resident of Dalrymple, had always felt that her ranch was special, a feeling that was confirmed by field researchers working for the Conservancy in the mid-1990s. Beyond the hay fields along the road, an access trail leads through bands of hardwood and conifer forests to emerge on good-quality grassland alvar with a rich mix of specialized plants and wildlife.
Unique features of this property:
- the conifer forest of White Spruce and other species that occurs along the edge of the alvar is rich in mosses and lichens on the shallow limestone bedrock
- a low limestone scarp separates the conifer and deciduous forests, with many crevices and moss-covered rocks; an occurrence of Walking Fern has been located here, one of only two known on the Carden Plain
- hay fields near the entrance of the property are being managed to support grassland breeding birds such as Bobolinks and Eastern Meadowlarks, and also provide grazing for several dozen White-tailed Deer in early spring
Trail Location:
From Orillia, follow Hwy 12 east, Simcoe Road 46 and City of Kawartha Lakes Road 6 to Lake Dalrymple. About 0.5 km past the Narrows bridge turn left onto Lake Dalrymple Road; watch for the Prairie Smoke sign about 0.5 km along the right.
2oldguyswalking website has a great review of this trail, with images and map. Go here to read this review.
We would also direct you to read our DISCLAIMER and our TRAIL USERS CODE.
Region(s): Kawartha LakesNearby towns and cities: Orillia
Trail feature tags: alvar
Prairie Smoke Alvar characteristics
Length: 7 km linear trailDifficulty: Easy (Trail classifications)
Trail surface: Natural
Trail use: Hiking
Accessibility Notes: Not wheelchair accessible
Fees: None
Flora & Fauna:
Grassland, shrubland and pavement alvar communities on this property support a rich array of typical alvar species such as Bluets, Scarlet Painted-cup, Shrubby Cinquefoil, and Prairie Smoke
Several bands of wetland cross the property, providing habitat for species at risk such as Blanding’s Turtles, which are easily identified by their bright yellow throat and domed shell
Amenities: None reported
Attractions: alvar
Contact:
The Couchiching Conservancy 1485 Division Road West, Orillia, ON General inquiries Tel: 705-326-1620
Find it: Please see text above
GPS Coordinates (main trailhead):
Latitude: 44.6426070
Longitude: -79.1047080
Nice trail, lovely place to see a wide variety of ecosystems in one walk. Good for wildflowers in late spring and birds through out the seasons.