You will discover one of nature’s most spectacular rock gardens at the Bruce Alvar Nature Reserve. In 1993, Ontario Nature purchased this property with funding through a generous bequest from Catherine S. Wishart. She requested that her gift be used to protect a property with rare and endangered plants and the Bruce Alvar Nature Reserve certainly fits the bill.
This 67-hectare nature reserve has two main vegetation communities that gently grade into each other – rock barrens dominated by a ground cover of moss and herbaceous plants such as lakeside daisy and Indian paintbrush, and semi-open coniferous forests dominated by jack pine. The rock barrens, or alvar pavements, have little or no brush cover and no tree cover. In some places, the dolostone bedrock is completely exposed and in other places it is covered by a very thick layer of organic accumulations. Plants that survive on these rock barrens are well adapted to extreme conditions – freezing cold in the winter; searing hot and dry for much of the summer and soaking wet in the spring and after summer rains.
Everyone is welcome to the Bruce Alvar Nature Reserve, but it is critical that visitors stay on the marked trail. The rock barrens are extremely vulnerable to foot traffic. The trail includes a “dry land” boardwalk and small platform overlooking a portion of the alvar pavements.
We would also direct you to read our DISCLAIMER and our TRAIL USERS CODE.
Region(s): Bruce CountyNearby towns and cities: Tobermory
Trail feature tags: alvar | Boardwalk
Bruce Alvar Nature Reserve characteristics
Length: trail length not knownDifficulty: Moderate (Trail classifications)
Trail surface: Boardwalks and Natural
Trail use: Hiking
Accessibility Notes: Not wheelchair accessible
Fees: none
Flora & Fauna:
The rock barren and jack pine communities support a notable array of rare plants and unusual assemblages of vascular and non-vascular plants. Nationally threatened and provincially rare species are lakeside daisy, dwarf lake iris, purple stemmed cliffbrake, Hill’s thistle, roundleaf ragwort and northern dropseed. In addition, many regionally and locally rare plant species and unusual lichens and mosses occur. Research regarding alvar communities is ongoing and there is still much to discover about the mosses, lichens and algae.
Amenities: none
Attractions: alvar, boardwalk
Contact:
info@ontarionature.org
Ontario Nature 1-800-440-2366, 416-444-8419
Find it: northwest corner of Highway 6 and Dyer’s Bay Road.
GPS Coordinates (main trailhead):
Latitude: 45.1304080
Longitude: -81.4401910
