Covering approximately 856 hectares (2115 acres), Ellice Swamp is the largest woodlot in Perth County. The Swamp is located between Stratford and Milverton in the northeastern portion of the Thames River watershed, between the North Branch of the Thames River and the Nith River, which is a tributary of the Grand River. The Swamp is drained by two Black Creeks, one of which flows north to the Nith and the other southwest through Sebringville to join the North Branch of the Thames. The area is largely owned by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority.
Ellice Swamp Designated hiking/bird watching days are Sunday and Wednesday, except that no hiking/bird watching will be permitted on Wednesday during the December controlled deer hunt.
Link to trail map:
http://thamesriver.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/NaturalAreas/ElliceGadshill-userguide-09.pdf
We would also direct you to read our DISCLAIMER and our TRAIL USERS CODE.
Region(s): Perth CountyNearby towns and cities: Stratford
Trail feature tags: swamp
ELLICE & GADSHILL SWAMPS characteristics
Length: Varies. Please enter at designated access points on map.Difficulty: Moderate (Trail classifications)
Trail surface: Compacted soil/hard packed
Trail use: Hiking
Accessibility Notes: Not wheelchair accessible.
Fees: Not known
Flora & Fauna:
Flora and Fauna
The Swamp is also known as Ellice Huckleberry Swamp but the huckleberry for which the pioneers named this area seems to have been eliminated. The centre of the Swamp is covered with sphagnum moss and leatherleaf underlain with peat. However, drainage has severely altered the ecosystem and few remnants of the original bog vegetation exist. Woody vegetation has invaded the now drier soils at the expense of wet bog species. Yet, the degradation of this ecosystem contributes to the variability in the swamp communities, which offer exceptional species richness and diversity.
Poplar, black ash and silver maple forest dominate much of the area, with associated shrub species such as dogwood, willow, spiraea, chokeberry and some blueberry in the understory. Due to the Swamp’s size, dense vegetation and wet, unstable soils, species of fauna intolerant of human activities find protection here. Bird species are abundant and some, such as the Golden-winged Warbler, are found nowhere else in the County.
Amenities: None reported
Attractions: swamp
Contact:
Upper Thames River Conservation Authority 519-284-2931
GPS Coordinates (main trailhead):
Latitude: 43.4542650
Longitude: -80.9738660