Hiking in Caledon and Beyond

The McKichan Nature Reserve Trail (1-1.5hrs)

Tucked away around a bend on Hockley road off of Highway 10, with the only sign indicating its presence obscured by foliage, this is a great gem that is easy to miss.

There is limited parking for about three cars adjacent to the trailhead but this is such a hidden treasure I can almost guarantee that won’t be an issue.

The trail starts with a rather steep and narrow ascent that can be a little tricky to navigate when the ground is still soft before opening up to a poorly marked clearing with no immediately obvious trail markers, especially once the trees have leaves again. Don’t panic but head generally straight ahead where the bush is the lightest until you hit a double pink trail marker. Keep an eye out for fresh deer scat, I counted ten different piles in one hike! No deer yet though.

The trail then continues uphill , you’ll find ice here well into May so I strongly recommend a walking stick of some kind, until the incline peters out as you reach the top of the escarpment and lightly wooded area backed by a farmers field. As you come to this part of the trail you will reach a double trail marker, go left here.

Continue following the trail markers in a rough loop until you reach the lookout point, you’ll know it when you see it. This is the highlight of the trail and in my opinion one of the best lookout points I’ve come across yet in Dufferin-Caledon. The descent will loop back to the main trail after the first staircase.