An Ontario Hiking Trail Leads To A Floating Lookout & You'll Be Surrounded By Fall Colours
There are tons of boardwalks and magical ponds.
Hiker on a forest staircase. Right: Boardwalk trail going over a pond.
You'll feel like you're walking on water at this magical hiking trail in Ontario and it's a picturesque spot to catch the fall colours.
Westminister Ponds Conservation Area, also known as Pond Mills, is a massive wilderness area featuring 11 kilometres of hiking trails with three parking lot access points to start your hike.
There are a number of boardwalk sections that wind through the forest, over marsh areas and around multiple ponds.
If your goal is to reach a floating dock that looks out over a tree-lined pond, you'll want to embark on the loop around Spettigue Pond.
The trail is relatively flat and easy and has a wooden staircase that guides you up through the trees. The parking lots on Wellington Road and Commissioners Road have trailheads that lead to the pond loop.
If you park in the lot off Pond Mills Road, you'll reach a shorter hiking loop that goes around South Pond. This trail also has boardwalks and bridges as well as a viewing platform over the pond.
You can extend your hike along multiple forest loops with trails that also go around Saunders Pond and Tumbleson Pond. There are other boardwalk sections, benches and a small bridge. You can keep your eyes peeled for a variety of birds and other wildlife.
Westminister Ponds Conservation Area
Price: Free
Address: 696 Wellington Rd., London, ON
Why You Need To Go: You can wind through forests on multiple trails that feature boardwalks and one has a floating section that overlooks a pond.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.