Trail Etiquette
Please keep to the trails.
Take only pictures and leave only footprints so others will be able to enjoy the same beauty.
Respect the environment; place litter in the garbage cans provided.
Please do not feed the ducks; there is plenty of natural food for them.
Please keep pets on a leash except in designated areas and clean up after your dogs.
Watch for cyclists!
Hemlock Ravine Park consists of over 200 acres (85 hectares) of woodland, streams and wetlands. Its name is derived from the giant eastern hemlock, some of which are estimated to be over 300 years old. It is also home to stands of mature red spruce, yellow birch, white pine and red oak.
The oldest hemlocks are in the ravine which extends east and west between the Bicentennial Highway and the Bedford Highway. It is an ecologically sensitive area that is not included in the trail system.
A series of gravelled trails allow strolling, jogging and dog walking throughout a large portion of the park. Careful inspection will reveal a wide variety of flora and fauna. White tailed deer and red squirrels are commonly spotted in the park. There have also been reports of flying squirrels, raccoons, owls and red fox. Ferns and mosses abound and where light allows many varieties of flowering plants appear, including pink lady slipper, bluebead lily, rhodora, blue flag, mayflower, bunchberry, Indian cucumber, lambkill, and wild lily-of-the-valley.
The yellow spotted salamander is a celebrated resident of the park. It is known to migrate from its hardwood slopes next to the heart-shaped Pond each spring to mate and reproduce in the waters of the pond. Ducks are also to be found at the pond year round.
In September 2004, Hurricane Juan swept through the park with devastating consequences. Many trees were damaged and uprooted. A few areas of the park were levelled. It will take time for the park to recover but visitors can observe the regeneration of trees and emergence of different species in newly opened spaces.