WILD WETLANDS TOUR
($30 per person, $40 per person if Private) [1 wetland site]
or,
($50 per person, $60 per person if Private) [2 wetland sites])
Put on some rubber boots (must bring your own), and be prepared to see what the majority of Niagara Region once looked like. It's an actual step back in time. This is a one of a kind unconventional and profound look at how Niagara Region used to function as a massive ecosystem. Eerily flooded swamp forests make you feel like you're in a movie, and this movie has been happening for thousands of years. With two locations covering a swamp, a marsh, and a bog, wildlife sightings and otherworldly reflective landscapes are at their absolute best.
These wetlands are home to rare or endangered species, including carnivorous plants, nationally rare amphibians, birds, and insects you are likely to only find in spring. The soundscapes are a pleasure to the ears, and the noise level from late March to mid-May is one of Niagara's finest and most hidden audible spectacles. I highly suggest booking during this time frame!
As stated, this tour is best in March, April, and May, but can also be done in any other season besides the middle of summer. Great for nature geeks, biology enthusiasts, photographers and exploratory groups who aren't afraid of the mud! This is for adventurous mindset hikers looking for something totally different and exciting. We maintain a minimal impact mandate while hiking through these highly sensitive areas.
You must have your own rubber boots!
A lunch option exists at a local pub or restaurant (separate cost) . Please inform us during booking if you'd like a delicious lunch stop, and if you'd like to visit just one or two wetland sites.
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Duration: 2 hours for 1 wetland site, 5 hours for the 2 wetland sites option
Willoughby Marsh
Put your boots on!
This tract is a beautiful flooded forest, housing rare bird species, plenty of frogs, and intriguing fungi among some of Niagara's largest red maples. Although technically a swamp for the most part, tucked into its depths is a sheltered marsh full of wildlife. Nationally rare and spooky looking pin oaks line the 12,000 year old clay puddles, where tree frogs and nationally rare salamanders lay their eggs every spring.
Wainfleet Bog
Keep those boots on!
Visit Canada's southernmost bog, home to carnivorous plants, a timid species of rattlesnake, and loads of spongy peat moss. Arguably, this is one of the most biodiverse locations in the country. Feel the bog mat act as a sort of trampoline beneath your feet while walking through black soil in a sea of greenery. We will see how beavers have reshaped the landscape, including special sections of wild cotton grass and bizarre "miniature trees".
Copyright Owen's Hiking & Adventures