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Beeton Heritage Forest reopens for public use

May 5, 2022   ·   0 Comments

The Beeton Heritage Forest has reopened with a new trail to allow local residents the ability to walk the path and enjoy some time outdoors.

The Forest is located on the 7th line just south of Beeton, with the entrance marked as fire lane 5927. You can drive into the laneway to the parking area.

The heavily-treed area is maintained by the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust.

The forest was closed five years ago when it was decided that work was needed to make the area safe for visitors.

At the time, there were myriad trails that zigzagged through the woods making it difficult to find someone in case a person was injured while in the forest.

The location now has a single well-marked trail that circumnavigates the wooded area.

“We protect land in and around the Oak Ridges Moraine and the greenbelt, mainly through the federal program called the Ecological Gift Program,” explained Susan Walmer, CEO of the Land Trust. “The Program protects land in perpetuity – at least 999 years. This land was a donation from the Town and is to be used as a trail system and protecting the natural environment. That’s what we’re doing and we have a management plan for all of our properties. They chose us because there was some recommendations from people who knew what land trusts are, and they protect land for natural purposes.”

The forest spans over 100 acres. The Land Trust works to make sure the area is properly maintained for visitors.

“The worst you can do for a natural area is to open it without the right education and the right local stewards in place to protect it,” Ms. Walmer said. “For this land, there aren’t any other uses for it other than being natural land. We made the new trail from an ecological perspective and forest preservation. You don’t want a whole bunch of different trails, you want one or two main trails. Now we have one loop trail.”

The area has a variety of trees, plants, and wildlife that call the area home.

It should be noted that dogs are not allowed in the forest, so keep your pets at home if you visit.

Dogs were allowed in the past, but it was determined that dog owners were not keeping control of their pets on the trails.

This resulted in other animals being disturbed as well as other hikers who were approached by strange dogs that had been let off leash on the trails.

The Beeton Heritage Forest is now open for public use so enjoy a hike on the trails and commune with nature.

By Brian Lockhart

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