Rainbow Hike at Inglis Falls Arboretum

Hosting Club: Sydenham, Peninsula
Category: Rainbow Hike
Location (Google Maps): Click on the (Google Maps) link to take you there. Meet at the Pavilion beside the Grey Sauble Administration Centre at the Inglis Falls Arboretum at 237897 Inglis Falls Road which is 1.2 km north (towards Owen Sound) from Inglis Falls. You can also walk there from Harrison Park by following the blue-blazed Harrison Park side trail up the hill at the back end of the campground.
Or use these GPS coordinates to the Pavilion: 44.53526, -80.93592

Hike Leader(s): Stewart Brown Click here to contact Hike Leader(s)

Pace: Leisurely: 3 km/h or less
Terrain: Easy: Mostly flat and good footing.
Distance: 2-4 km

Description

Sydenham Bruce Trail Club (SBTC) is excited to celebrate a Rainbow Hike on the Bruce Trail and the trails at the Inglis Falls Arboretum! The Event will be based at the Pavilion at the Grey Sauble Conservation Administration Centre.

Bring your own lunch and drinks to enjoy after the hike at the picnic tables in the shade of the Pavilion. There are washrooms at the Pavilion.

This inclusive, family-friendly 2SLGBTQIA+ hike offers a safe and supportive space for trans, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, 2Spirit, intersex, asexual people, as well as allies and friends.

The day includes two hiking options. We’ll begin with a short introduction at the Pavilion at 11 a.m., then walk an easy section of the Arboretum Trails with Arboretum Interpreter, Nan Brown, and SBTC Hike Leaders. Arboretum interpretation will include an introduction to this unique ecosystem of woody and herbaceous plants using a queer ecology perspective.

The guided Arboretum tour offers 2 km of winding trails through 20 acres of the Trees of the World section and the Grey-Bruce Native section both of which are adorned with interpretative signs of interesting details. Among the woody plants, there are intentional brush piles and meadows of native herbaceous plants which provide homes and food for butterflies, bees, birds and other animals in a sustainable, ecologically diverse habitat.

Back at the Pavilion about 12:45 p.m., participants can choose to stay there and socialize, or to continue for a 30-40 minute hike along the Bruce Trail to the bridge at the Sydenham River and along the the river a short distance, then return. We will follow the sparkling waters of the Sydenham River that flow past the forested paths.

Everyone will meet together by 1:30 p.m. at the Pavilion for a bring-your-own lunch and social time. Plan for about 3.5 hours until 2:30 p.m. for the hike and lunch.

You are welcome to stay after 2:30 p.m. at the Pavilion for as long as you would like. Also, consider visiting spectacular Inglis Falls or nearby Harrison Park. Or spend the rest of the day in Owen Sound and explore its River District.

All participants will receive a Bruce Trail Conservancy Pride Badge which represents a celebration of 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion.

There are no parking fees at the Administration Centre of Grey Sauble Conservation.

If you would like to offer or receive a ride share, please complete the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/AtAETCoHrWTXSoY89 Grey Bruce Pride will facilitate connecting community members amongst Grey Bruce. A consent waiver is included.