Erieau Marsh Trail, Erieau, ON

    

        We woke up to yet another beautiful spring day. You know, those mornings when you wake up early to little kids all excited for the day, where their excitement somehow is able to even get you out of bed just as excited? They don’t happen too often I will admit, but they do happen. Maybe it was the fact the sun was shining through the window, and a light breeze blowing in the air. I think we all love those kinds of days. Being as it was Sunday we knew it was a great day to take advantage of this weather and do something as a family. In fact, it was a perfect day for a new adventure.

      Erieau Marsh Trail was the destination of choice. A long enough drive so it felt like we were actually going somewhere, but a short enough drive where we didn’t have to worry about potty breaks for the three year old. As explained by the billboard for this trail it is 1.7 km long (although I am certain we walked FAR more than that- but maybe we weren’t even on the official trail anymore by the end).  The trail also rests, “…on the tracks [and] dyke built in 1889 by the Erie [and] Huron Railroad”. This was one of the things I loved about the trail. Every now and then we would see remnants of the railroad tracks peering out from under the pebble, grass and dirt of the now walkway. This was such a neat reminder of the history of this trail. The trail itself was also nice and wide for walkers, bike riders, and little kids that like to run in zigzags. However, when we arrived at the start of the trail we did realize that there wasn’t too much parking at the trail. There is room for about 3-4 cars comfortably, so be aware you might have to figure something out when you get there.

Our picnic view

     As soon as we got out of the car we were greeted by a beautiful sight of two Canadian geese being followed by their ducklings walking towards us and then turning into the marsh. Before we started the trail we decided to have a picnic. We chose the spot across the road where there was a bench and a beautiful view of the lake. It ended up being a fast-paced picnic as the oldest was getting braver and braver near the rocks he was climbing and wanting to throw smaller rocks down near the water so we thought it was best to let him eat in the wagon as we walked.

    The Erieau Marsh Trail gets the prize for the most beautiful soundtrack to a walk. There was not one second that went by where you weren’t reminded of the nature all around you. Birds chirping, frogs singing, bees buzzing and plants swaying in the wind surrounded us the whole time.

      The beauty is mostly just on one side of the trail it seems as the other is mostly run down trees along a ditch and then fields. I personally wouldn’t say this was the most beautiful spot I have ever been to as I didn't feel 'enclosed' by nature. I am sure this will look a bit nicer as leaves fill up the trees, but for this time of year I mostly tried to ignore that side and focus on the marsh side.

      There was one point on the trail where you can go up a little boardwalk and be placed more into the marsh. From here you could see a lot that the marsh had to offer, with little ponds and streams of water in the wetlands and then Rondeau Bay behind it. We even were able to see some turtles and a muskrat. I unfortunately was unable to take pictures of these as the three year old was infatuated with some goose feces on the walkway and the one year old was throwing his snack out of the wagon (please be ensured it was all picked up so no animals got to taste the goods).

Rondeau Bay

        As you walk on, the marsh eventually ends and the bay begins. While it was calming and peaceful to watch the water lap up onto the dark rich coloured ground the smell wasn’t the greatest when the breeze blew, but very manageable, and I’m sure it isn’t around every day (at least I would hope not). We walked up to the point where it became a shared road with some farm vehicles, watched some swans swim in the distance and here it was where we decided that it was time to head back to the car. Also, we ran out of snacks and knew a potty would be needed so it was pretty apparent that it was time to head back to the car.

        Reflecting back on our little adventure it was a beautiful fun-filled day. I’m not sure if I would come back right away as it didn’t blow me away in terms of ‘beauty’.  However, the sounds and the amount of animals that we saw were pretty great. My oldest was happy as well as we were able to check off quite a bit from his prediction list we made before we started the walk. 

To be added of things we saw: Snake, Muskrat and Turkey Vultures (not necessarily the prettiest of animals but still pretty neat!)