The orchid trail is a wide boardwalk and 415m in length. There are several information placards along the route describing the local flora. Near the beginning of the trail system from the first parking lot is the lookout which offers a sitting area and partially obstructed view of the lake below. If walking the entire trail isn’t quite for you, the bog boardwalk is my opinion the best view point anyways and located near the start of the Ted Mosquin Trail starting point (marked with by a wooden archway). Follow the softly-padded-with-pine-needles pathway until you reach the wooden boardwalk on your right bring you out for the full view of Purdons Lake.
How walkable are these trails?! We did them in crocks and flip flops. Soooo, yeah, I’d say it’s pretty easy going here. The Ted Mosquin Trail brings you into the forest by following a path that is well mark with yellow tree shaped markers. There’s plenty of information placards about the flora along the way and the picnic area is the main resting spot at the height of the loop. If you take the trail counter clock wise (recommended), just past the picnic area is where the trail narrows and tall grass reigns. The best part about this section is the wild flowers, and the worst part was my ever growing fear of lyme disease and ticks while trucking along in sandals (my feet were soaked in bug spray). Amazingly enough, we found no ticks on ourselves, so I consider that a personal win for the day.
