Rose Hill Nature Reserve: Trail Report

Rose Hill Nature Reserve: Trail Report

Have you heard of Rose Hill Nature Reserve?!? It’s in Lennox & Addington County near the Renfrew County border. For all us country loving locals, that’s between Bon Echo Provincial Park and Calabogie along Hwy 41. It has one of the coolest stories behind it...

Suggested Stops

Calabogie is a great spot to stop to eat, try enjoying a delicious wood fire pizza over at Neat Cafe or a delicicous meal and latte at the trendy Oh-el-la Cafe.

Important Insights

Rose Hill road is a dirt road with inclines which might produce a challenge in the rain or winter depending on your vehicle type.Difficult to access in the winter due to road conditions. Bring a road map with you or GPS. This area is within a cell phone dead zone, and a map is handy, especially if taking the scenic way home through Griffith then Calabogie.

Land Acknowledgement

These are the lands of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ and Omàmìwininìwag (Algonquin) people.⁠ It is important as avid hikers and stewards of the land, to acknowledge and understand the full story our surroundings along with the people that care for her, both past and present. As sourced from native-land.ca, if there are corrections please send to victoria@girlgonegood.com.

Land Management

Rose Hill Nature Reserve is managed by Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT). The have 8 properties, of which 4 are open to the public to visit and hike. Their mission is “To legally protect and steward private lands having ecological, biodiverse, aesthetic, and cultural value and to foster engagement with wilderness.”

GPS Coordinates

45.1468203362835, -77.2212913278071

Street Address

Rose Hill Rd, Addington Highlands, ON K0H 1L0

Directions

2hrs from Ottawa. Hwy 417 west and exit ON-60 W (signs for ON-132/Renfrew/O’Brien Road). Drive 30 kms then take ON-41 S in Bonnechere Valley. Continue on Hwy 41 for 35kms then turn right on Rose Hill Rd. In 800m the first trailhead is on right.

Parking

Small parking lot at trailhead.

Cell Reception

No

Washrooms

None. Follow Leave No Trace toileting guidelines

Accessibility

No

Trail Details

Entrance Fee

Hours of Operation

All seasons. Open dawn to dusk daily.

Trail Map

Trailhead

Located at the parking lot. Two main trailheads, 1st at 850m, 2nd 1.5km past the 1st.

Number of Trails

4

Total Distance (km)

2

Elevation Gain (m)

50

Cell Reception

No

Features

Woodlands, Marshlands, Ecological Significance, Ponds

Activities

Hiking

Dogs

Permitted on-leash. Absolutely no off-leash permitted. See the Ultimate Guide to Hiking with Dogs in Ottawa and Region.

Trail Description

This trail system is nature at it’s best, wild and free. Mostly overgrown the trails are either narrow paths or full blown ATV width. Fufflemucker Trail: The first trail is ‘brodey trail to fufflemucker trail’ which takes for you for a loop around fufflemucker pond. Alright, like really, I just love the name of this one. Fufflemucker. F u f f l e m u c k e r. Kinda sound like either a fairy tail character or a swear word. I digress… Parking is marked 50m up the road on the left and there’s a picnic spot along the route. Along perhaps best to picnic in the fall, this is another buggy area. Again, typical Ontario. Pumpkin, Old Farm, & Hemlock Trails The second spot to park is ahead 1.5 kms at Rose Lake. There’s enough space for 2-3 vehicles. From here you can start on Pumpkin trail to hike the length with side loops of Old Farm and Hemlock trails. Pumpkin trail itself is a wide enough ATV trail and enough enough to follow. Rose Hill Nature Reserve Features: It’s along Old Farm trail that you’ll find Rose Hill Rock. Now this is an interesting find! MMLT discovered this after they acquired the property under their care. It is a large glacier erratic boulder with an inscribed bronze plaque that states a heartfelt dedication to a beloved husband and friend – both of whom died in a vehicle accident in 1979. You’ll have to simply hike up and read the dedication for yourself! Adding a little flower power, the property was a diverse range of flora that includes wild lady slipper orchids, club spur orchids, pitcher plants, and dutchman’s breeches. The property boasts four ponds (fufflemucker, fritsch, mud, and charlie’s), and well as rose lake. Where are all the bird lovers at?! Rose Hill Nature Reserve has over 56 species of birds observed! And as far as at risk species go, well you can find monarch butterflies, eastern wood-pewees, and bald eagles.

Other Hiking Trails