Wagg's Woods Trail

• The park is 17 hectares (42 acres) with four distinct trails totalling 3 kilometres (1.86 miles).
• The Woodland Accessibility Trail is great for those with mobility issues, mobility devices and strollers.
• Take a break on one of the many donated benches at the rest areas. 
• Stroll through the old growth forest that contributes to Manitoulin Island’s ability to capture and store more carbon dioxide than it produces.
• The forest is home to hundreds of species of plants from towering trees such as yellow birch and many different colourful flowers. 
• On the Fossil Trail you can walk on the dry creek bed which is the floor of an ancient sub-tropical sea that covered the Manitoulin Island area more than 400 million years ago.
• Follow along the edge of the Escarpment Trail and take in views of the park below as you twist, turn and climb your way along the trail.
• Wander the Alvar Trail full of rare plants, rock cracks and glacial erratic rocks deposited during the last ice age.
• Spot wildlife such as a porcupine, a wood thrush or our mascot, the barred owl.

Wagg's Woods Trail improvements would not be possible without donations from the public, in-kind support and Municipal investment.

For current donation opportunities contact Trail Committee staff member Marcus Mohr at mmohr@centralmanitoulin.ca or call 705-377-5726.

Donation Record

2021 Woodland Accessibility Trail

• Municipality of Central Manitoulin $10,000
• Anonymous Donations $3578
• Manitoulin Chrysler Wayne Legge New Entrance Easement Agreement
• Taylors Sawmill $600 in materials
• E.Corbiere and Sons Construction $480 in materials
• James Millette Forestry $200 in materials
• Special thanks to the volunteers John Diebolt, Marcel Beneteau, Dale Scott, Wendy Wiggins, Al Tribinevicius, Katie Gilcrhrist, Chad Pearson, Andre Leblanc, Leslie Philips and Brenda Kozial

2021 Bench Donations

• Cedar Cove Farm – Hal Love $1260
• Jake's Home Centre Adam and Erin Smith $1330
• Madeleine Wagg Becks $1080
• The Island Animal Hospital Steve Fisher and Joanna Paquet, two benches $2290
• Finn's Gas Bar $1000
• Special thank you to volunteers John Diebolt and Dale Scott for assembly and installation of the benches.

2022 Escarpment Trail and Alvar Trail Creation

• Municipality of Central Manitoulin tree maintenance and trail building supplies $1870
• Volunteers John Diebolt, Dale Scott and Marcel Beneteau trail layout and clearing
• Special thank you to Brenda Koziol for geology and interpretive signage consultation.

2023 Owl Nesting Box Project

• Manitoulin Nature Club Owl Nesting Box Donation
• Manitoulin Tree Service Owl Nesting Box Installation

2023 Trailhead Signage

• Municipality of Central Manitoulin trailhead signage costs $4600

PDF Version of Wagg's Woods Map 

• Motorized vehicles are not permitted except for personal mobility devices.
• Bicycles are not permitted.
• Keep dogs on a leash.
• Don't litter. Please take your garbage with you.
• Leave fossils and other natural assets in place.
• Camping or fires are not permitted.
• Be mindful of trail conditions. If a trail is too wet or muddy, save your hike for another day. Using a muddy trail can be dangerous and damage the trail and surrounding ecosystems.
• Use the trail system at your own risk.
• Sections of trails may be closed in winter months due to ice and snow. The Fossil Trail is closed during the spring runoff.
• The trail will be closed annually during rifle season. 

Woodland Accessibility Trail

• Very Easy
• 530 m (1739 ft) one way.
• The trail is fully accessible and great for those with mobility issues, mobility devices and strollers. Take a break on one of the many donated benches at the rest areas. Wagg’s Woods is an old growth forest that contributes to Manitoulin Island’s ability to capture and store more carbon dioxide than it produces. This forest is home to more than a hundred species of plants from towering trees such as yellow birch and many different colourful flowers. You might even spot other wildlife such as a porcupine or a wood thrush.
  
  Accessibility Specifications
• Length of Two-Way Trip: 970 m (3,182 ft)
• Surface: Hardpacked limestone screening
• Average Width: 1.83 m (6 ft)
• Minimum Width: 1.52 m (5 ft)
• Maximum Running Slope: 1:24
• Maximum Cross Slope: 1:20 (7.6 cm over 1.5 m/3 in over 5 ft)
• Edge Protection: 182 m (600 ft), minimum 5 cm (2 in) high.
• Edge protection is primarily on north side of trail with a drop-off of 15 cm (6 in) or greater.
• Pull Offs/Turnarounds: Every 97 m (318 ft)

Fossil Trail

Easy
520 m (1706 ft)
Walk on the floor of an ancient sub-tropical sea that covered the Manitoulin Island area more than 400 million years ago. Discover evidence of the incredible diversity of corals, sponges and other animals that lived in the warm waters south of the equator.
Please leave the fossils in place so others can enjoy discovering them!

Alvar Trail

• Moderate
• 1340 m (4396 ft)
• Wander and alvar full of rock cracks and glacial erratic rocks deposited during the last ice age.
  
  About Alvars
• Based on a limestone plain
• Stressed habitat supports a community of rare plants and animals.  
• Lichen and mosses are common species.
• Trees and bushes are absent or severely stunted.

Escarpment Trail

• Hard
• 480 m (1575 ft)
• This trail is for the adventurer. Follow along the edge of the escarpment and take in views of the park below as you twist turn and climb your way along the trail.  The escarpment is part of the larger Niagara Escarpment that runs through New York, Ontario, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The escarpment formed over millions of years through a process of differential erosion of rocks of different hardness.

In 2020, the Municipality created a Trail Committee comprised of five residents and two council members.  The committee has worked steadily towards a goal of enhancing the park into a destination for residents and visitors.

The park now contains:

• A new trailhead and sign at the corner of Forest and Thorne streets. The new entrance allows for access to the majority of the park south of the seasonal creek bed. The creek bed was a barrier to accessing parts of the park from the old entrance.
• A new 10 car parking lot on Forest Street
• Half of a kilometre hard packed accessibility trail good for mobility devise and strollers.
• Half of a kilometre trail along the escarpment.
• Over one kilometre of trail on the alvar on top of the escarpment.
• An owl nesting box.
• Four pull offs ad a hub for resting and relaxing.
• Six donated benches on the accessibility trail.
• Tree aging, particularly on the Escarpment and Alvar.

Future plans:

• Signage to direct visitors to the park on the nearby streets.
• Interpretive signage for geology, plants and animals.
• A lookout tower.
• Recreation programs 
• Guided hikes with experts in the fields of geology, flora and fauna.

More information:
Community Development/Outreach Coordinator Marcus Mohr at 705-377-5726 or email mmohr@centramanitoulin.ca.