Blue Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Lake · Wildlife

Park at the outer gate and walk in.

The Elbow Lake property is 426.8 ha (1,054.6 Ac) in size, encompassing approximately six kilometres of shoreline frontage on Elbow, Spectacle and Upper Rock lakes. Characteristic of the rugged topography of the Frontenac Arch, a narrow, southerly extension of the Canadian Shield, the property is a mosaic of rocky ridges and outcrops, mixed deciduous-coniferous woodlands, lowland and shoreline wetlands. Approximately 30% of the total area of the property is lake or wetland.

Intermingled among southern species such as Shagbark Hickory, Southern Flying Squirrel and Allegheny Vine, one will also find boreal forest habitat characteristic of more northern climes, supporting species such as Tamarack and Snowshoe Hare.

Habitat for several significant plant and animal species unique to the Frontenac Arch is supported on the Elbow Lake property. North-extending populations of both the Grey Ratsnake and Five-lined Skink occur into the Frontenac Arch; elsewhere in Ontario, these two species are only present in Southwestern Ontario along the Lake Erie shoreline. The Endangered Butternut tree is found on the Elbow Lake property, while Cerulean Warbler, Blanding's Turtle, and Whip-poor-will, all provincially-designated Species at Risk, occur in relatively high concentrations within the area.