We’ve lost much of our forest in southern Ontario, particularly white pine which was favoured for building and furniture because of its size and clear, straight grain. Here at the trail entrance are some truly impressive white pines, remnants of the majestic forests that covered this land hundreds of years ago.

The white pine is Ontario’s provincial tree. Pick up a bunch of pine needles. If the bunch has five needles (as in w-h-i-t-e), that’s how you tell it was from a white pine. Easy, isn’t it? Pick up a trail brochure where you enter the forest. It tells you about...