Backpacking the Great Trail – Aylmer to Port Burwell

Our First Extended Backpacking Hike on the Great Trail in Southwestern Ontario

 
As we continue preparing for our proposed journey across Canada on the Great Trail, formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail, we have begun planning a series of longer hikes throughout southwestern Ontario. Although our recent outings have allowed us to explore parts of the national pathway on foot, snowshoes, skis, and bicycles, we now want to begin spending more time hiking with loaded backpacks and camping equipment. After all, travelling along a recreational pathway for a few hours is rather different from carrying everything we need for several days of walking.  These shorter overnight trips also provide an opportunity to test our equipment, determine what feels comfortable, and discover what may need adjusting before we attempt anything considerably longer. By exploring sections of the Great Trail closer to home, we can experiment with our preparations while remaining within a reasonable distance of friends who can help and familiar communities if something does not work as expected.

 
For our first extended backpacking trip in Ontario, we have decided to follow a section of the Great Trail through Elgin County, beginning near Aylmer and continuing south to Port Burwell Provincial Park, where we intend to spend the night. Tomorrow, we hope to continue walking toward the outskirts of Tillsonburg, making this a two-day opportunity to carry our equipment and gain some experience travelling between communities on the national pathway.
 
However, before setting out along the Great Trail itself, we have decided to begin our day with a short detour to somewhere that is particularly interesting to us: the Aylmer Wildlife Management Area.  Located a few kilometres outside the community of Aylmer, this important wetland and wildlife management site is one of the best-known places in southwestern Ontario to observe migrating Tundra Swans. Each spring, large numbers of these beautiful white birds gather here while travelling north from their wintering grounds along the Atlantic coast of the United States toward their breeding areas in the Arctic.  The Aylmer Wildlife Management Area provides an important stopover during this remarkable annual migration. Its shallow ponds, open fields, and carefully managed feeding areas offer the birds an opportunity to rest and replenish their energy before continuing north. The site is managed through cooperation between the Province of Ontario, the Elgin Stewardship Council, and the local community, with habitat management intended to benefit migrating waterfowl and other wildlife.

 

Aylmer is also recognized as an Important Bird Area, or IBA, a designation that is particularly meaningful to me because of my work with Bird Studies Canada. Much of my professional work involves geographic information systems and conservation information, including the kinds of data used to understand and protect important places for birds.  Important Bird Areas are sites recognized for their significance to bird conservation, whether because they support threatened species, important breeding populations, or particularly large concentrations of birds during migration. In Aylmer's case, its significance comes primarily from the substantial numbers of Tundra Swans that gather here each spring. At peak times, several thousand swans may be present, making the site an important stopping point along their migration route.
 

Aylmer and Tundra Swans

 
The opportunity to see these birds was simply too good to pass up, even if it meant adding a few kilometres to an already lengthy day of walking.  When we arrived, the ponds and surrounding areas were filled with swans. Hundreds of white birds were scattered across the property – with some in the water, others resting along muddy shorelines, or feeding, preening, and moving between the ponds and nearby fields. Others gather where corn has been provided as part of the management program, feeding alongside Canada Geese and other waterfowl.

 
The sight was extraordinary, particularly when looking across the wetlands and realizing how many birds were gathered in one relatively small area. Some were standing on the berm with their long necks extended, while others dipped their heads toward the ground or water in search of the grain and food that is provided here to help them. Occasionally, a bird stretches its wings, or a small group moves across the pond, adding to the constant activity.

 
We spent approximately two hours watching and photographing the swans, enjoying the opportunity to observe them at relatively close range. Although we have visited many birding locations throughout southern Ontario, there is something particularly enjoyable about encountering such a large gathering of migratory birds. These swans are travelling thousands of kilometres between their wintering and breeding grounds, and for a short period each spring, Aylmer becomes one of the places where they stop along the way.

 
Eventually, however, we knew that we had to get going and had to turn our attention back to our own much shorter journey.  After slipping on our heavy backpacks, we left the wildlife management area and made our way toward the route of the Great Trail. Although we have spent much of the morning birdwatching, we still have more than 25 kilometres of walking ahead of us before reaching Port Burwell.

 
Approximately an hour later, we reached an intersection of country roads where our GPX tracks indicated that we had joined the national pathway.  There is no obvious trailhead, no trail sign announcing that we were correct (or wrong), and no directional arrow confirming that we are following the official route. Instead, we find ourselves standing at what appears to be an ordinary rural crossroads, checking our maps and trusting that the GPX route we have downloaded is accurate.  In this way, walking on was a leap of faith – trusting that our information was correct.
 

The Great Trail along Roadways

 
Having spent so much time researching the Great Trail and passing signs for it on local trails, it is a slightly unexpected beginning to our first extended backpacking outing along it. We have already learned that the national pathway is composed of many different types of routes, including recreational footpaths, rail trails, and waterways. Nevertheless, knowing that the Great Trail includes roadways is rather different from arriving at an unsigned intersection and realizing that the road stretching ahead is the route we are supposed to follow.  With little reason to doubt our GPX tracks, we set off south toward Port Burwell.
 
For much of the afternoon, our route followed a series of country roads through the agricultural landscape of Elgin County. Roads identified as the Mount Salem Connector and Vienna Line on Google Maps took us along relatively straight rural roads, passing farms, scattered houses, fields, and occasional woodlots.  The scenery was generally familiar to anyone who has spent time travelling through southwestern Ontario. Large fields stretching away from the roadside, periodically interrupted by hedgerows, small patches of woodland, and farm buildings. The roads themselves are generally easy to follow (as they are straight), and the terrain presents few physical challenges beyond the distance we have to cover and the weight of our backpacks.

 
In some respects, this made the day a useful opportunity to become accustomed to carrying our camping gear. Without steep climbs or difficult terrain to negotiate, we could concentrate on walking, adjusting to time hiking, and discovering how everything feels after several hours on the move.  Although we have considerable experience hiking, it has been some time since we regularly carried all our gear over an extended distance. In addition, our recent walks on the Camino and other European routes have often involved staying in established accommodations, allowing us to travel without tents, sleeping pads, and many of the supplies required for camping.  To this end, today's hike provided an opportunity to begin getting accustomed to those additional demands.
 
As we continued south, we passed through the small crossroads community of Luton before following another rural road toward Port Burwell. The route continued to remain relatively straightforward, with little need for complicated navigation – though there was still no signage and the lack of having a dedicated walking pathway became increasingly apparent and a source of some worry which we talked about.  At one point, we reached a spot named the Elgin Trail Rest Area.  It turned out to be a small green space beside the road that provided a welcome opportunity to step away from the roadway. Here we decided to stop for approximately half an hour, sitting in the shade while enjoying a drink and giving our legs and shoulders a rest.
 
Although it is a relatively small area, it is certainly appreciated. After spending several hours walking along the roads, even a small patch of shade and somewhere to sit comfortably can make a considerable difference.  With that said, we did eventually continue on. 

 
Unfortunately, the walking was somewhat less enjoyable along Vienna Line, where the roadway was more exposed to the sun and passing vehicles. In several places, the available space beyond the edge of the pavement and fields was very limited, leaving us little choice but to remain close to the roadside.  Thankfully, however, the traffic here was neither constant nor fast.  Regardless, we found ourselves paying more attention to the road than to the surrounding countryside. This is not quite the experience we had imagined when discussing the possibility of hiking the Great Trail across Canada.  We have always understood that the national route includes a substantial network of roadways, and that not every section would involve travelling along a dedicated trail. However, today's experience is beginning to demonstrate what that can mean in practical terms. Following a road for a kilometre or two to connect established paths is one thing. Spending much of the day (or longer) walking along rural roads with loaded backpacks is quite another.
 
There are certainly advantages to this kind of route. The terrain is relatively level, and we are able to maintain a reasonably consistent walking pace. However, we are also discovering that such sections offer fewer opportunities to stop and enjoy our surroundings, particularly when the road shoulders are narrow, or traffic is moving quickly.
 

Port Burwell Provincial Park

 
As we approached Port Burwell, the traffic became a little busier, which is perhaps understandable given that the community is home to a popular provincial park and beach along Lake Erie.  By the time we arrived, we had been walking for much of the afternoon, and our legs were beginning to remind us that carrying loaded backpacks for nearly 30 kilometres is rather different from enjoying a shorter recreational hike with only a set of binoculars.
 
Walking into town, the provincial park seemed to take an unexpectedly long time to reach, as most of our focus by this point was on finding somewhere to sit down and take off our backpacks.  Ultimately, we opted to step briefly away from the Great Trail, cross a local bridge and stop at a local ice cream shop. After a long day of walking, the opportunity to enjoy something cold and rest our feet was particularly welcome. We spent a little time sitting down before reluctantly returning to our backpacks and continuing the short distance to the provincial park where we intended to camp for the night.
 

Camping and Time at the Beach

 
Needless to say, it was a considerable relief to reach the campground and finally remove our backpacks for the remainder of the day. Our campsite was situated beneath the trees in a wooded section of the provincial park, providing a welcome contrast to the exposed roads we had been following for much of the day. We set up our tent, organized our belongings, and began settling in for the evening. Our site had a picnic table and fire pit, and with our camping gear finally unpacked, we were able to relax for a while. We certainly felt the effects of the day's walk, but now that we had reached our destination, there was no particular reason to hurry. And to be honest, our bodies had no energy in them to rush anything, even had we wanted to.

 

One of the things we were most looking forward to was visiting the beach.  So after getting ourselves organized, we changed into our swimsuits and made our way toward the shoreline of Lake Erie. Port Burwell Provincial Park protects a section of Lake Erie's northern coast, including sandy beaches, dunes, woodlands, and other natural habitats.
 
We followed the pathways through the dunes and eventually emerged onto the beach. The sand, waves, and surrounding vegetation made the area feel quite different from the landscape we had been travelling through all afternoon.  The sandy shoreline and open water were a wonderful change of scenery and a great place to cool off. 

 
There are also plenty of birds to observe. Along the shoreline, we spotted a large gathering of gulls and terns resting on the sand. Among them were Bonaparte's Gulls, some displaying the distinctive dark heads of their breeding plumage, as well as Common Terns with their black caps and reddish bills.  We spent some time watching and photographing them, enjoying the opportunity to return to birdwatching after an afternoon when much of our attention has been focused on walking and navigating traffic.

 
The beach and scrub areas also offered opportunities to investigate some of the smaller creatures around us.  There are also some interesting insects to investigate. One particularly colourful discovery was a Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica), a small, introduced species with a metallic green head and thorax and copper-coloured wing covers. Although attractive, it is considered an agricultural and garden pest in Ontario, where it feeds on a wide variety of plants. We also found  a pale, furry-looking moth with large dark eyes, cream-coloured wings, and delicate legs. We are  uncertain of its species so we will have to upload it later to iNaturalist to find out. Both insects are fascinating to see, and we enjoy spending some time investigating these smaller creatures before returning our attention to the beach and Lake Erie.

 

Although neither discovery is particularly large or dramatic, these small encounters are part of what makes exploring natural areas so enjoyable. There is always something interesting to investigate, especially when we have the time to stop and look closely.
 
Eventually, we decided that the best way to recover from a long hot day was to go swimming.  Thankfully, the water was a wonderful temperature and offered a refreshing change from the heat of the afternoon.  And so we spent a couple of hours in the evening swimming, floating, and simply enjoying the opportunity to relax.

 

As the evening began to shift into night, the light over Lake Erie became increasingly beautiful. The sun descended toward the horizon, reflecting across the water while clouds gathered above the distant shoreline. Eventually, the sky turned into vibrant shades of orange and red, with sunlight breaking through the clouds and illuminating the waves below.  We spent some time watching the sunset and enjoying the changing colours across the lake before returning to our campsite.

 
With our tent already set up, we are able to spend the remainder of the evening relaxing beneath the trees. We enjoyed a small campfire and even managed to roast a few marshmallows, which seems a perfectly reasonable way to reward ourselves for completing our first extended backpacking day along the Great Trail.
 

Reflecting on the Great Trail

 
Looking back over the day's walk, we have certainly discovered a few things worth considering as we continue preparing for our much larger journey across Canada.  Most obviously, carrying our camping equipment over longer distances is something we need to become more accustomed to. Although we managed the day's walk without any major difficulties, nearly 28 kilometres with loaded backpacks has left us with tired bodies and a greater appreciation for the physical effort involved.

 
The route itself has also given us something to think about. Much of today's journey followed ordinary rural roads rather than established footpaths, and we are beginning to understand that this may be a more significant part of travelling along the Great Trail than we originally imagined. Although the terrain allowed us to make relatively easy progress, we found ourselves spending considerable time concentrating on passing vehicles and the available roadside space.  We certainly hope that not every section of the national pathway will involve so much road walking, particularly because one of our reasons for undertaking this journey is to spend more time exploring Canada's natural landscapes and wildlife. Nevertheless, we recognize that the Great Trail is a network of connected routes rather than a single continuous wilderness pathway, and today's experience has given us a better understanding of what that distinction can mean.
 
At the same time, it has been an enjoyable day.  We began by spending two hours watching thousands of migrating Tundra Swans at Aylmer, travelled through the agricultural landscapes of Elgin County, and eventually reached the shores of Lake Erie, where we enjoyed birdwatching, swimming, and exploring the natural areas of Port Burwell Provincial Park.
 
Now, with our tent set up beneath the trees, our backpacks unloaded and put away for the evening, and our legs finally getting some rest, we are quite content to remain where we are.  Tomorrow we intend to pack everything up again and continue following the Great Trail toward the outskirts of Tillsonburg. For tonight, however, there is nothing more we need to accomplish.
 
See you on the Trail!