Our Parkbus route to Rattlesnake Point and Crawford Lake never disappoints! Between the scenic lookouts at both parks, numerous hiking trails, and opportunities to learn about Indigenous Culture you’re in for a day of adventure. Remember, with Parkbus you do not need to get a day-pass, it’s included with your trip.
Start your day at Rattlesnake Point and Hike the Bruce Trail over to Crawford Lake (see map here).
Boardwalk on Crawford Lake Trail
Hiking and the Visitors Centre
If you don’t want to traverse the Bruce, you can start and spend your whole day at Crawford Lake with lots to choose from. Check out the Halton Conservation Park Map to get an idea of the trails available. The Crawford Lake trail around Crawford Lake is accessible and gives you stunning views of this meromictic lake. Signage along the way will help you learn about all the neat ecological features of the park, like the meromictic lake itself. The visitors centre is also a great resource to learn (and grab snacks). Make sure to note what time the centre closes and grab any snacks or souvenirs at the start of your day!
Indigenous History
Crawford Lake is also home to a reconstructed 15th Century Village. The remains of this village were found thanks to analysis of the sediment at the bottom of the meromictic lake! Meromictic lakes are lakes that are deeper than the width of their surface area, this means that this lake is very deep, and typically that means that there is not a lot of oxygen or life at the bottom of it. Since there isn’t a lot moving around down there, it’s the perfect place to find history preserved in the dirt. Foods and pollen from hundreds of years ago were found while doing sediment analysis which led to the discovery of the Longhouse village. In 1973, for over a decade, scientists and archaeologists excavated 11 longhouses and discovered thousands of artifacts from the Iroquoian people. This project led to the reconstruction of the village available to visit today!
Find out more about the experiences you can plan while you visit Crawford Lake here.