Cootes
Paradise is a 600 hectare wildlife sanctuary with a 320 hectare river mouth
wetland. The lands are owned and managed by the Royal Botanical Gardens. The wetlands are a catchment area for three
main waterways: Borer’s Creek, Chedoke Creek and Spencer Creek. It is connected
to Hamilton Harbour via the Desjardins Canal.
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| Cootes Paradise Signage |
Due to the
location and topography of where Cootes is situated, it plays an important role
for migratory waterfowl.
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| Margaret walking on the trails |
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| Monarch Butterfly on goldenrod |
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| Close up |
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| Beautiful willows along the waters edge |
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| High Level Bridge - overlooking Cootes Paradise |
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| Purple Aster |
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| Purple Aster closeup |
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| Looking West out over Cootes Paradise |
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| Kayaking at Cootes Paradise |
Cootes has a
multitude of hiking trails on the east and west side of the wetlands. Many
people enjoy canoeing and kayaking along the shoreline. Margaret and I enjoyed
walking along Sassafras Trail toward Sassafras Point. I will be returning again
to explore more of this beautiful and interesting area.
Location
Coordinates: 43° 16′ 37.06″ N, 79° 54′ 10.98″ W UTM 17N 589008 4792156
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| Paddling |
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| Sassafras Point - Cootes Paradise |
