Bruce Peninsula National Park stretches across the northern portion of the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. The Park encompasses a wide variety of ecosystems, from sandy shores and dunes along Lake Huron to magnificent dolomite cliffs along Georgian Bay. More than 20 species of fern colonize the Park which also harbors ancient cedars and 43 species of orchid. Among the animal residents are black bears, martens, porcupines and eastern massasauga rattlesnakes.
On our first hike of the day, we parked along Cyprus Lake and climbed to the bayside cliffs where erosion has produced Boulder Beach, the Grotto and Indian Head Cove, some of the most popular natural features in the Park. Our second hike took us along Dorcas Bay on the Lake Huron (west) side of the Peninsula, where inland dunes and wetlands harbor a wide variety of rare and threatened plants.
Once again, wildlife was rather sparse on our hikes, represented primarily by common forest songbirds and red squirrels (also known as chickarees); Canada geese, ring-billed gulls, red-breasted mergansers and double-crested cormorants were observed on the lakes and bays. A special sighting was that of a green snake; sunning himself on a trail, he escaped to the adjacent foliage as we approached.
