Wabigoon River in Dryden, Ontario

Trying to get as much research in Ontario done before the winter season hits.   A result of putting in allot of miles, exploring beautiful country with many lakes and – as I found out – very little internet access.  So.. I must play catch up on my blogging!

After Red River.. I was sad to leave as it was beautiful.. I made my way south to Dryden, Ontario. I planned on spending a few days in the community to see what it has to offer, trying not to be swayed by first impressions and what others say.

Dryden gets a bad rap because of the looming big mill in town that spews out loads of white smoke.  Yes, I agree it is an ugly sight to watch.. and cannot be good for your health, but  once you start to explore the outskirts of town I found there was much to explore.. just go play where you can not see the mill I say. Out of sight, out of mind.

Views of Wabigoon River in Dryden

My day started with the basics – downtown and some of the local community parks.  Many of the parks are located along the Wabigoon River (love saying that).

Cooper Park in town follows the river and connects to a boardwalk path which, in turn connects to downtown.  Because it was morning there were plenty of people out walking their dogs. Nice path with views of the mill..ugh.

The Laura Marsh Paths were an unexpected treat.  The area is a protected wetland and forest. The trails were rough, single track and overgrown – just how I like them. I was consistently breaking through spider webs, high stepping tree roots and jumping mud puddles.

Sitting on the pier at the Yacht Club on Wabigoon River

The trail map looked simple enough at the trailhead. It looked like one big circle route. No worries I thought.

But once I got onto the trail system I noticed many side trails taking off to who knows where. It was not as straight forward as I thought.  Lucky for me the BRO GPS system was functioning in top form.

The highlight was when the trail hooked into the yacht club and the Wabigoon River (has to be my favorite river just because of the name).  The river was so large and I saw people out on the river enjoying their boats, float planes, jet skies and kayaks.

Enough of the domestics, it was time to head out to the wild side of Dryden. I continued to cross off the city parks on my list, leaving the rural parks for last. Lucky me, the rural parks were worth the wait.

Aaron Park is a provincial park.  It was empty, like many of the parks I have visited in the north. And then there are the “campground cops” too which I find are not as welcoming and friendly as you travel from the west to east. Maybe a personality course is in order.

Why is it that many of the parks in Ontario charge so much for a piece of dirt and electricity. I mean seriously around $37 a night for camping.  Do they want to fill the park? You think the price might have something to do with why the parks are so empty.  The parks need to think hard and long on restructuring their marketing! Real hard. The park is empty and it is the last week of August when the weather has been excellent. It should be packed!

Not being packed is good thing for me because I do not run into anyone when researching. Not that I do not like meeting people, but they always seem to want to talk for a long time.  Not meeting people allows me more time to enjoy the park to myself.

In Aaron Park the lake scenery was beautiful. It was still hot enough to see the mist rising off the water. I cannot express enough how much I love to be in the wilderness. The only sounds I  heard were birds singing – a loon leading the group –  and the lapping of the waves rolling onto shore.

The big surprise in Dryden was the Sandy Beach Recreation Area which included Flat Rock and Sandy Beach Parks.  Not much information was available on them so I started snooping around.

I started at Flat Rock.  A park with, yes you guessed it, flat rocks protruding out onto the river. There was a prime picnic area on the rocks with great views.  Next to the rocks was an amazing sandy beach. Wow.. what a find!  But of course not a soul on the beach?  No information signs either? It was then that my Sherlock Holmes abilities kicked in and I figured there must be a path along the shoreline, crossing over the point,  that hooks up with the other side.

I proceeded to hike the long sandy beach on the Wabigoon River (main picture). At the end of the beach I spotted a path leading into the trees. I followed it, breaking spider webs again. The path followed a ridge with views of the river at times. After a few minutes the path leaves the woods and, get this, connects with another sandy beach and a park.  I love it when a plan comes together!

I did the picture thing and made some notes but did not stay long as I preferred the other beach by Flat Rock. It was there I took my boots off and dipped my feet in the water. I took a  few moments to appreciate how beautiful it was and how lucky I am.