Reconnect with the Land: Fabulous Trails, Guided Treks & Backcountry Escapes

If Mother Nature could speak, she might ask us to slow down, to move gently, to pay attention to the stories the land holds beneath our feet. She might remind us that healing doesn’t always come in the form of technology or noise — sometimes, it comes from earth and stone, wind and trees.

This summer, take time to reconnect with the land, to remember where you came from, and to reflect on where you're going.

Walk Gently, Sleep Soundly

There’s something deeply grounding about sleeping under the stars, surrounded by the sounds of nature and the scent of the forest floor. Whether you’re setting up at a low-impact site on the 7,000-acre protected wilderness property Land’escapes, venturing into the North Frontenac Parklands, or paddling to a tucked-away spot with Haliburton Highlands Water Trails, backcountry camping offers peace — and perspective. 

Take Your Medicine

Walking the land with Indigenous guides offers a connection that goes beyond trail maps and terrain. Join Christine Luckasavitch of Waaseyaa Cultural Tours for a traditional medicine walk and learn how plants, stories, and practices offer healing — for both people and place. Or hike Manitou Mountain alongside knowledge-keeper Tim Yearington, whose medicinal spirit walks take you to empowering places and shamanism sites with stone petroforms. These aren’t just hikes — they’re conversations with the earth.

Retreat into Nature

A nature retreat is one which invites you to go offline, to simply sit and breathe in nature, no itinerary, no to do lists. In the wilds of Lanark County, Pine Brae Eco Resort offers two remote and minimalist cabins tucked away on a 100-acre parcel of lakeside property.  For a truly private wilderness staycation, the tiny cabins at Cabinscape are tucked away on remote and rugged landscapes, ideal for communing with nature. Spend your days out on the trail or water, then relax in one of 20 cabins situated in Haliburton Highlands, the Ottawa Valley, or Lanark County.

Explore the Earth's Geology

End your trip with a guided eco-tour of Greenmantle Farm Mineral Eco-Tours, where you’ll walk among rare, undisturbed mineral deposits like fluorrichterite, apatite, hornblende, and tremolite. In Hastings County, the Mineral Capital of Canada, you can feel the ancient power of the earth beneath your boots as you search for pink crystals at the Beryl Pit or explore the Rose Quartz Mine. In Bancroft, dig into discovery at the Princess Sodalite Mine Rock Shop, where nearly 100 types of rocks and minerals await. Bring your own tools and uncover geological treasures with your own hands. 

Bathe in Nature

Experience the peace and tranquility nature brings with a guided backcountry hiking trip and forest bathing immersion designed to awaken your senses with Finding Your Way Adventures. In Arnprior, you can access one of the old growth forests in Ontario, Gillies Grove, and place your hands on century-old white pine trees, just feet from an urban setting

Learn from Nature

Discover how the forest teaches and the rock remembers with a guided or self-guided exploration. At Eagle’s Nest Park in Bancroft, educator Virginia DeCarle’s Nature Connects and Forest Education Program reveals the different ecosystems in the park, as well as their importance to the flora and fauna who live there. In the Ottawa Valley, the Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre offers in depth visitor guides to help hikers  identify the flora and fauna they will encounter on the trails there. 

Dig Deeper

Learn about sustainable farming from the ground up at Enright Cattle Co. in Tweed, a fourth-generation family farm that uses rotational grazing to regenerate the soil and support healthier livestock. In Stirling, the Ontario Water Buffalo Company showcases another model of thoughtful agriculture — raising water buffalo for their rich milk, which is turned into cheeses, yogurt, and gelato, as well as premium meat. They pride themselves on using every part of the animal, even crafting items like horn mugs, all available for purchase at The Buff Stuff Store.