For me, every day is practice hiking day. Practicing for some of those foreign hikes I like to do. As southern Ontario has a singular lack of mountains, I have to enjoy what this area has in the way of getting good exercise in nice surroundings. Today I went to one of the best hikes: Starkey Hill to the south east of Guelph, just past Arkell. Take Arkell road east from Gordon Street and keep on going a few kilometers. It's on the right, and has lots of parking except on weekends. This is a three season trail, although even when it is officially closed in winter, if you have spikes for ice it can still be accessible. In summer, mosquitoes rule unless you are protected. Today it was just a couple of layers and my hiking boots.
I took the longest trail (there are a number of loops, with the longest being around 4 kilometers) - not much for the seasoned hiker, but it does have the advantage of elevations that gets my heart rate going.
This is also a very beautiful hike, with different hardwood and pine forest, a few swamps and some 'kettle lakes'. Owned by the GRCA, it is signposted in a few places to provide online interpretations.
I have hiking boots (recommended) but it also works in runners if you don't mind working around the odd mud patch. It's also a good off-leash dog park, unless you have a nasty dog, and it seems to be a great place for family strolls.
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