Hike the Torrance Barrens Main Trail

The Torrance Barrens is a great half day hike and a very unique spot in the Muskokas. Different landscape than the typical 'Muskoka woods and lakes', the barrens are mostly scraped back to the bedrock with less trees and more fen mats and low vegetation.

The trail head has a great parking pad off Southdown Road with plenty of parking, even in the summer months (no permits are required). The barrens aren't hiked as often as a lot of the other Muskoka trails which means that even in the busiest summer weekends you can still feel isolated on the barrens. When you start towards the main trail, there's a large granite bedrock area which is great for picnics or camping as well as night photography and stargazing.

The main trail (there are several smaller off-trails) is all marked with white ribbons and white rocks so the hiking is very easy. On the sections where the trail crosses streams and bogs there are wooden bridges that have been built. Some are pretty beaten up, but footing is generally great the whole way. Depending on which direction you travel first (loop), you'll get a good mix of coniferous woodland, exposed granite bedrock and transitional bog.

The wildlife around the barrens is incredibly diverse. There is a pack of wolves that lives in and around the barrens and their calls can be heard at night (there have been no reports of them coming within range of humans or dogs though) as well as all sorts of little critters from the threatened Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, the uncommon Eastern Hognose Snake, Southern Bog Lemming and the elusive Five Lined Skink (Ontario's only lizard). Birds in the area include Vesper Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows and Bobolink as well as the occasional raptor.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Torrance Barrens, however, happens at night. The area around the barrens is virtually totally absent of light pollution making it the perfect place to observe the natural beauty of the night sky. Because of the absence of artificial light, the barrens have been able to retain the natural darkness of night. When this is combined with plenty of large open spaces and hard granite surfaces (immune to vibrations), the barrens are one of the most ideal spots in Ontario for night time photography and star gazing (located only 2 hours from Toronto... the busiest metropolis in Canada).

Overall a beautiful and easy half day hike in the busy Muskoka cottage country.

Check here for a trail map.