Patterson Tract - Simcoe County Forest

The Patterson Tract in South Simcoe County is one of 124 forest tracts owned and managed by Simcoe County. There are over 31,000 acres of land and the forests are one of the most productive in all of Ontario.

The Patterson Tract

The tract lies on the Oak Ridges Moraine resulting in a beautiful rolling landscape and sandy soil. The eastern section of the trail is predominantly a pine plantation with large windswept White Pines dominating. The central section is higher and contains much more a mixed forest with a large number of beautiful Sugar maples. The western part is also dominated by a Pine plantation.

The main trail, part of the Oak Ridges Moraine trail, is blazed with white markers (although marked by a red line on the GPS log above) and is a there-and-back trail totaling 1.5km one-way (making a 3.0km return trip). There are a number of side trails which branch off the main trail that are used mainly by ATVs and mountain bikes (see orange trail on the map above) and these tend to be much more hilly than the main trail. The side trails also enter some wet areas so if you plan on using these trails after a rainfall be prepared for some muddy sections.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

On a Side Trail

This is a simply stunning tract with an amazing mixture of Pine and Maple specimens. Be sure to bring along your camera as there is plenty of evidence that deer and coyotes frequent the area. Saying that, I should also mention that hunting is legal in the Patterson Tract. When hiking here please be aware of your surroundings.




View Larger Map