Regional Municipality of Durham: Trails, Nature and Museums

Explore the Regional Municipality of Durham through its recreational trails and cultural attractions. The Durham Region’s recreational trail network spans more than 350 kilometres and includes the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. For planning your trip, the total length is as useful as looking at individual destinations: you can consider nature experiences and museum visits as distinct priorities and choose the location of your holiday rental based on which ones you want to shape your stay. Take your planned excursions into account before deciding where to stay as a base.

Recreational Trails and Conservation Areas

Heber Down Conservation Area offers walks in nature. Heber Down Wetland Complex provides specialized habitat for many wildlife species. These are two distinct aspects of the area’s natural offerings: walks and specialized wildlife habitat. Enniskillen Conservation Area adds 5.5 km of hiking trails to the options and is located on the southern slopes of the Oak Ridges Moraine. The figures represent two different scales: more than 350 kilometres for the region’s recreational trail network and 5.5 kilometres for the hiking trails in Enniskillen. Purple Woods Conservation Area provides access to the Oak Ridges Trail. These destinations offer two different points of reference for your specific plans: a precise trail distance in Enniskillen and access to a named trail in Purple Woods.

Areas within Durham Regional Forest

Durham Regional Forest comprises six areas near Uxbridge; for day-trip planning, it’s worth keeping the specific area in mind. Some have parking lots, while others are accessible via concession roads. This difference is more useful for planning your day than a general description of the entire forest. Check in advance which area suits your excursion and which of the access options mentioned applies.

Museums and Cultural Events

In Oshawa, two museums offer distinct cultural and historical perspectives. Oshawa Museum comprises three restored 19th-century homes: Henry House, Robinson House and Guy House. Canadian Automotive Museum is Canada’s only museum dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the Canadian automotive industry. Together, they take you from historic homes to the story of an industry; for your trip planning, these are clearly distinct themes within the same municipality. Another cultural event is the Durham Region International Film Festival, held annually in October in the Durham Region. Annual plans may change, so check the specific event dates before booking. The wider destination of Ontario also offers culinary routes, festivals and other food experiences as a distinct area of interest.

Discover more destinations: Whitby, Oshawa, Pickering, Newcastle, Scugog, Ajax, Clarington, Bowmanville, Hampton, Beaverton.

Back to the wider travel overview: Ontario.