Boardwalk through Rockwood Conservation Area
by John Twynam
Title
Boardwalk through Rockwood Conservation Area
Artist
John Twynam
Medium
Photograph
Description
A boardwalk breaks up sections of the trail through Rockwood Conservation Area near Guelph, Ontario as it exits the forest on a rainy day.
I visited this conservation area one Saturday afternoon in the rain, and really wish I had picked a nicer day. This boardwalk is part of a nice hike through the woods that takes you alongside a nice river and some interesting geological formations. I would have liked to explore some more, but the rain wasn't cooperating.
The park overlaps the Eramosa River, with sections on both sides of it, including a small waterfall and the ruins of an old woolen mill. The Harris Mill was first established in 1867, though a fire damaged it in the 1880s, and in 1884, it was replaced by a stone structure. During WWI, it would frequently operate 24 hours a day, satisfying large orders of blankets for the Canadian army. The mill closed permanently in 1931, in the midst of the Great Depression.
The area was opened as a public park in 1963. Along with the mill ruins, the park contains interesting geological features - glacier bluffs, potholes, caves, and some of the oldest dated trees in Ontario. The cave system is a series of 12 caves, which is one of the most extensive networks in Ontario. The potholes, also known as giant's kettles, are large cavities that have been drilled by flowing water carrying stones and gravel.
Uploaded
May 12th, 2021
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