Yesterday, I went to the Lemoine Point Conservation Area for a quick hike. This place is a 136-hectare recreational conservation area located at the west end of Kingston,ON. The Cataraqui Region Conservation Area (CRCA) acquired the property in 1976, as it had 3 previous owners prior. The area includes a series of terrains such as woodlands, shorelines, glassy areas, and fields. The area is also surrounded by Collins bay on the Northwest side, Lake Ontario on the South, and Kingston’s Norman Rogers Airport on the east and to the west which remains part of the land (86 acres) is a farm owned by the clover’s dale family.
Some of the amenities that the area includes are Picnic tables, barbecues, and washrooms in which I did not make use this time around. I also noticed that they block off part of the trails as the area was very muddy due to a large terrain of showers yesterday which affected the area but there were lots of alternatives to reroute and continue on your route.
The site has two entrances through its parking lot North and South and it’s free to park and used the site. I personally like to come through the south parking lot as it borders Lake Ontario and it’s right beside the farm as well, so the scenery is a lot more beautiful in my opinion and many times you get to see the farm’s animals such as goats. I also find fewer cars in that lot too, making it easier to find a spot.
Some of the other neat things to explore on-site is the wildlife as there are many birds, insects, snakes, and mammals ranging from chipmunks and squirrels to deer. I personally got to see a few chipmunks this time around, but seen birds in the past feeding off people’s hands as they bring food for them. Found that pretty cool and neat, also I have seen snakes, which aren’t my favorites but thankfully never really interacted with them on a one-on-one basics.
If you’re a first-timer in the area, I would suggest accessing trail 1 out of it’s 5 trails as it borders the shoreline, and this way you get to witness such magnificent views and dip in the water on a hot summer day like it was yesterday if choose to do so. I was close to doing it but didn’t have extra clothing on me to change, perhaps next time for sure! I did touched the water with my hands though and it felt so warm and nice; again just perfect enough to dip in and refresh from all of that hike. Lastly, The trails break down according to CRCA Legend as: Trail 1 (2.97 km), Trail 2 (1.99 km), Trail 3 (.06 km), Trail 4 (1.42km), Trail 5 (2.89 km) bike accessible. Which one of the trails do you feel more incline to do?
Overall, it was a great hike, exercise and a really fun and refreshing experience. Definitely going to try to go back another time before fall hits.