I highly suggest that everyone visit Crawford Lake at least once in their life, for it is a unique meromictic lake. A meromictic lake is a body of water where the layers of water don’t mix. Scientists can use pollen analysis to reconstruct the area’s history over hundreds of years.
Parking at Crawford Lake
There are three parking spots, each within walking distance of the start of the four remaining hiking trails.
Trails at Crawford Lake
At this park, there are four hiking trails. The Nassagaweya Canyon Trail (Orange) comes in from Rattlesnake Park, away from where the parking is. It connects to the Escarpment Trail (Yellow), which, although not rated on the trail map, I would suggest as level 2 based on its criteria.
The shortest is the Crawford Lake Trail (Blue), which would receive a level 1 rating for difficulty. It wraps around Crawford Lake. If anything, walking around the lake on the boardwalk is peaceful, making it ideal for families with strollers.
Next is the Woodland Trail (Red), also a 1, and is a nice short walk for families with small children or pets with short legs. On this trail, kids love to point out all the woodland carvings they see of animals within the park. It’s also a leisurely winter walk when you want some fresh air and the little ones feel cooped up. Many locals also love coming to this trail for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
Next is the Escarpment Trail (Yellow), and I would rate it a 1.5- 2 in difficulty as it is slightly longer than 2 km. This trail has one nice lookout point but is rockier and steep, particularly up to the lookout. The steepness means it will be icier in the winter, something to keep in mind if you venture out during the coldest season. Part of it also crosses over to the Woodland Trail.
Lastly is the Pine Ridge Trail (Green), rated a 2. To reach this trail, ideally, you would head along the Woodland Trail and continue to loop back around to return by the Woodland Trail. It’s a great hike to spot some birds and woodland creatures; you may even get lucky and spot a dear!
