Marble Woodlands

Marble Woodlands is a 200-acre property owned by MMLT in central Lanark County, in the town of Mississippi Mills. The name “Marble Woodlands” is derived from its marble bedrock, which accounts for the unique diversity of ecosystems throughout the property. The main trail loop takes visitors through the key features of the property, including large rock outcrops, wetlands, giant spruce trees, and more.

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Site Details

Total area: 200 acres

Address: Concession 4A. Mississippi Mills, ON, K0A 1A0. For a more exact location, please see this Google Map link.

Parking: Please park in the parking lot on the property and not on the road.

Total Length of Trails: 3.7 km marked trail.

Terrain/Accessibility: The main trail forms a loop that is predominantly flat except for a few gradual inclines. You will be guided through the property’s notable features, including open fields and meadows, marble outcrops, an impressive cedar swamp, and towering trees such as spruce and bur oak.

Dogs: Permitted. Must be kept on a leash and pet waste picked up and removed.

iNaturalist: MMLT encourages you to submit your plant and wildlife observations at Marble Woodlands to iNaturalist.

History

Within the northern portion of the Marble Woodlands property is the historical location of a farm. There is also evidence of historical logging throughout many of the forested areas, which includes old stumps and the general structure of the forests. These areas of the property, along with other spots that have seen human interaction, are now in a state of regeneration.

The Noyes-Brown family purchased this property in 1980. In 2021, they generously donated the land to MMLT so it could be protected in perpetuity. Their awareness of the need to combat climate change and maintain biodiversity was coupled with the desire to give something back to the community, a place to be enjoyed by the public for hiking and nature experiences.

Nature Highlights

The shallow alkaline soil underlain by marble bedrock allows for rare species of plants to grow on the property. This means that Marble Woodlands has many unique ecosystems.

Marble Woodlands is a mosaic of upland and wetland communities, including deciduous, mixed, and coniferous forest, deciduous and coniferous swamp, thicket swamp and marsh. There are also a few anthropogenic communities, including a hayfield, old-field meadow, and scattered regenerating cultural thickets/open woodland that add to the diversity and available wildlife habitat.

Over 250 species of plants, 20 species of insects, 4 species of reptiles and amphibians, 20 species of birds, and 7 species of mammals were identified during the initial property assessment. Several have been identified as at-risk or of special interest.

Marble Woodlands is full of wildlife and plants. On one spring afternoon in 2023, 60 species of birds were recorded!