The time has finally come where I can write about my visit to Mount Nemo in Burlington. I made my way to this conservation area on the Monday of the Victoria Day long weekend. I was greeted with blue skies, fully bloomed trees, views of the Niagara Escarpment and a line-up of cars awaiting entrance. We paid the entrance fee of $7.00 a person and made our way to the little bit of a nightmare parking lot. This is a crammed area and they were really ensuring they could squeeze as many people as possible into this little lot. Thank goodness we drive a compact vehicle and could maneuver the area. After finally finding a spot, we grabbed our water, map and granola bars; preparing for our first big hike of the season.

 

This is a well-groomed area with an easy terrain, if you are looking for a spot for first time hikers, or a trail to take the kids; Mount Nemo is the place for you. The majority of the hike was spent on wide, worn down dirt trails, which are perfect for those with dogs or kids.

 

 

Once you pass the popular lookout point, the terrain becomes more rocky but still very easy to manage with the right footwear. Mount Nemo has 5 km of trails, which are mostly loops that take you back on the main trail. Everything is very well marked, with regular signage advising of your current location as well as where you should be headed.

 

After spending the day here, I can confidently say that I will probably never be back. I know, that mine will be an unpopular opinion but I honestly didn’t really understand what all of the hype was about. As pretty as some of the views were and how nice the area was, I didn’t really feel like it was:

1.) Worth the $7.00 per person entrance fee: This means for two people it was $14.00 for a hike that we finished in two hours.

2.) A unique hiking experience; as far as Niagara escarpment hiking, this was pretty meh.

3.) Situated to my hiking experience: Perhaps the reason I didn’t come away amazed is   because I am no longer a beginner hiker and ready for more of a challenging trail.

 

While I will never return I am glad that I finally went to Mount Nemo, it was a beautiful day and I am happy to spend time outdoors…and really, after the long winter we had there isn’t much to complain about now that the weather is warmer. As we head into another summer, I am already busy planning my next adventure, as we all should because good weather really is a blessing. This is officially the first item checked off of my summer bucket list and I am ready for more!