RBG Hendrie Valley Sanctuary — Attraction in Burlington

Beautiful and peaceful trail system. There are lots of boardwalks overlooking amazing landscapes, with lots of wildlife to observe. The trails are well maintained with plenty of educational signs with great information about the local wildlife, habitat, and rehabilitation efforts of the area.

There are also signs everywhere that clearly state to not feed the wildlife, so as not to get the wildlife habituated to human contact, as they can become dependent on them for food, and also begin to act aggressively towards them. However, nearly everyone there was ignoring the signs and had come prepared to feed the animals as they had clearly brought seeds and other food specifically for the animals. It's apparent that the animals were conditioned to be fed by humans as chipmunks were constantly running TOWARDS us as we approached on the trails, almost stepping on some as we passed by.

The trails themselves are free to access, but you may need to pay for parking, depending on where you enter. The trails can also be used to travel between some of the various gardens of the Royal Botanical Gardens (Rock Garden, Laking Garden, and Hendrie Park/RBG Centre), and you can make a full day of visiting multiple gardens and hiking between them.

Overall, it's a fantastic place to visit where you can enjoy nature and...

Beautiful hike this morning in the eastern areas of Hendrie Valley. Pedestrian access is available off Unsworth Avenue, which can be reached through Hidden Valley Park. The trail leading into the RBG, Creek Side Walk, follows Grindstone Creek. There are plenty of different wildflowers in bloom at this time. Although we are not birders, the magic of the internet (thanks Merlin Bird app!) gave us an idea of how many different birds were calling around us. The app suggested we were hearing Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red-winged Blackbirds, as well as birds less familiar to us like a Kingfisher, Grosbeak, and a Northern Flicker. You will faintly hear the highway noise, but it is generally quiet enough that birdsong and the sounds of the flowing creek make for a peaceful soundscape. Dogs are permitted on RBG trails, but please keep them leashed for their safety and to protect wildlife in the park. We are so fortunate to have the RBG spaces in Burlington...

Hendrie valley is a beautiful hiking spot at all times of the year and is also a great place for wildlife. I have been here twice and so far I have seen: 2 Muskrat 2 Swans Lots of Canadian geese, mallard ducks, robins, blue jays, chickadees, squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks, etc. And a great blue heron.

There is enough stuff to do for about three hours and many things to photograph, the long boardwalk gives panoramic views of the surrounding marshland and the scenic trails bring you into the hills to see the marshes from above. The trails have many wild creatures and you might even see the rare trillium (Ontario's provincial flower). And you can even feed many birds and mammals from your hand if you bring seeds or nuts (when I went multiple chickadees flew right up to my hand).

I definitely recommend coming here more than once and while there are no washrooms or food stands, parking...