Scenic hiking trails are always great places to spend a little restorative time in nature, but there's something about forest boardwalks that just turns the dial up on the whole experience. They often feel like secret paths laid out just for you.
That's a feeling you might get at Sifton Bog, a conservation area in London, Ontario that features a nearly 400-metre boardwalk that cuts through a floating acid peat bog before opening onto a floating viewing area at Redmond's Pond.
This place was basically made for Instagram. It's almost impossible to take a bad photo here, as the burnt sienna walkway cuts through the lush green forest. Make a trip in the early morning and no matter what camera you use, you'll have some keepers.
From a geological standpoint, Sifton Bog is a fascinating area. The origins of peat here go back roughly 10,000 years when it started to form in low oxygen conditions following the retreat of glacial ice.
Another cool feature of the bog is the range of plants that grow here. As Ontario Trails explains, "since the bog is surrounded by woods with Carolinian affinities, one can experience in a 10 minute walk changes in vegetation that could normally take a journey of several hundred kilometres."
There are a variety of other trails on the 40-hectare site as well, most of which wind through the mature forest and offer plenty of opportunities to view wildlife. You can easily spend a full afternoon exploring this unique landscape.
Admission to Sifton Bog is free. The main parking lot is found at 1210 Oxford St. West, which is actually within the city limits of London. Once you start walking toward the bog, however, you'll completely forget about the neighbouring urban area.
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