CANCELLED DUE TO FREEZING RAIN WARNING
Nature Walk for Health - Health Valley Trail Out and Back
Spending time in nature: Improves your memory. Memory and focus improve significantly after a short nature walk compared to a walk on a city street.
Increasing outdoor time for your health is so well proven, that nature is being adopted worldwide as a health intervention and in Canada, healthcare providers can even write you a prescription for it, with BC Parks Foundation's PaRx program. Nature is becoming the fourth pillar of health just as important for staying healthy as good nutrition, regular exercise and sleep.
Whether or not you have a PaRx Nature prescription, we can help. Here's how:
Our Walk March 4th, 2025 - You must register online to join this walk.
Meet at the J.A. Pollock Trailway on Shirley Drive, directly across from BMW Grand River in Kitchener by 9:05 AM for a 9:15 AM departure to the trailhead. Google map of carpool location - https://maps.app.goo.gl/cEs9pviTTNg7LbkT6
The trailhead is the free parking lot behind and east of the St. Jacob's firehall, at 3 Water St. See bottom of this posting for directions to trailhead.
We'll follow the trail from there and walk under the highway 85 bridge, where the Health Valley Trail is joined by the Avon Trail. The Health Valley and Avon Trails follow the Conestogo River until about Km 3.6. Depending on trail conditions we'll try to walk as far as Km. 3.5 to reach the Wise Old Oak, which would make this a 7 Km out and back hike.
The trail is well marked with "HVT" signs as well as the white blazes of the Avon Trail. There are some intersecting trails which come back to the HVT/Avon Trail. The trail is mainly flat, and we may see some interesting wildlife. On previous hikes there I've often seen Kingfishers.
Dress for the weather. Winter footwear or hiking boots are required. Crampons, aka icers and hiking poles are recommended. Bring snacks and water. Lunch in St. Jacobs post walk is a possibility.
Distance: 7 Km. Difficulty: 2. Pace: 3 - 4 Km/hr. Walk leader: Ron - ronaldcherry002@gmail.com
Let the walk leader know if you will join the walk at the trailhead.
For a trail map, Google map directions to the trailhead and photos, go to https://guelphhiking.com/Self-Guided-Health-Valley-Trail
