On the Trails: May 2025

Spring is bursting to life, and there’s no better time to explore RBG’s breathtaking nature trails! Woodland trails like Bridle, Captain Cootes, Grey Doe, and Ginger Valley are particularly rewarding at this time of year, with the forest floor coming alive with spring ephemerals — including white trilliums, yellow trout lilies, and cutleaf toothwort.

The Anishinaabe Waadiziwin Trail, accessed beside the Arboretum’s Nature Centre, invites visitors to learn about the deep cultural relationships between plants and people. Interpretive signs and audio stations share Indigenous plant knowledge and stories tied to local species. This trail connects to the Arboretum, where visitors will find seasonal highlights such as magnolias, lilacs, and flowering dogwoods in bloom.

Birdwatchers will find RBG a true haven in the spring months. Over 200 species of migratory birds pass through RBG each spring. Join a guided birding program or simply bring your binoculars to witness spectacular sights: flocks of thousands of swallows over Cootes Paradise Marsh and majestic raptors soaring north along the Burlington Heights Ridge. In 2024, Red-winged Blackbirds and Song Sparrows stole the show, thriving among the rejuvenated marshes and meadows.

Keep your eyes peeled for one of the area’s proudest sights: Bald Eagles! A thriving family, including two eaglets and several juveniles, patrols the skies near the Hopkins Woods Special Protection Area. For the best views, visit the Marsh Boardwalk Lookout, the George North Tower via the Arboretum, or take in the sights from the Sassafras Point lookout near Princess Point.

For a unique perspective, launch a canoe at Princess Point or join an RBG paddling program to glide through Cootes Paradise Marsh — a peaceful way to experience the marsh’s vibrant life, but make sure to respect the territories and space of the many nesting birds.

Trail User Notes

• Cootes Paradise – Arboretum Peak Bloom: Please note that during peak bloom season of the flowering tree collections (May 10 to 29, 2025), the Arboretum is subject to adjusted hours and parking. Learn more about visiting the Arboretum.

For Your Safety

• While using our nature trails, please note that all use is at your own risk. Most of our trails are hilly and the trail surfaces are natural soil. Consider your footwear as during winter surfaces can be icy or muddy depending on the weather.
• Please stay on the marked trails to avoid trampling regenerating shrubs and trees or buried roots of understory plants such as trilliums.
• The nature trail system is considered closed during extreme weather event notifications from Environment Canada.
• Mountain bikes/fat bikes are not allowed as our trails are not designed to accommodate these activities.
• Please be aware ticks, including those carrying Lyme Disease, are found throughout the Hamilton/Burlington area and are active at temperatures above 0°C. Protect yourself by staying on marked trails. RBG does not accept ticks for testing. For inquiries regarding ticks, please contact the Region of Halton or City of Hamilton Public Health.