Newly opened at McGeachie Conservation Area: half- way between Madoc and Bancroft, there is a newly designated cross-country ski trail. Of course, you can hike or snowshoe, too, depending on the conditions.

The McGeachie Conservation Area, located beside Steenburg Lake, has recently been designated as non-motorized, groomed trail, thanks to the hard work of volunteers and municipalities. Cathy Trimble, Chair of the Hastings Destinations Trail Inc., has been a tremendous force in co-ordinating efforts to “improve non-motorized trails, tourism, health and well-being in the county.” Work on this has been on-going since 2016 and the process has finally come to fruition.

The signage is professional and the trail meanders through a gorgeous, mixed hardwood forest. My husband and I skied the trail in early January; there are some steep inclines and sharp corners, which resulted in a few tumbles, but otherwise, the day was perfect.