Thousand Islands-Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve
Some info about the area is needed as Rock Dunder is located within the Thousand Islands-Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve. As I did not know much about the geography of the region, I did some googling :)
Thousand Islands-Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve "is situated in south-eastern Ontario at the intersection of terrestrial and riverine ecosystems, the Frontenac Arch and the Saint Lawrence River". It is one of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve sites in Canada.
(http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?code=CAN+12&mode=all).
(http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?code=CAN+12&mode=all).
*1
*2
More info about Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve can be found at:
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/1000/decouvrir-discover/natcul5 (There are 12 other Biosphere Reserves in Canada)
http://www.frontenacarchbiosphere.ca/
http://www.frontenacarchbiosphere.ca/
http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?code=CAN+12&mode=all
*1 Picture from http://www.thousandislandslife.com/BackIssues/Archive/tabid/393/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/395/National-Geographic-Presents-Award.aspx *2 Picture from http://www.frontenacarchbiosphere.ca/about-us/where-is-the-frontenac-arch
*1 Picture from http://www.thousandislandslife.com/BackIssues/Archive/tabid/393/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/395/National-Geographic-Presents-Award.aspx *2 Picture from http://www.frontenacarchbiosphere.ca/about-us/where-is-the-frontenac-arch
Rock Dunder
And Rock Dunder is part of this Biosphere Reserve. Rock Dunder is a Wilderness area of 230 acres. Its story is quite interesting. It was previously used for 40 years as "a wilderness camp for the Boy Scouts". After Scouts Canada decided to sell the property in 2006, the Rideau Waterway Land Trust (RWLT) buys the area and opens it to the public.
Rock Dunder rises "275 feet above Morton Bay, with trails leading to one of the highest points of land in the area". There are two trails, Morton Bay Loop and the Summit Loop. We have walked the Summit Loop, which is around 5.2 km and have several steep sections, thus some hiking and climbing are necessary. The view from the top of the trail is breathtaking, overlooking both the lakes and the forests around. So, it deserves all the walking and climbing.
But, don't forget to bring lots of water with you. We also prepared some food beforehand to eat at the peak, like a picnic. You need to bring your own food because there are no places to buy them around. It is basically in the middle of the wilderness. I would recommend you not to go on a very hot day. Water, sunscreen, bug repeller spray, sunglasses and comfortable shoes are the must! :) (If you are afraid of bugs, you should wear long trousers etc).
But, don't forget to bring lots of water with you. We also prepared some food beforehand to eat at the peak, like a picnic. You need to bring your own food because there are no places to buy them around. It is basically in the middle of the wilderness. I would recommend you not to go on a very hot day. Water, sunscreen, bug repeller spray, sunglasses and comfortable shoes are the must! :) (If you are afraid of bugs, you should wear long trousers etc).
I loved the fact that it is owned by a Trust (a non-profit, non-governmental organization) whose aim is to protect the land from 'harmful uses' for the profit of the public. According to their website, the trust has 19 properties like Rock Dunder. Basically, trusts like RWLT protect the lands for the public for them to make use of it for recreational purposes. This way, lands are protected from misusage of any party.
We went to Rock Dunder in May (to be exact 10th May 2017). It took around 40mins from Kingston by car. As far as I understand there are also tours going to Rock Dunder. But the best way would be to go by car. There are parking spots in the entrance of the trail (It costs 10$ per car). The area is open only from May 15th to November 15th.
As you can see in the picture, the area is beautiful. While we were walking, I realized how much I missed swimming in the sea:)
The day was excellent, and my hair was so big and fluffy :)
The day was excellent, and my hair was so big and fluffy :)
For more information about Rock Dunder:
http://www.rwlt.org/community-lands/ (The Trust has also other properties, and they also offer a beautiful rental a cottage on Bull's Eye Lake)
Rivers around Rock Dunder:
As it can be seen on the map, the area is full of lakes, rivers and wilderness areas. The main rivers in the area are Rideau River, St.Lawrence River, Gananoque River and Cataraqui River. Rideau River "runs from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at Rideau Falls in Ottawa". Cataraqui River "forms the lower portion of the Rideau Canal and drains into Lake Ontario at Kingston". The Rideau Canal allows travel from Ottawa to Kingston,. The Rideau Canal "was formed by joining the Rideau River with the Cataraqui River" and it was opened in 1832.
The Saint Lawrence River connects "the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean and forming the primary drainage outflow of the Great Lakes Basin. It traverses the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and is part of the international boundary between Ontario, Canada, and the U.S. state of New York". "Gananoque River is a river in Leeds and Grenville United Counties in Eastern Ontario, and is a left tributary of the Saint Lawrence River".
As there are so many rivers and lakes in Canada and in this region, it is very common for people to swim in lakes. I have to say that the idea of swimming in a lake was not familiar to me and it sounded weird when I first heard that several years ago (as when you use the term 'swimming' in Turkey, it is mostly either in the "sea" or in a swimming pool:) ). But, I understood the beauty of swimming in the lake after I swam in one of the Canadian lakes last year. It is quite normal and common to swim in one of them considering Canada has thousands of lakes in all its regions.
As there are so many rivers and lakes in Canada and in this region, it is very common for people to swim in lakes. I have to say that the idea of swimming in a lake was not familiar to me and it sounded weird when I first heard that several years ago (as when you use the term 'swimming' in Turkey, it is mostly either in the "sea" or in a swimming pool:) ). But, I understood the beauty of swimming in the lake after I swam in one of the Canadian lakes last year. It is quite normal and common to swim in one of them considering Canada has thousands of lakes in all its regions.
More info about Rivers around Rock Dunder and Kingston:
Camili Biosphere in Turkey:
While I was searching for UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, I found out that there is also one reserve in Turkey. It is the Camili located in the Macahel Region in the East of Northsea. I think there are tours going to the region and also there are houses for rent. It is part of the beautiful North Sea region, so another trip to Northsea is in the wishlist :) Camili has an interesting history and story of its own that requires a different blogpost :)
More info about Camili:
