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The rugged shores and brilliant water of Indian Head Cove on Georgian Bay. -- Photo by Phil Raby

"Come on Mommy! Come on Daddy! Follow me!"

That was Mady, our rambunctious, almost three-year old as she began running full tilt down a hiking trail in the Cyprus Lake area of Ontario's Bruce Peninsula National Park.

Hiking with small children could be a recipe for disaster, but we weren't worried as we tried to keep up with our little Dora the Explorer while she kicked up a dust storm. We had been assured the trail we were taking was not only kid-friendly, but also very forgiving to those who rarely get their hiking boots muddy.

Our plan was to take the Georgian Bay Trail to the Bruce Trail in search of the Georgian Bay shoreline, and then re-trace our steps. Just two kilometres in total.

Ethan Meleg, media relations for the Bruce Peninsula National Park, assured us we could do it in two and half hours as he explained the route we should take. But we weren't so sure as we watched Mady twisting and turning around our legs in impatience.

"The scenery is at its finest at the shoreline. You'll see old-growth trees, some that are over 1,000 years old clinging to the cliffs," Meleg said, convincing us that we should try our best to get down there. There's also a grotto that we would have fun finding.

"September and October are the best times to hike up here." he promised. "There are a lot less hikers around and fewer bugs."

Meleg also explained that this is the last big chunk of wilderness in southern Ontario, harbouring 900 species of plants, including 40 species of wild orchids. There is also a plethora of wildlife including foxes, black bears and the endangered Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake.

Our ears perked up at the sound of bears and rattlesnakes, but he quickly put our fears to rest by saying that it would be highly unlikely to run into either of these creatures on our trek and that they do their best to stay away from noisy humans. Well, we're pretty boisterous, so no problems there.

It's 2:30 p.m., we've got our hats, sunscreen on, snacks and lots of water. We set off determined to reach the shoreline, even if it takes us the rest of the day.

From the parking lot, which is the last chance to use a washroom until getting to the shoreline, we follow the Head of Trails path.

Not too far into our adventure, we walked off the trail to look at a quiet section of Cyprus Lake. Mady tossed some stones in the tranquil water, which reflected the surroundings as clearly as a polished mirror. Little fish attracted to the movement gathered at the water's edge, playing a game of hide and seek around the water reeds.

We made our way back to the trail and walked over a bridge that divides Cyprus Lake from the much smaller Horse Lake. From there we were in the thick of things as we found ourselves now on the Georgian Bay Trail.

The trail is wide and well used, bordered by long logs and stones that are just perfect for kids to practice their jumping skills on.

Two families cross paths on the Georgian Bay Trail. -- Photo by Phil Raby

The trees -- cedars, balsam firs and pine -- swayed silently in the late summer breeze, throwing intrinsic shadows on the ground. Chipmunks scurried ahead of us like little flashes of brown fluff, and in the not-too-far distance, red squirrels were scurrying up trees.

Unfortunately, we saw a bit of garbage strewn about and my husband, Phil, wondered what type of person would throw out their water bottles or candy wrappers while on a nature walk.

Suddenly, he puts out an arm to stop Mady and I from moving ahead. He had spotted something moving about 20 metres ahead off the trail. Whatever it was, it was much, much bigger than a chipmunk and it was lumbering slowly in the bush.

The word bear leapt into my mind. We stood quietly for what felt like an eternity, squinting at the slow-moving form trying to figure out exactly what it was. We finally made out the human form of a park employee picking up garbage. We laughed at ourselves and sheepishly said hello to the young man as we passed him.

"I'm tired. I don't wanna go."

The still, crystal clear waters of Cyprus Lake. -- Photo by Phil Raby

At this point we had been walking for over 30 minutes and Mady was starting to show it.

Daddy swung her up on his shoulders and off we went again. We ran into another family with a small baby walking in the opposite direction and asked how far away the shoreline was. Their answer told us we were close by, and within a few minutes of walking, we heard the sound of crashing waves.

A sign points to Halfway Rock Point and here we have our first encounter with the awesome scenery Ethan promised. The mountainous terrain juts out fiercely, but is softened by the sparkling water of an undefined blue hue that splashes about ceaselessly.

We now understand the reason behind the signs that we've passed along the trail warning visitors not to jump off the cliffs. The water is so inviting it's not hard to imagine hot hikers jumping in for a cool dip after a long walk, but that practice has led to terrible consequences in the past, including death.

Mady was back to walking again, which is good because once we passed a resting area with a picnic table, the wide, easy to manage trail suddenly became a very rocky and rugged path.

The Grotto, a natural cave carved out by the waters of Georgian Bay. -- Photo by Phil Raby

Within a minute, we reached Indian Head Cove where the magnificent sight of Georgian Bay opened up to us. It was breathtaking. It's the perfect spot for swimming and sunbathing, but we wanted to find the Grotto. We start doing our best imitation of mountain goats as we climbed over huge boulders and jumped down on big rocks, much to Mady's delight. We were lost after a bit and wondered if we should give up finding this cave, but then we suddenly saw it.

We sat and watched the waves washing into the Grotto, repeating the same incessant motion it has for centuries, slowly hollowing out the dolomite rock into the form of a cave.

Okay, it's time to get back. Mady was really tired now so Daddy and I shared carrying duties on the return trip. On the way back, our tired child reached out from our shoulders to touch the leaves from the branches that bend over the trail.

"Bye-bye trees," she whispered.

The peaceful and shady trails of Bruce Peninsula national park. -- Photo by Phil Raby

For more information:

- Bruce Peninsula National Park
- Bruce County Tourism

Travel writer A.P. Rodrigues can be contacted through R + R Creative