New Routes: Dufferin County Outdoor Recreation Plan

Refresh | Regrow | Recreate

This year, the County of Dufferin is embarking on an extensive public consultation of the Recreational Use Policy for the Dufferin County Forest. The goal is to have a broader Recreation Plan for both the County Forest and the County-owned Rail Trail, with consideration for the best ways to use these spaces as well as what services and facilities (signs, parking lots, electric vehicle charging stations, portable toilets, picnic shelters, interpretive features, public and volunteer engagement) to implement in the future.

For now, we are looking for your great ideas! What does your ideal County Forest look like? When you picture the Rail Trail, what do you see?

Dufferin County Forest

The Dufferin County Forest consists of fourteen tracts that together form a 1,066 hectare (2,636 acre) forested area owned and managed by the County of Dufferin. The Forest serves important functions in terms of erosion and water control, natural heritage protection, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and support of the rural economy through timber production and employment opportunities. A Recreational Use Policy/By-Law [link] for the County Forest was passed in 2017. Several amendments have been made to the policy/by-law since then, most of them minor in nature. This is the first full-scale public review of the policy/by-law. Some of the broader items, such as signs and infrastructure, are discussed in the Five-Year Operating Plan and Twenty-Year Management Plan for the Forest.

A map of the County Forest tracts within Dufferin County.

Dufferin County Rail Trail

The Dufferin County Rail Trail is the 38.1 km Dufferin portion of the former rail corridor running from Orangeville, through Amaranth, Shelburne and Melancthon, to Dundalk. There are currently use agreements in place with the local ATV and snowmobile clubs for the trail. There are no other documents related to use or management of the Rail Trail.

A map of the Rail Trail within Dufferin County.

Public Consultation

Share your ideas and answer a quick survey at www.JoinInDufferin.com/RecreationPlan to help this process get started. You can also comment and vote on ideas that have already been submitted.

Your input will be used to produce a draft recreation plan that will be subject to public review and more specific feedback.

Ideas are due by April 22, 2022.

To submit your ideas by mail or email, and for more information, contact the County Forest Manager at 519-941-1114 x 4011 or c/o Museum of Dufferin, 936029 Airport Road, Mulmur, ON   L9V 0L3.