Lockhart & Ryan Park Trails, New Minas

Right in the heart of New Minas is a series of walking trails that are great for families to explore.  This is all at the Lockhart & Ryan Memorial Park.

Trail Description

According to the Kings County Trails website, this area contains quite a large system of trails; all very well maintained and easy to follow. 

All trails are interconnecting offering many different routes to explore. 

The main trail skirts the park’s playing fields (soccer and baseball).  

The tree vegetation is mainly hardwood including aspen, oaks and birch, although a few softwoods do exist.  One route takes you along the river bank with views of a large grassy marsh and flood dykes. The trail system begins and ends at a family picnic area with tables and garbage cans.  

A canteen, tennis courts, disc golf, a splash pad and playground are also in the park.  

Our Experience

We decided to try snowshoeing here.

I came armed with a map that I found on the Kings County Trails website.We followed this trail.

We parked beside the tennis courts, and followed the trail around the outskirts of the soccer fields and the baseball diamond.

Once we got directly across from the parking lot and the dugout,

there was a trail that lead into the woods.

We followed this and it connected with the rail trail, which we followed for awhile.

There was orange hunting tape along the route and a path leading back in towards Lockhart & Ryan Park.

We followed this, and ended pack in the park close to the splash pad.

We didn’t completely follow the map that I had brought, but the route was very intuitive, as were just going around the circumference of the park.

Once we got to this final stretch, there was another loop that actually went through the woods, but we were fairly tired by then and just headed back to the car.

This route was 2km and took us 45 minutes in the snow.

On the way back, near the top of the baseball field, I found a sign with a map. I did not see this map on the website and wished I had seen it before we started the trail.

Recommendation

I really like trails through the woods, and had I seen this up-to-date map on the sign, I would have parked at the ball fields (not the tennis courts) and walked counter-clockwise (to the right) and done the loop through the woods instead of going around the soccer fields.

Overall

This is a great trail for families who are just starting out snowshoeing or just have a small amount of time to get outside and need somewhere close by.

The trails are easy for kids, and it’s easy to see your progress, and when the hike will be over!

This is a great hike to do in all seasons, mixing up the trails each time. If you are at Lockhart & Ryan Park for a soccer game, try one of these loops to stretch your legs and get a change of scenery between games.

Enjoy exploring, and remember to stop off at the playground or splash pad when you are finished!

Happy exploring!