Tory Hill: Railway History, Trails and Paddling Route

Around Tory Hill, traces of the railway meet trails through former fields and a paddling route that includes a lakeshore and a stretch of river. The village developed around the railway: train service through Tory Hill ran from 1893 to 1960, three times a week. Trails, Wilbermere Lake and a glassblowing studio offer different ways to discover the area. You can shape your vacation days around history, outdoor activities or craftsmanship.

Railway Traces and Trails

The IB & O Rail Trail was once part of the Irondale, Bancroft & Ottawa railway line. Today, the trail is 5.5 km long, relatively flat and suitable for hiking or cycling. It is also used by motorized recreational vehicles and horses. If you’re planning an outing on foot or by bike, take this shared use into account when choosing your route.

The area’s mineral deposits are also part of its history: Over the past hundred years, they have been worked for phosphate (apatite), which was used as fertilizer, as well as for mineral specimens. This adds another connection to the use of local resources to the railway and trail history.

Homesteader Trail and Rest Stops

The name Homesteader Trail Loop recalls the pioneers who tried to farm in this part of the Canadian Shield. Along the Homesteader Trail, you can discover long, abandoned and overgrown fields, as well as old stone walls. Those who enjoy incorporating traces of earlier land use into a hike will find concrete points of interest in the area’s history alongside the trail itself.

The Homesteader Trail trailhead in Tory Hill Park has free parking, a picnic area, a playground and portable toilets. These practical amenities make the trailhead a convenient place to stop outdoors. In Tory Hill, there is also a park on the IB & O Rail Trail with picnic tables, play equipment, a toilet and ample parking.

Paddling on Wilbermere Lake

The Wilbermere Lake Paddle Route runs for about 4.5 km along the shore of Wilbermere Lake. It includes a detour upstream to a beaver dam, then continues downstream on the Irondale River to the bridge at the 45th parallel. The detour and the subsequent stretch of river make the route a sequence of lakeshore, dam and river. Near its final section, it passes a swimming beach with a dock.

Wilbermere Lake Beach is a sandy beach with docks and portable toilets. Together with the paddling route described above, the lake offers different ways to enjoy the water: you can make a trip on the water the main focus, or visit the beach as a destination in its own right.

Glassblowing in Tory Hill

Artech Glassblowing Studios is a traditional glassblowing studio. It makes tableware from recycled glass and handcrafted barware. Artech offers tours and glassblowing classes; visits to the studio can be arranged by appointment. For travelers who want to include craftsmanship in their vacation plans alongside trails and water, it’s another way to discover Tory Hill.

More local pages: Cardiff, Highland Grove, Oxtongue Lake, Minden, Harcourt, Carnarvon and Haliburton.

Back to the regional travel overview: Haliburton County.