Rock Dunder

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Situated in the UNESCO protected Thousand Islands Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, Rock Dunder is a great location for a short hike, and the ideal spot to introduce your children to the sport. A former Boy Scout wilderness camp for 40 years, it has been managed by the Rideau Waterway Land Trust since the Spring of 2006, and maintained by volunteers from the Rideau Trail Association.

Breathtaking views of area woodlands and waterways are available from the summit of Rock Dunder – rising more than 90m from the surface of Morton Bay. Attaining the summit involves a moderate hike, with short strenuous stretches, along well-marked trails which pass through mature forests and along rocky shorelines.

The trails have a rugged, wild feel about them once you are past the first of two rest cabins, and offer an excellent look at everything the Canadian Shield has to offer, before giving way to the lowlands of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The trails trace two loops for a total of 6km and are easily hiked in an afternoon. Two refurbished cabins offer shelter and are ideal rest stops; however, camping is prohibited.

The trailhead is accessible off Highway 15, between Kingston and Smiths Falls, just south of Morton. Follow Stanley Lash Lane north from Hwy 15 to the gravel parking lot at the top of the hill.

The trails lie just off the Rideau Canal Paddling Route, as well, not far from the Jones Falls lock station and its wondrous dam – once North America's tallest when it was first constructed in 1831 – and are therefore also accessible by water.

Cabin 1 Trail

Easy 1.3 km walk past a beaver pond, through mixed forest and a white pine plantation.

Morton Bay Loop

Two moderately steep sections to and from a small peninsular outlook over Morton Bay. The hike is 2km through mixed forest.

Summit Loop

A 3.9km climb which runs alongside Dean's Island through a variety of forest, offering sneak peaks over rocky cliffs. The summit is a lichen-covered palteau with a panoramic view of the Rideau Waterway.