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Pelee Island
Things to do in Pelee Island
Stone Road Alvar Nature Reserve
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Stone Road Alvar Nature Reserve

See all things to do
See all things to do
Stone Road Alvar Nature Reserve
3.5
7 reviews
#8 of 20 things to do in Pelee Island
Nature & Wildlife Areas • Geologic Formations
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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3.5
7 reviews
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3
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The Wando
Pelee Island, Canada14 contributions
Wandering in the woods
Sep. 2021
The Stone Road Alvar has a trail that connects Cooper Road to Stone Road and brings you out to various secluded shale beaches. Multiple trails cut through the 105 acre property. Leave your bike at the end of Stone Road and start wandering!

Mostly flat, some sections can be wet in spring. No bathrooms on site. No admission fee,
Written April 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
ruthnicholsonue
Waterdown, Canada82 contributions
Water Too High Last few Years
Sep. 2019
I've visited this location the past 3 summers and basically you cannot see the stone slabs anymore. They are under the water. There is a thick area of grasses and sand that you get across and you can see the water, but not the stone formations. If the water level of Lake Erie goes down, it will appear again.
Written November 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
weary684
Mississauga, Canada37 contributions
A pleasant hike
Sep. 2017 • Couples
I enjoyed hiking here. In September the bugs were not bothering me but you could certainly hear them in the surrounding bushes. I particularly enjoyed the beach area and saw the limestone. Knowing this is a part of Pelee Island history made this enjoyable.
Written October 3, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Amber B
London, Canada15 contributions
Cool to walk to the far south of Canada. Also pretty.
Aug. 2017 • Couples
Easy and pretty walk along the beach to as far south in Canada as you can go. Lovely to do. Watched some newly hatched snapping turtles walk to the water. Cool.
Written August 25, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Melanie O
Woodstock, Canada31 contributions
bring your bug spray
Jul. 2017 • Family
when we asked at the museum about this one, we were told most of the place is under water with the lake levels being so high, so we weren't going to try it. We had an afternoon with nothing planned so off we went. It looks more like an ATV trail, so right of rough and overgrown (there are 2 entrances to this, and I think we took the longer one). The sand flies are really bad on this side of the island, but the hike itself was good and it was interesting to see the rock formations. Lots of little blue butterflies, but no snakes or anything for us. Still a nice walk and got us out and about for a bit. I'm glad we went even though most of the stuff is under water now. Oh, also saw some rare plants too, so that was a bonus
Written July 31, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
saleenadam
Katy, TX164 contributions
Best place to visit on Pelee Island
Aug. 2016 • Friends
I visit Pelee Island yearly with a primary focus of photographing snakes and amphibians. Stone Road Alvar is the place where I spend the vast majority of the time on each trip. Every snake species on Pelee Island can be found in the Stone Road Alvar area along with plenty of other wildlife. If you are a lover of the outdoors or wildlife this is a must visit area.

There are a couple of distinct areas within the Stone Road Alvar complex to discuss. First, as you go along Stone Road there are a couple entrances to foot trails one of which is signed. The entrances are typically overgrown and not very obvious, you can park on the side of the road if driving this is not a high traffic area. The foot trails go off into a semi wooded area all growing on top of limestone (called an Alvar, hence the name) and a good spot to see some wildlife. This type of bedrock provides ideal habitat for the Blue Racer.

The second distinct area here is the shoreline of Lake Erie which is unlike any other portion of Pelee Island. If you take Stone Road down to the end there is a small U-shaped parking area with room for a couple vehicles. There is typically a pretty obvious trail just outside the parking area that will take you into the woods and over to the shore (at times this is very overgrown). Alternatively walk out of the parking area and go to the left directly over to the shore. The shoreline here is filled with glacial grooves and limestone pieces stacked on top of each other. Tread lightly because most of the pieces of limestone have snakes hiding underneath them. Snakes are incredibly common here it is easy to see hundreds basking in the sun among the rocks when the weather is agreeable while only walking half a mile. The width of the shoreline varies depending on Lake Eries depth i've seen it 50 feet wide and at other times nonexistent.

A forewarning is that biting black flies may be incredibly bad here depending on the weather any given day. Bring along bug proof clothing so that you can survive them if it's a bad day.
Written August 27, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
cailin8888
Mount Forest, Canada65 contributions
Disappointed
May 2016 • Couples
we expected a trail with information, but as far as we could see it was just a region marked with a sign that you could walk around....unless we missed something here....
Written June 1, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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STONE ROAD ALVAR NATURE RESERVE (Pelee Island) - 2023 What to Know BEFORE You Go

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