Goodwood Marsh Nature Trail

Having just posted about the Beckwith Trail and about the fact that I hadn't visited any parts other than the McGregor section, I decided to visit the Goodwood Marsh nature Trail several days later.

I don't know if it is technically part of the same trail, but it is in Beckwith Township, and it does seem that one can more or less connect from one section to the next.

The official entrance is to the west of the Township Arena: go to the end of the tarmac and turn left. You will soon see this sign.

The gate to the actual trail begins a little way past the entrance sign.

We all know that marsh equals mosquitoes, but it was cool enough that morning that I thought they might not be swarming. Besides, because it was cool, I was pretty well covered except for hands and face, so they shouldn't bother me too much. I was both right and wrong. I was well covered, but the skitters were active enough despite the somewhat low [for June] temperatures. As long as I kept walking I wasn't bothered much, but whenever I stopped to take a picture there was buzzing all about.

I had hoped to see flowers, but I was disappointed. I saw these two patches of fleabane (erigeron) fairly near the entrance, but there was virtually nothing afterward. Maybe a different season would bring different results.

Befitting a marsh, I did see a lot of standing water.

But the whole place isn't marshy, and much of the trail looked like this.

Let's face it: kilometre after kilometre of this sort of view soon becomes monotonous, and it's a pretty long trudge around the whole loop.

I was beginning to wonder where the trail would come out. I didn't recall seeing evidence of a loopback when I entered, and I was fervently hoping and trusting that I wouldn't have to turn around and walk back along what seemed to be a  neverending path by that point.

And then I saw the kids playing soccer, and I rejoiced.

So, I entered the trail to the west of the arena but exited to the east. I was near the parking lot and my car, so I was quite happy about it.

So really, with mosquitoes and all, there isn't much to see except green: lots of green. If you go, you might want to wait until autumn has had its way with the insects. Even then, I suspect that you would see all that you need to see by walking five to ten minutes in and then turning around and walking back out. I don't see much need to walk the whole circuit.

Indeed, others must share that opinion because I was the lone visitor that morning.