Discover Gilmour

There are three main ways to experience Gilmour: nature in the McGeachie Conservation Area, hiking, and the road-based Weslemkoon Lake Trail – North Hastings Scenic Route #8. If you’re looking for a hotel, you can consider whether scenery and wildlife, a hike, or a drive toward Weslemkoon Lake best fits your travel plans. These options differ in both their connection to the landscape and how you get around.

Nature and history at the McGeachie Conservation Area

The McGeachie Conservation Area features a stream, beaver dams, wildlife and extensive wetlands. Together, these features give its natural appeal a distinctive character: the watercourse and dams are as much a part of the landscape as the wetlands and wildlife. There are numerous hiking trails throughout the area. So, in addition to its landscape features, trails within the conservation area offer a separate focus for hikers.

The McGeachie Conservation Area also includes the original homestead, built almost 150 years ago. It adds a historical note to the landscape. Those choosing Gilmour primarily for its natural attractions will also find a connection to local history in the same conservation area. Those more interested in historic places can include the homestead in their travel plans as a specific point of interest.

Distinguishing the road route from the hiking trails

The Weslemkoon Lake Trail – North Hastings Scenic Route #8 runs from Gilmour to Weslemkoon Lake. It is a scenic road route for cars, motorcycles and cyclists. This clearly distinguishes it from the hiking trails in the McGeachie Conservation Area: this route follows the road, while those trails cross the conservation area. If you’d like to explore the area along a route, this distinction is a practical starting point for planning.

Another option on foot is the Hastings Heritage Trail: Brinklow Road to Gilmour. This moderately difficult point-to-point hiking trail ends in Gilmour and is 8.3 miles long. The elevation gain is 669 feet, and the walk takes about 3 to 3.5 hours. The approximate duration helps you estimate how much time to set aside; the moderate difficulty rating adds context to the route details. Check current trail conditions before setting out. For the Scenic Route, it’s also worth checking road conditions and permitted uses before you drive.

Plan accommodation to suit your trip

One distinctive accommodation option in Gilmour is the original homestead, which is rented to the public as a vacation home. It is a vacation home, not a hotel. If you’re considering this option, check the current booking arrangements separately.

Whether you want your trip to focus more on wetlands and wildlife, the history of the homestead, a hike, or the route to Weslemkoon Lake, Gilmour offers different, clearly distinct points of interest. Your choice between a road route, the trails in the conservation area and the named Hastings Heritage Trail depends on which of these options you’d like to include in your stay.

Discover more destinations: Stirling, Quinte West, Coe Hill, Tweed, Maynooth, Belleville, Bancroft, Marmora.

For the broader travel overview: Hastings County.