By Kim Zippel –
Escaping the salt, sand & slush doldrums of a city winter is easy in the south end of Peterborough because we are blessed with a public park that offers 150 + acres of unspoiled snow to explore on skis and snowshoes.

A protected natural area, this urban environmental park abounds with wildlife, and the tracks are easy to spot in pristine snow that rarely experiences the tread of human beings. Leaving your dog at home will increase your chance of seeing the many species of birds and mammals that find winter shelter in Harper Park.
Deer trails are very obvious this time of year and rabbit tracks are everywhere. Pileated woodpeckers, barred owl, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and a variety of hawks, birds rarely seen within urban areas, are year round inhabitants. Winter months are also a perfect time to note the diversity of trees in the forested areas, as remarkable bark patterns stand out starkly when the green canopy is absent.
Getting into the park can be a challenge. The closest transit stop is at the base of Harper Road, via the Major Bennet route 12. The walk up Harper Road is not pedestrian friendly and no safe trails connect the park to the Visitor Centre, or other parking areas.
If visiting the park by car, you will find limited parking is available on the road leading to the city’s compost area. A short walk back to Harper Road, and then along the north side of Harper Creek, will lead you to an old farm lane which provides the perfect entry point to the park. This tree lined pathway opens into an expansive meadow that provides a large area for skiers, and a good workout for those on snowshoes. From the meadow, you can head south to investigate the lowlands adjacent to the creek, or head up into the cedar forest behind Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School.

Although difficult to access, Harper Park remains unique in that it is the only public natural area in Peterborough where you can still make your own trail, and get lost doing so, all the while in the midst of a busy residential and commercial area of our city.

For a downloadable map of the park visit www.harperpark.ca
Any way we can change the name of the park to Trudeau or Monsef? 😉
Cute Lloyd! In all seriousness, I have always wanted to dig into the history of the park. From North Monaghan Township files, I did find out that it was indeed a Harper family from England that owned and farmed the original parcel.