AJ Wagg Memorial Park

A.J. Wagg Memorial Park “Wagg’s Woods” - Accessibility Trail, Fossil Trail and Escarpment Trails are now open!

September 2, 2021 Update 

The 1/2 km Escarpment Trail is now open at AJ Wagg Memorial Park! This is such a beautiful trail and worth the hike. Please note that the trail dead ends and does not have a loop onto the Alvar Plateau yet but we wanted to have this trail section open for the September long weekend! Temporary signage is in place for the early opening. Please leave the park as you found it and enjoy!

AJ Wagg Memorial Park Trail Map

August 24, 2021 Update

A.J. Wagg Memorial Park (Wagg’s Woods) is now open! The lower section of the 42 acre Mindemoya park includes the new Accessibility Trail approximatley 1/2 km is perfect for those with mobility issues. The Fossil Trail approximately 1/2 km is also open to the public.  The new trail head is on Forest and Thorne Streets. A designated ten car parking lot is on Thorne Street.

Temporary signage and some other temporary measures are up so the park can be enjoyed as summer dwindles and the fall colours begin.

 and Alvar Trail are still under construction. Thank you for your conitnued patience.

Thank you to all the volunteers, personal and business donations coming in for the park. The levelling and installation of the screenings was carried out by James Millette Forestry (JMF). Volunteers worked hard prepping the trail pre and post enhancement stage clearing trails and installing edge protection.

View the new map!

Enhancement work: 

Future plans also include creating a trail system to the upper part above the escarpment on the Alvar plateau which contains approximately 2/3 of the park area.  

In 2020, the Municipality created a Trail Committee comprised of 5 residents and 2 council members.  The new committees initial focus will be the enhancement of A.J. Wagg Memorial Park known as "Wagg's Woods."  Updates will be provided as they become available.  For any other questions please contact Central Manitoulin Community Development/Outreach Coordinator Marcus Mohr at 705-377-5726 or email centralecdev@amtelecom.net

About the Park:

"Wagg's Woods" is a mostly undeveloped 42 acre park area located in Mindemoya, Ontario. The new trail head access point is at the corner of Forest and Thorne Streets. The park has some distinct topographical levels.  The seasonal creek bed running diagonally through the lower portion of the park, that has many fossils to discover. Above that level is an accesibility trail system that runs below the ridge of the escarpment.  The escarpment itself raises up about 95 feet to the top of the canopy and beyond that the alvar plateau!

Fall Colours

The fall of 2021 shows the park bursting with colour as shown in this drone footage video https://youtu.be/QF02ehjq8PM.

Wagg's Woods Plant Species

Species catologued so far:

Herbaceous & other ground vegetation  
agrimonia, hooked Agrimonia gryposepala
aster, calico  Aster lateriflorus
aster, flat-topped Aster umbellatus
aster, panicled  Aster lanceolatus
baneberry, red Actaea rubra
baneberry, white Actaea pachypoda
basil, wild Clinopodium vulgaris
beggar-ticks, nodding Bidens cernua
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
bunchberry  Cornus canadensis
burdock, common  Arctium minus 
buttercup, hooked  Ranunculus recurvatus
buttercup, kidney-leaved Ranunculus abortivus
buttercup, tall Ranunculus acris
cardinal-flower Lobelia cardinalis
cohosh, blue  Caulophyllum thalictroides
coltsfoot  Tussilago farfara
coral-root, striped Corallorhiza striata
dandelion Taraxacum officinale
dogbane, spreading Apocynum androsaemifolium
Dutchman’s breeches  Dicentra cucullaria
elderberry, eastern red Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens
fern, bulblet Cystopteris bulbifera
fern, intermediate wood (Common or Glandular)  Dryopteris intermedia
fern, ostrich  Matteuccia struthiopteris
heal-all (self-heal) Prunella vulgaris
helleborine Epipactus helleborine
hepatica, sharp-lobed  Anemone acutilobia
Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum
jack-in-the-pulpit  Arisaema triphyllum
leeks, wild (scapes)  Allium tricoccum
lettuce, white or wild (white rattlesnake-root) Nabalus albus
lily, trout Erythronium americana
lopseed, slender-spiked Phryma leptostachya
meadow rue, purple (tall)  Thalictrum dasycarpum or T. pubescens
milkweed, common Asclepias syriaca
moonseed vine Menispermum canadense
nightshade, enchanter's Circaea alpina or C. lutetiana
nipplewort Lapsana communis
parsnip, cow   Heracleum lanatum
polypody, rock  Polypodium virginianum
Queen Anne's lace (wild carrot) Daucus carota
rattlesnake-plantain, menzie’s (large western)  Goodyera oblongifolia
solomon’s-seal, false  Maianthemum racemosum
Solomon’s-seal, hairy  Polygonatum pubescens
speedwell, common Veronia officinalis
spring beauty Claytonia caroliniana
squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
St. John's-wort, common Hypericum perforatum
starflower Trientalis  borealis
tansy, common Tanacetum vulgare
toothwort, broad-leaved Cardamine diphylla
toothwort, cut-leaved  Cardamine concatenate
trillium, nodding Trillium cernuum
trillium, white   Trillium grandiflorum
violet, Canada Viola canadensis
violet, dog Viola conspera
violet, wooly blue Viola sororia
violet, yellow forest Viola pubescens
virgin's bowers Clematis virginiana
water-horehound, cut-leaved  Lycopus americanus
water-horehound, tuberous (Northern Bugleweed) Lycopus uniflorus
woodsorrel, common yellow Oxalis stricta
   
Trees & Tall Shrubs  
ash, black Fraxinus nigra
ash, red  Fraxinus pennsylvanica
ash, white Fraxinus americana
aspen, largetooth Populus grandidentata
aspen, trembling Populus tremuloides
basswood  Tilia americana
birch, white Betula papyrifera
birch, yellow Betula alleghaniensis
cedar, eastern white Thuja occidentalis
cherry, black Prunus serotina
cherry, choke Prunus virginiana
currant, black bristly  Ribes lacustre
dogwood, alternateleaf Cornus alternifolia 
elderberry, eastern red Sambucas pubens
elm, white Ulmus americana
fir, balsam Abies balsamifera
hazel, beaked Corylus cornuta
honeysuckle, fly Lonicera canadensis
ironwood Ostrya virginiana
leatherwood Dirca palustris
maple, Manitoba Acer negundo
maple, mountain Acer spicatum
maple, sugar (hard) Acer saccharum
oak, bur Quercus macrocarpa
oak, red Quercus rubra
serviceberry species Amelanchier spp.
spruce, white Picea glauca
 
Wagg's Woods Clearing
Wagg's Woods Nurse Log
Wagg's Woods Sun Beams
wagg's Woods Trail Map September 2021
Fall Colours in Wagg's Woods 2021

A Little About Central

The Municipality of Central Manitoulin is located in the centre of Manitoulin Island with an abundance of lakes, rivers, and beaches. The Municipality includes the villages and hamlets of Mindemoya, Providence Bay, Spring Bay, Sandfield and Big Lake. We offer diverse attractions and unique landmarks such as our sandy beach in Providence Bay or access to Lake Manitou, the largest lake on the island. We invite you to visit our community in the "heart" of Manitoulin Island. 

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