Hiking.
The signed loop trails at Ojibway Park carry walkers through Carolinian forest and tallgrass prairie remnants on the west side of Windsor, connecting into Black Oak Heritage Park's oak savanna, Spring Garden ANSI, and Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park — the five-park Ojibway Prairie Complex. Devonwood Conservation Area, 11 hectares of urban Carolinian forest north of the Ojibway cluster, adds a quiet forest loop, and Malden Park's reclaimed-landfill hill is the only meaningful elevation in the city.
The brief.
Windsor hiking is short-loop urban-Carolinian rather than wilderness — most loops run under 5 km on flat lakeplain trails, much of it on signed and surfaced paths inside the Ojibway Prairie Complex. The Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve (105 ha) is the most strict zone — day-use only, no pets, no cycling, no off-trail — protecting species at risk habitat.
Devonwood Conservation Area, managed by ERCA, carries 11 ha of urban Carolinian forest with informal walking trails. Malden Park sits on a reclaimed landfill hill in west Windsor and is the only city park with meaningful elevation, with a Detroit-skyline outlook from the summit.
April through October is the easiest window; surfaced trails inside Ojibway Park stay open year-round.
6. places.
- 01
Ojibway Park
65-hectare park anchoring the Ojibway Prairie Complex; signed loops through Carolinian forest and prairie remnants from the Ojibway Nature Centre.
- 02
Black Oak Heritage Park
Oak savanna trails connecting to Ojibway Park; part of the Ojibway Prairie Complex.
- 03
Spring Garden ANSI
Provincial Area of Natural and Scientific Interest within the Ojibway Prairie Complex.
- 04
Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park
Tallgrass prairie restoration park within the complex; signed walking access.
- 05
Devonwood Conservation Area
11 ha urban Carolinian forest under ERCA; informal walking trails.
- 06
Malden Park
65 ha reclaimed-landfill hilltop park in west Windsor; the only meaningful elevation in the city, with Detroit-skyline view.
Today's read.
Cool but comfortable for layered effort · light winds · clean air.
By the book.
- 01Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve is day-use only with no developed facilities; pets, cycling, and off-trail use are restricted to protect species at risk habitat.Source ↗
- 02Devonwood Conservation Area is managed by Essex Region Conservation Authority under standard ERCA conservation-area rules.Source ↗