Location: south of Wilberforce in Highlands East
Previous Owner: Ryan Rolfe
Property Size: 100 acres (40 hectares)
Acquisition Date: 2025
Features: 3.5km of natural shoreline on the Irondale River and Hadlington Creek, wetlands in the Irondale River flood plain
Activities: No trails are open at the moment.
Not Allowed: There is no public access to this property. Visit Dahl Forest or Barnum Creek Nature Reserve for hiking trails.
About
The Hadlington Reserve is south of Wilberforce in Highlands East. This beautiful 40-hectare property is undeveloped and rich in natural habitats. The Hadlington Reserve supports biodiversity at the local, municipal and provincial level. Preliminary investigations have identified four Species at Risk, and seven ecosites of which four are under-represented in the provincial protected area system. With extensive tracts of crown land abutting the property to the east, west and south, the Hadlington Reserve builds on the connectivity in the Highlands Corridor.
History
The property was owned by the Rolfe family until being acquired by the Land Trust in February 2025.
If you are interested in donating or selling land to the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust, please click here for more information.
Ecology
The Hadlington Reserve is bisected by the Irondale River and Hadlington Creek and thereby provides approximately 3.5km of natural shoreline. Natural shorelines protect fish habitat, and filter sediments and contaminants from surface water thereby protecting water quality. The wetlands of the property are located in the Irondale River floodplain and therefore offer critical services in regard to flood attenuation: retaining and redirecting surface water during the spring melt and extreme weather events associated with climate change.
Management
HHLT will continue to steward the Hadlington Reserve as a wilderness area to protect its significant biodiversity and important natural features and their functions. If you would like to help us manage this property, please contact our Land Stewardship Manager, Laura McNeill. landstewardship@haliburtonlandtrust.ca
