Crawford Lake

Photo Credit: Brianne

Imagine standing within feet of a lake that holds the secrets of ancient Indian settlements hundreds of years old. At Crawford Lake Conservation Area you can do just that. Crawford Lake is known as a meromictic lake. This means the it lake is comprised of layers of water that do not intermix. This means that the bottom layer of the lake is undisturbed. For this reason, archaeologists have been able to drill core samples of pollen from hundreds of years ago and have used them to learn about the history of the Iroquois Indians that lived in this area.

Crawford Lake, located in the Niagara Escarpment, is surrounded by a boardwalk which allows visitors to casually stroll around the lake while enjoying the scenery and the wildlife in the area. Also on site is a complete reconstruction of the original 15th century Iroquoian Village that once resided along the lakes pristine shores.

In addition to the history of the area, the Crawford Lake Conservation Area also includes 19km of hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails.

One important note - Due to the rarity and archaeological significance Crawford Lake, disturbing it is strictly forbidden. This includes swimming, drinking, boating or fishing in the lake.