Bubbling Springs

Bubbling Springs is a 2.5-kilometre loop from the trailhead at 735 Gulf Shore Parkway, about 2 kilometres east of Stanhope. It is an easy, low-key walk through grass, packed gravel and woodland, with flat to gently rolling ground and some exposed roots. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, longer if you stop at the lookouts or spend time watching birds.

The trail's namesake is a small spring where water bubbles up through sand. It is a close-up feature rather than a dramatic waterfall, and the route's larger visual payoff comes at the lookouts toward Long Pond. Parks Canada calls this a favourite for birdwatchers, with views over waterfowl habitat. Most of the walk stays under trees, so the pond openings feel like useful changes of scene rather than a long open viewpoint.

This is a gentle route, but it is not a smooth path throughout. Expect grass and packed gravel, roots underfoot and short gently rolling sections. The mapped itinerary includes the access path from the trailhead, the loop itself and the return along that same short approach. Listings for a 1-kilometre spring walk or a 2.9-kilometre version appear to describe shorter or differently measured variants. The 4.5-to-4.7-kilometre Farmlands and Bubbling Springs walk is a separate, longer combined route.

The trailhead is at 735 Gulf Shore Parkway, Stanhope. Parking capacity, fees, toilets and potable water are not specified in the trail sources, so do not assume services beyond the signed trail access. Dogs are allowed on park trails but must stay on a leash no longer than 3 metres. Trails are not maintained between Thanksgiving and Victoria Day, although visitors remain welcome and emergency service is limited in that period. At the Long Pond lookout, frame the water through the shelter windows with reeds and shoreline in view; at the spring, a low angle makes the bubbling pool and its reflections easier to see.