Experiencing the Comfort Maple

This past summer my sister Lauren and I decided we wanted to get outside and "do something." We had hiked the well-known trails around our home and were looking for something new.


Lauren at the base of the Comfort Maple

At the insistence of one of our co-workers we decided to check out the oldest sugar maple tree in Canada, the Comfort Maple. Located in Pelham, the 530 year old tree towers about 80 feet in the air and has a circumference of 6 meters. In short, it's massive.



Finding the Comfort Maple Conservation Area proved to be a challenge for Lauren and me. We drove up and down the country roads of Pelham, desperately looking for some kind of sign to direct us. Finally we found the dirt road (I was convinced it was somebody's driveway) that led us to the tree.

At first I had the enthusiastic reaction of "oh great, we're going to see a tree," but once I was standing at the base of it I realized how cool it really was.

I have never felt as small as I did when I was standing at the base of the Comfort Maple. Visiting this spot helped me realize that Niagara has some amazing natural sights that help make it the special place that it is.

If you enjoy visiting the Comfort Maple tree and want to experience other great nature spots in Niagara check out this blog Leaving Footprints  about Niagara hiking trails.

Directions to the Comfort Maple