Dahl Forest

Conservation & Reforestation Since 1956

Burnt River in winter looking north from the Chalet.

Welcome to Dahl Forest

 

Welcome to Dahl Forest, a private conservation area and reforestation project founded by the Dahl family in 1956.

Dahl Forest is a 500 acre property located in Haliburton County, about 20 kilometers south of Minden, Ontario. The property is divided almost equally by the Burnt River, which runs through a glacial valley bounded by rocky outcrops and hills typical of the southern Algonquin shield country.

In the 1950’s the area was primarily worn out farmland composed of very thin top soils on sand and gravel till, criss-crossed by barbed wire fences and heavily eroded gullies. The hilltops were mostly barren rock interspersed with scrub brush and occasional stands of poplar and balsam fir. Almost every tree of any use for lumber or firewood had been cut, leaving only small areas of bush along the riverside and occasional lone elms standing in open areas.

Today, Dahl Forest is a rich natural oasis of mature trees and wildlife habitat. Places that once baked in the summer sun are now cool glades rich in vegetation and wetland. The land has returned to a wilderness state—a naturalist’s delight.

Recently the Dahl family donated Dahl Forest lands to the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust to be held as a conservation area in perpetuity. See our News/Events page for more details.

The chalet in winter. Two small sleeping cabins are located in the forest on either side.

The chalet in summer.

River looking south in the fall.