Nature & Discovery.
Gillies Grove is an old-growth eastern white pine forest on Nature Conservancy of Canada land within the Town of Arnprior, immediately south of downtown. NCC reports a documented tree in the grove at roughly 47 metres / 154 feet — one of the tallest known eastern white pines in Ontario — and the grove was originally part of the Gillies family estate, the Ottawa Valley lumber barons whose mills built much of 19th-century Arnprior.
The brief.
The grove is a quiet conservation site managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada — old-growth eastern white pine and mixed hardwood, with walking trails and interpretive signage. There are no facilities on site; the trailhead is on Daniel Street with parking per NCC and Town of Arnprior signage.
The grove is open year-round on foot — spring and fall are quietest, summer is the busiest visitor window, and winter offers good snowshoe access. Stay on marked trails to limit root damage to the old-growth stand.
The Gillies-family backstory ties the grove directly to the lumber-baron heritage interpreted at the Arnprior & McNab/Braeside Museum downtown — visiting both makes the connection visible.
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Gillies Grove (Daniel Street trailhead, Arnprior)
Old-growth eastern white pine forest on NCC land within the municipal boundary; walking trails through the grove with interpretive signage.
Map ↗
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Outside the typical season window.