Parc provincial Petroglyphs - Woodview, Ontario

Sylvie

Nous avons d'abord fait une randonnée sur le sentier Nanabush, car les chiens n'étaient pas admis dans le centre des visiteurs, ni sur le site des petroglyphs, en raison de son caractère sacré. Le sentier faisait le tour d'un lac, c'était très joli et très bien balisé.

Les petroglyphs se trouvaient sur une grosse strate rocheuse, autour de la laquelle ils ont construit un bâtiment pour les protéger. C'est assez étonnant de s'imaginer que des gens, il y a des centaines d'années, ont fait tous ces dessins qui racontaient leur vie, leurs rêves, leurs croyances. C'était même touchant et impressionnant, car il y en a vraiment beaucoup.

Malheureusement, tout était en anglais, le personnel, pourtant de Parcs Ontario, ne parlait pas français et à vrai dire il n'y avait aucune explication, si ce n'est 4-5 explications des personnages représentés. Même le centre d'accueil des visiteurs où se trouvaient un lieu d'apprentissage ne parlait pas du site en lui-même, mais plutôt de la culture amérindienne en général (à moins que ça soit celle du peuple à qui sont attribuées ces gravures). Je ne sais même pas de quelle nation il s'agissait. Ce que je trouve encore plus dommage, même assez ordinaire, c'est qu'aucun texte n'était dans la langue de cette nation.
En gros, ça vaut le détour pour les sentiers et les petroglyphs, mais c'est un parc qui aurait besoin d'un peu plus d'amour (les sentiers n'étaient pas autant entretenus qu'ailleurs) et davantage d'explications pour en faciliter la compréhension. Je repars avec mes interrogations...

Benoît B.

Très belle découverte. Site d'une grande richesse archéologique. Bien aménagé au milieu de nulle part.

Ali D.

Bien mais sans plus. Des chemins de randonnée sympa.

André D.

Vestiges de pétroglyphes amérindiens.

Sajid M.

Great place to visit. The route from north Whitby to this place was awesome. En route, there were many spots worth stopping to appreciate fall colors. Petroglyphs were fantastic. Somehow, it connects you to the people who lived 6000 ago. The lake was very beautiful. Loved it.

Mary C.

We've been meaning to xone here for quite a while. Quite frankly, it was not what I had expected. The park's hours are short, so make sure to check the opening and closing times. I would highly recommend this for everyone, especially kids. The museum has a very nice exhibition and the building where the petroglyphs are is bright and airy. There are also a couple of hike trails but be sure to spray yourself heavily. There is a beautiful little lake worth seeing. It's so reminiscent of a Group of 7 paintings.

Brent

It's not your typical provincial park, but it's still amazing. Somewhat confusing apon arriving. After finding the parking lot you need to head to the visitors center to get your permit. The staff were extremely friendly. They have an amazing park store, with lots of park merch, stuffed animals and gifts. They have an exhibit that takes up most of the center, very interesting. The glyphs are located in a separate building a very short walk from the visitors center. They were amazing to see. If your there also check out mcginnis lake. It's absolutely gorgeous a very short walk from the parking lot.

Alecia B.

We visited Petroglyphs back in May for my birthday. Petroglyphs provincial park is unique in many ways. First, the sacred site makes this provincial park stand out. It was an extraordinary experience to see but also learn about the different petroglyphs and the meaning behind each of them. Secondly, their visitor center had a variety of indigenous pieces for sale (all so beautiful), but on top of that, it gives you a bit of an introduction and a wealth of information leading up to the door that follows the pathway towards the sacred site. Lastly, it was calming. The trails were peaceful, and the lakes were still. We were told by one of the friendliest workers in the visitor center to check out the Nanabush trail since it had the boardwalk, marsh, lakes, etc. We enjoyed that trail. We found it challenging to navigate the other trails, but we look forward to checking out this park again. If you're looking for a unique experience, I highly recommend this park.