The Mill of Kintail Conservation Area, a short drive from the town of Almonte, Ontario, has a little something for everyone. Hikers can explore four-season trails. History buffs can learn about the inventor of basketball, while art lovers can delve into the life of a local surgeon/sculptor. So perhaps it’s no surprise that the conservation area’s Mill of Kintail is one of the Seven Wonders of Lanark County.
The grist mill, built in the 1830s, was later the summer home and studio of R. Tait McKenzie, the aforementioned doctor/artist. (Talk about a type A overachiever!) McKenzie was good friends with James Naismith, who grew up in Almonte, studied physical education in Montreal and Massachusetts, and eventually became a phys ed instructor in Springfield, Massachusetts. There, Naismith invented a little game you might have heard of called basketball.
Museum honours McKenzie and Naismith
Today, the Mill of Kintail is home to a small but well done museum devoted to both McKenzie and Naismith. You can see some of McKenzie’s artwork, lots of Naismith’s sports memorabilia, displays about the early days of basketball and more. The museum is seasonal (mid-May to Labour Day) and admission is free (although donations are appreciated.)
Trails are open year round
The Mill of Kintail Conservation Area is small—just 62 hectares (about a quarter of a mile)—but it has a 6km network of all-season trails. You can hike from spring through fall, or snowshoe or ski in winter. They’re particularly pretty in the fall, as several trails wind through deciduous forests or along the Indian River shore. The 0.4km Old Road Trail is wheelchair accessible.
If you go to the Mill of Kintail Conservation Area
The Mill of Kintail Conservation Area is at 2854 Ramsay Concession 8 in Mississippi Mills, about 10 minutes northwest of Almonte. (Mississippi Mills includes several communities, including Almonte and Pakenham.) It’s located 60km southwest of Parliament Hill.
Trails are open year round. For museum hours, and information on seasonal events and programming, check the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) website.
The conservation area has year-round outhouses, as well as a seasonal accessible washroom at the museum. You’ll also find picnic tables and a picnic shelter, a playground, and a half basketball court. And if you’re a member of the Ottawa chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, you can get access to the organization’s telescopes at the Fred P. Lossing Observatory; the stargazers set up shop at the conservation area because it’s largely sheltered from light pollution spilling over from Ottawa.
To visit the Mill of Kintail Conservation Area and/or the museum, you’ll need to buy a day pass (valid for four hours) from the machine at the parking lot entrance, which takes coins or credit cards. You can also buy an annual pass online. The MVCA website has the most current information on pass prices.
Looking for something else to see and do near the Mill of Kintail Conservation Area? Here are a few options.
You can also check Lanark County’s tourism website.
And if you’d like to extend your visit with an overnight stay, you can use the map below to find accommodations. (Disclosure: If you book a place to stay via the map, I’ll receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting this website!)
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.
