How to find the Wise Old Oak

Last Updated on October 2, 2022 by Jane

One of the plans for this year was to take more day trips. I wanted us to do hikes on various trails around Ontario. But with all the shutdowns and distancing in place we really didn’t do it as much as planned. We stayed more local. I stumbled upon the Wise Old Oak in Waterloo through Instagram I believe and thought that it would be a great way to convince the kids to head out on a hike. But I really didn’t know how to find the Wise Old Oak at first. I thought I would share my secrets here to make it easier for others now that we know the way.

How to find the Wise Old Oak

The Wise Old Oak is this fantastic fantasy inspired tree carving that feels like it should be in Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. Instead you can find it in Waterloo Region along the Health Valley Trail.

You can access the Health Valley Trail in St. Jacobs or in Waterloo. Much of the information on the Health Valley Trail is about the St. Jacobs end which is more of a maintained trail as opposed to a footpath. The full multisurfaced trail from St. Jacobs to Waterloo is 5.1km. This trail dates back to the earliest days of the villages in this area and is maintained by Woolich Township, the Woolich Trails Group and the Avon Trail club.

If you want to find the Wise Old Oak I highly recommend that you do not start your hike in St. Jacobs unless your intention is to walk 10kms. Instead start your hike at the Waterloo side of the trail.

To access the Health Valley Trail in Waterloo head to 3075 University Ave East. There is parking across the street from the trail opening.

You will see a notice that the bridge is out and no entry. Every one ignores this message for two reasons. The first is that the bridge in question comes after you find the Wise Old Oak. The second is everyone seems to use the bridge anyways even if it is a bit rickety and in need of work. A biker we met told us the bridge has been “out” for two years and everyone just goes over or under the barrier. ***UPDATE*** The Bridge has been replaced according to a reader***

The trail is more of a foot path on this side of the Health Valley trail although it does widen the closer you get to the Conestoga River. If you have hiking boots I would recommend them just for additional support as the trail is uneven in spots. It starts out essentially in a farmers corn field until you get closer to the river.

We saw ducks on the river and a Horse back riding group shared the trails with us for a while. There were bikers and other hikers so make sure to share the trail. We started our hike around 9:30 am and there was quite a bit of parking. The lot was full closer to 11 when we were pulling out to go home.

Even without the Wise Old Oak this is a really pretty trail with the views of the river and the path through the trees.

After about 20 to 30 minutes of hiking, from the Waterloo entrance of 3075 University Ave East, we found the Wise Old Oak. And yes it has it’s own Instagram hashtag!

I would say this hike was fairly easy. However there is a creek that you have to cross that has some loose rocks. The terrain can be uneven at times but it is fairly flat and easy to manage. I would like to do the full hike one day! Or tackle it from the St. Jacobs side to get a different perspective.

Have you been to find the Wise Old Oak on the Health Valley Trail?