Camping 
Group Camping 
Equipment Rental 
Facilities Rental 
Hiking 
Picnicking 
Beach/Swimming 
Cycling 
Mountain Biking 
Spelunking 
Paddling 
Boat Launch 
Cross Country Skiing 
Fishing 
Hunting 
Geocaching 
Purdon Conservation Area is open dawn to dusk, Victoria Day to Thanksgiving. The typical bloom period for the Showy Lady's Slipper Orchids is the third weekend in June to early-mid July.
Enjoy a stroll along the boardwalk of a rare fen wetland and see the Canada’s largest colony of Showy Lady’s Slipper orchids. Take a hike through an uplands forest up to a breathtaking lookout while traveling 1.7 km of trail.
There is no parking fee but donations are always appreciated.
Special Features
- Full accessible boardwalk
- Parking and picnic area
- Wheelchair accessible outhouse
- Dogs allowed - on leash
Orchid Watch 2025
June 30, 2025 - The showy lady slippers are now at 5% still in bloom; We suspect that these are the last few days of them for the 2025 summer season.
We had a wonderful display this year and we hope that you were able to make it.
June 27, 2025 - The showy lady slippers are still beautiful, albeit, they are starting to fade off. They remain at about 50% in bloom and are discolouring to brown – marking the closeness of the end of their season.
June 23, 2025 - The showy lady slippers are 100% in bloom.
June 18, 2025 - The showy lady slippers are 95% in bloom. Now is the best time to visit the Conservation Area to see the orchids.
June 17, 2025 - The showy lady slippers are an average height of 20 inches tall. Approximately 30% are in bloom.
June 13, 2025 - The showy lady slippers are an average height of 20 inches tall. Approximately 25% are currently in bloom/close to blooming.
June 9, 2025 - The showy lady slippers are an average height of 10 inches tall. They are just starting to show signs of bloom! We expect the flowers to start blooming over the next few days.
June 2, 2025 - The showy lady slippers are an average height of 10 inches tall. They are not yet in bloom.
May 27, 2025 - The showy lady slippers are about 4 inches emerged. They have just started to pop up – but are not yet in bloom. We estimate that they are about one to two weeks behind last year’s schedule.
May 20, 2025 - The showy lady slippers are not yet showing growth. As a result of a cool spring, we anticipate being one to two weeks behind last year’s growing schedule.
Orchid Watch 2024
July 3, 2024 - The Showy Lady Slippers are finished for the year. If you were able to visit Purdon Conservation Area while they were in bloom, that’s wonderful news! If you missed them, please mark on your calendars to visit the Showy Lady Slippers in June of 2025. A reminder that Purdon Conservation Area is open all year long. We look forward to welcoming you for a visit anytime.
June 21, 2024 - The Showy Lady Slippers are still beautiful, albeit, they are starting to fade off. They remain at about 50% in bloom and are discolouring to brown – marking the closeness of the end of their season. Their estimated completion date is by Friday June 28th.
June 10, 2024 - The Showy Lady Slippers are at about 80% bloom. If you’re planning a trip out to see them, this week is the ideal time.
A reminder that the slippers are generally in full bloom around fathers day which will fall on Sunday June 16th this year.
June 4, 2024 - There’s an abundance of Showy Lady Slippers at Purdon Conservation Area. The average stock is 12 to 16” tall. Only a handful are about to bloom at present, but with this warm weather we’re expecting to see some flowers this coming weekend.
May 22, 2024 - More lady slippers are starting to emerge. They are ranging from 3 to 16 inches in height - averaging 8-10”. None are in bloom at this time, there are still lots to emerge!
May 13, 2024 - The orchids are just starting to emerge and are now in the range of 2 inches tall.