Burnt Lands alvar, Protected limestone plain in Lanark County, Canada

The Burnt Lands alvar is an open prairie-like limestone plain between Almonte and Ottawa near Upper Huntley, Ontario, where shallow soil alternates between drought and flooding. The alvar is one of the best examples of its habitat type in Lanark County and southern Ontario, and about 610 hectares are designated an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest. A smaller parcel of several hundred hectares lies within Burnt Lands Provincial Park, a non-operating park of two non-contiguous parcels totalling 516 hectares, with no visitor activities or facilities.

The area received its name from forest fires during early European settlement, with a major fire in 1999 that significantly altered plant communities. This fire and its aftermath shaped the vegetation patterns seen today.

The name likely comes from a forest fire during early European settlement. The alvar is a popular destination for local naturalists, bird-watchers and photographers, and a 1999 fire created open meadows that by 2008 held nearly twice the plant species of adjoining unburned areas.

Burnt Lands Provincial Park is a non-operating park: it has no visitor activities, facilities or maintained trails, so access is limited. The alvar lies between Almonte and Ottawa near Upper Huntley, and much of the surrounding land is private or unprotected. Check access before travelling and expect no services on site.

The site is home to a globally rare snail species that has survived since ancient prairie times and few other places can support it. The location also hosts 82 breeding bird species and about 48 butterfly types, making it an exceptional wildlife habitat.