Cade Tract 
- Open to Public: Yes
- Size: 32 ha (78 acres)
- Entry Fee: None
- Permitted Activities: Hiking, dogs-on-leash, hunting in December (all other activities prohibited)
- Facilities: Small parking lot
- Address: 4695 Line 5 Road, Perth South
- Managers: UTRCA
- Trails: No formal trails, use at own risk. NOTE: Area is closed during December Controlled Hunt.
- Links: Perth County Tourism
The Cade Tract is a 32-ha tract located just west of St. Marys and south of Rannoch. It was donated to the UTRCA in 2016 by Mr. Barnby Cade and opened to the public in 2019. The tract includes a small mature maple forest, wet meadow habitat along Sommerville Drain, shrub (thicket) and wooded areas. The UTRCA is implementing plans to naturalize the property by gradually converting the three hayfields to native tallgrass prairie and woodland. Control of non-native, invasive species is ongoing.
Hikers can access the property from the small parking lot at 4695 Line 5 Road, Perth South. There are no formal trails and the vegetation can be thick, so dress appropriately. *Note, the area is closed in December for the controlled hunt.
A variety of common birds can be seen on the property including Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, flycatchers and orioles in open habitats and vireos, peewees and woodpeckers in the woods. Bobolinks have been seen in the hay fields and the future naturalization of the fields to tallgrass prairie should attract even more grassland birds, butterflies, and other insects. The eBird website for Perth lists the Cade Tract within the top 15 hotspots for bird species observations (eBird) with 117 species recorded as of January 2024.
A variety of wet meadow species grow along the watercourse, including Blue Vervain, Jewelweed and Nodding Beggarticks. The mature woodlot is dominated by Sugar Maple, Basswood, Bitternut Hickory, Black Cherry, and Hop-hornbeam, with spring wildflowers in the understory.
