Park Harold F. Baldwin is a regional park belonging to the City of Coaticook and managed by a not for profit organisation made up of a volunteer board of directors. The park has an area of 63 hectares. The Pinnacle, with an altitude of 665 meters above sea level, is surrounded by Lake Lyster and Baldwin pond. It rises 194 meters above Lake Lyster. The park has a network of trails that attract hikers of all ages. Visitors can take advantage of the stunning view from the top of the Pinnacle. Whether it is for hiking, ornithology, climbing or simply a bowl of fresh air, the Pinacle is open year long.
One of the main missions of Park Harold F. Baldwin is to ensure the conservation and sustainability of the rich ecosystem on our territory. We hope to encourage visitors to experience the beauty of the natural environment in our network of hiking trails on the Pinnacle. Educating our visitors about how to interact with nature in a sustainable way are prioritised in order to better protect this gem of the Coaticook area.
The history of the village of Baldwin’s Mills and of The Pinnacle is interwoven with that of the Baldwin family. Willis Keith Baldwin, passed on the family business to his son, Harold Ferrin Baldwin who which included the saw mill, the general store and a large amount of property. W.K. was both a strong believer in community service as well as a staunch conservationist, qualities he passed on to H.F.
H.F. had always believed in sharing the natural beauty of his land and had wished that The Pinnacle would someday become part of a public park. Before his death in 1975, he placed his land in Pinnacle Holdings, a company formed by him and owned by his seven children. He gave sole proprietorship of The Pinnacle property to his son Keith. In 1998, H.F.’s son Keith, with the help of his own son David, negotiated an agreement with the Town of Barnston (now part of the municipality of Coaticook) to donate the 200-acre Pinnacle property for use as a conservation, recreational, and interpretation area.
Information taken from the Park information booklet written by Carolyn Rowell.
