As a public recreation area, Parrott’s Bay has been a source of passive enjoyment for canoeists, anglers, and naturalists.

The 117 hectare (289 acres) conservation area is comprised primarily of woods and wetlands, with picturesque waterfront views. There is a total of six kilometres of trails that traverse parts of these woodlands, wetlands and field areas, these trails are not groomed or maintained during winter, but are still open for public use during daylight hours.

In the mid 1960s, the area that would become Parrott’s Bay Conservation Area was deemed important as a natural habitat worth preserving and conserving, as well as one with potential to be an excellent area for low-impact outdoor recreational activities. The property has been designated as a public recreation area since 1969 by the pre-amalgamation Ernestown Township Council to protect it from development.

Ernestown Township continued to show conservation leadership by continually purchasing and preserving more of the wetlands and surrounding woodlands and open fields from private landowners as they became available with the proviso that Cataraqui Conservation would subsequently acquire them, a process that began in the early 1990s, making Parrott’s Bay the newest conservation area within the Cataraqui Conservation lands portfolio.