Short answer: the strongest current evidence is a scheduled, club-organized field trip—not a general open-access invitation. The Ottawa Valley Mineral Club’s current pages list a Miller Property field trip for August 26, 2026, at the Miller Property on Wittke Road in Bonnechere Valley.[2][3][4]

The question asks for current legal access and a way to verify the rules before travelling, so a historical anecdote alone does not resolve it.[1][unverified]

The event page says the original July 18 date was rained out and gives the replacement date as August 26.[3] It also says attendance is limited to 25 members, that registration requires an account/RSVP, and that the owner asks for $10 donated to CHEO.[3] The same page’s event-details box displays “Cost: Free,” so confirm eligibility, the actual fee and the meeting/parking instructions with the club before travelling.[3][unverified]

What this does—and does not—confirm

This is evidence that access can be arranged for a specific club field trip under stated conditions.[2][3] It is not evidence that the Miller Property is a walk-in public site, that non-members may enter without registration, or that collecting is available on ordinary days.[unverified]

BancroftOntario’s collecting-sites guide specifically warns that some sites now prohibit collecting and tells visitors to check operating hours, obtain permission, respect the area and avoid trespassing.[5] No current authoritative source I found establishes year-round casual access to the Miller Property.[unverified]

If you want to visit

• Start with the Ottawa Valley Mineral Club’s Miller Property event page and RSVP process.[2][3]
• Ask the club whether the event is open to non-members, whether places remain, what fee applies, and exactly where participants should meet.[3][unverified]
• If the event is full, past or unavailable, do not use the event page as permission for an independent visit.[unverified]
• For any independent access proposal, confirm the surface-rights and mining-rights position and obtain the required consent before entering or collecting.[6]

Ontario collecting rules still apply

Ontario’s Hobby Mineral Collecting Policy limits hobby collecting to personal, recreational or educational purposes, hand-tool excavation and material that can be carried unassisted from the site at one time.[6]

The policy says collectors are responsible for confirming whether land is open and for respecting separate surface and mining rights. It directs them to the MLAS Map Viewer and the local Land Registry Office through ONLand.[6] The MLAS page confirms that non-registered users can use the map viewer to see active unpatented mining claims.[7]

The policy also identifies provincial parks, conservation reserves, national parks and other protected or withdrawn lands as places where hobby collecting generally cannot be done, subject to the policy’s stated exceptions and other applicable laws.[6]

Bottom line: the Miller Property appears to have a current, organized access route through the Ottawa Valley Mineral Club’s August 26, 2026 field trip, subject to registration and the club/owner’s conditions.[2][3] I would not tell visitors that the property is generally open for casual collecting without first confirming access directly.[unverified]

## Sources

[1] https://bancroftontario.com/ask-bancroft/question/is-the-miller-property-still-accessible-for-mineral-collecting
[2] https://www.ovmineralclub.ca
[3] https://www.ovmineralclub.ca/event/miller-property-field-trip-3
[4] https://www.ovmineralclub.ca/field-trips
[5] https://bancroftontario.com/rock-collecting-sites
[6] https://ero.ontario.ca/public/2023-08/Hobby%20Mineral%20Collecting%20Policy%20Final.pdf
[7] https://www.ontario.ca/page/mining-lands-administration-system