Bruce Trail Waterfall 5-Day Walking Tour

Day 1:

Your adventure begins at noon at the Eramosa Karst Conservation Area. Spend the afternoon exploring one of the Niagara Escarpment’s most unique natural gems. A karst is a landform where limestone rock has been dissolved by water to create underground waterways and caves – and the Eramosa Karst is one of the best examples in Ontario. As you hike through this provincially significant area, you’ll discover the mysteries of these underground formations.

After the hike, we will transfer you to your hotel of choice for check-in at approximately 4.30pm.

Dinner at your choice of restaurant from this list of our favourites:
• Arlington Hotel’s Restaurant - in Paris ON
• Stillwaters Plate & Pour in Paris ON
• Juniper Dining Co. in Paris ON
• Cobblestone Pub in Paris ON
• Capeesh Kitchen & Cellar – Italian Riverside Dining in Paris ON
• Baci Restaurant – the restaurant for Premier C Hotel in Hamilton,
• Other restaurants in Hamilton are available as well.

Day 2: Hike 13 km, 800 m in elevation changes

After enjoying breakfast at your hotel, you will hop on a complimentary 9 a.m. shuttle to the trail entrance. Today’s scenic hike travels along the central part of the Bruce Trail’s Iroquoia Region, starting with the Chedoke Radial Trail at the foot of Dundurn St. in Lower Hamilton. The hike moves west along the Escarpment into Ancaster and then Dundas, winding through the old growth forest in Dundas Valley Conservation Area.

Along today’s 13 km route (800 m in elevation changes), you’ll visit 12 waterfalls and start to get the idea of why this region is called the Waterfall Capital.
The hike will end at the Dundas Valley Trail Centre where a shuttle will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel at approximately 4 p.m..
Dinner at your leisure from the choice of restaurants above.

Day 3:

After breakfast at your hotel, you will hop on a complimentary 9 a.m. shuttle to Chapel Rock, the entrance to the Smokey Hollow Trail.

Today’s hike takes you on a path full of old legends: past thundering waterfalls, over old ruins and through a tunnel as you explore the trail known to locals as “Smokey Hollow.” This hike is perfect for explorers who enjoy a variety of landscapes: great views from high elevations and rocky outcrops, scenic and lush forest trails, old-growth forests along the edge of Canada’s rare Carolinian forest zone, and the Great Falls – a thundering view of the Grindstone Creek as it tumbles down 10 metres over the escarpment. As you ascend the escarpment alongside the Falls and enter Smokey Hollow, you’ll learn the legend behind the name.

Transfer back to your hotel for the evening. Dinner at your leisure from the above restaurant list.

Day 4:

Fuel up for the day’s adventures with breakfast at your hotel before jumping on the shuttle to head to the Long Point World Biosphere on Ontario’s Lake Erie.

Today’s hike ventures off the Niagara Escarpment to showcase the neighbouring Long Point World Biosphere. While close to the escarpment, Long Point feels like a different world with towering, semi-tropical Tulip trees, 400-year-old Black Gum trees and large, rare old-growth Carolinian forests. Listen to the sounds of pileated woodpeckers echo through the woods as you hike along Canada’s most biodiverse ecosystem, exploring upland and lowland forests, crossing wetlands and streams and walking along both rugged and groomed paths. There’s lots to explore here as you uncover a historic maple sugar shack and hear stories of early settler history and how they preserved this amazing forest by practicing conservation 200 years ahead of their time.

Return to your hotel for the night. Dinner at your leisure at one of the restaurants on the above list.

Day 5:

After enjoying your breakfast, head out on the shuttle for the last day of adventure on the trip.

Today you will explore the Rare Reserve Land Conservancy just north of Paris. This 900-acre re-naturalized tract of land borders the historic Grand River with rare features ranging from savannah to old-growth Carolinian forests. Explore a stunning limestone escarpment that runs through the forest to the river’s edge, creating a breathtaking lookout. You’ll have access to a variety of interpretive paths, including an Osprey nesting area and a path that shows historical signs of Indigenous life on these lands for thousands of years.

The Grand is a Canadian Heritage River, designated for its natural and cultural significance. This section of the Grand is meandering, with gentle flows and a few mild swifts. You’ll love the Devils Creek waterfall that cascades over the limestone escarpment 70 metres into the river.

Explore the Grand today with an optional paddle, included in the package or choose to stay on land and continue hiking through the beautiful nature reserve.