unsung hikes archive

In March of 2012 I decided to start logging my hikes for reference. Enjoy!

The directions are based on coming from Bolton, Ontario.

Tags: hikes, hiking, Caledon, Bolton, East Caledon, Bruce Trail, Palgrave, Humber Valley Heritage Trail, HVHT

Whoa! What a find! A list from national geographic of the World's Best Hikes!

 

Bruce Trail - Peter Beecham Side Trail plus

Difficulty: Medium

Duration: About 2.5hr

Location: North of Mono Mills. Follow Airport Road North, turn left on sideroad 5, turn right on 5th line. Drive *about* 5m and the road reaches a long hill downward. There is a little area to part at the top of the hill or you can drive to the bottom. The trailhead is at the bottom of the hill. Follow the trail on the left side of the road.

About the hike: It was quite hilly with some long painful uphill climbs. It was well treed throughout. Since it was March it was very muddy and sections were quite slippery. One of the highlights of the hike was a stream that runs along a good section of the Peter Beecham Side Trail. The Peter Beecham Side trail meets the Bruce Trail about 20-30 after you cross the bridge. The Peter Beecham side trail eventually meets up the stream again for a picturesque section of rapids, rocks and mosses. The Sidetrail meets back at 5th line. Follow it left to meet back up with the Bruce Trail, about 10m walk. Happy Hiking!

More photos from the Hike.
Access Point on 5th Line The Stream Ugh, so many stairs Curious Solo Birch tree

 

Bruce Trail - Forks of the Credit section

Difficulty: Medium

Duration: 2hr for the loop

Location: Forks of the Credit. Follow HWY 10 north to Forks of the Credit Road (on your left). It is a windy often busy road so take your time and enjoy the scenery. We parked on Forks of the Credit road beside the river just before Dominion Road. Walk down Dominion Road until you reach the path to the trails. We followed the Bruce Trail which was left off the entrance trail.

About the hike: It is a nice hike offering changing scenery and a fair bit of water access. The first section of the trail follows the river. This section is mostly flat. We followed it past the outhouses. Shortly afterwards it starts to climb up dramatically for about 15m. It is worth the labour. You eventually reach a great view of the Waterfalls. We made a loop by taking a set stairs up (note the advice - there are a lot of stairs *smirk*) then following the Red Marked Meadow Trail. The Meadow Trail offers some nice panaramas of the area. The trail eventually leads to the Quarryman's Side Trail back down to the outhouses. It was only a two hour hike but it felt much longer.

 

Bruce Trail - Innis Lake Road

Difficulty: Medium/Challenging

Duration: 1 & 3/4 hrs for the loop

Location: Innis Lake Road. Follow Innis Lake Road North until you can't any longer and you'll find a challenging section of the Bruce Trail. There is space along the edge for maybe three cars. There are some substantial climbs in this mostly treed section of the trail. I walked North for about an hour before I turned around. (Well, part of the reason was seeing off in the distance some mostly naked man wearing what looked like a thong. He saw me, turned around and headed in opposite direction. So I did. Seriously WTF.) The trail is quite nice, a lot of it two people could walk side by side. During the walk I passed two streams and the end of the Palgrave side trial. Also spotted a dear and an Inukshuk. Dog owners should keep an eye on the dogs, mine found some lovely filth to roll in. Bleck. I was pretty bagged by the end of the walk... the hills seemed to be up both ways... especially for the first hour.

(Photos are pretty crappy.... taken with a first gen Smartphone :/)

 

Bruce Trail - Mono Cliffs Loop

Difficulty: Medium

Duration: 1 & 1/4 hrs. (Pace : Leisurely walk) for one loop

Loop Map

Location: Mono Cliffs Provincial Park.

We followed Airport road North toward Orangeville, you can take various roads to get over to 2 Line E. Follow it to the end, you'll see a gate straight ahead and the Mono Cliffs Outdoor Education Centre on your left. You can park on 2 Line E along the shoulder. This is one of my favourite parks in Ontario. It is well maintained and well marked. There is a ton of signage, not to mention the incredible vistas and variety of habitat you can encounter. The trails are especially wide in a lot of areas, especially the main Bruce Trail sections. The various Bruce Trail Side Trails are more like the standard single file trail. Just a little note, some of the ground is quite uneven with small loose rocks, be alert or you could twist an ankle. We started down the lovely treed main Bruce trail section of Mono Cliffs and followed it to McCarton's Lake Trail. The lake is surprisingly big and would be a great place to stop for a picnic or relax for a bit. From McCarton's Lake Trail we followed the Lookout Trail to an impressive vista of the area. Near some washrooms the Lookout Trail meets the Spillway Trail. The Spillway trail is mainly flat and eventually runs into the Carriage Trail. The Carriage Trail takes you up stairs for a climb back up to the main trail.

 

Bruce Trail - Cam Snell Loop

Difficulty: Medium

Duration: 1 & 3/4 hrs. (Pace : Leisurely walk) for one loop

Loop Map

Location: Access Point to Bruce Trail.

Getting there. I headed North from Bolton on Airport Road, past HWY 9 and left at the bottom of the hill on Hockley Road. Then right on 3rd Line E, eventually you'll come across the Bruce Trail access point on the left. There is a small area to park for maybe four or five cars. It is a lovely section of the trail. There were some plaques near the start noting who donated the property for the trail. Thanks! A few minutes in you have a lovely view looking toward Hockley Valley Provincial Reserve. There are a few benches as well in the area to chill out on as well. The dog however was eager to get going. The trail meanders up and down eventually reaching the Cam Snell Loop. There is another bench here as well. The trail starts off pretty ho-hum but you'll eventually reach a small pond then the trail follows alongside a creek. I really enjoyed this section. The trees are mature and massive and there is a lot of interesting vegetation. I found it curious that the Cam Snell Loop isn't really a loop. The loop itself just stops where it meets the Bruce Trail. The Bruce trail splits, the left side leads back to the bench and the start of the Cam Snell Loop where you started. It was a good hike. I'll return to do more of this area one day. The Hockley Valley Provincial Reserve section is quite impressive.

Some resources hopefully local hikers will find useful.

Palgrave Conservation Area Trail Map

Palgrave, Ontario, Canada - googleMaps

Full Size Palgrave Forest Trail Map Great for hiking around Palgrave Forest. I did not create this map but I've found it to be accurate and very useful. It was shared by someone we met hiking in the forest. :) I've added a few landmarks to the map. They have added numerical markers to the trails. I'll add them to the map and repost it... It may be awhile, hopefully by Fall 2011.

Older Palgrave Forest Map (pre trail numbering)

Updated Palgrave Forest Map (September 2012)

 

Humber Valley Heritage Trail Map
Caledon, Ontario, Canada

I Modified a map that already had the trails on it. HVHT (Humber Valley Heritage Trail) is in my backyard and the trail I'm trying to highlight. You can see where it begins and where it links to the Trans Canada Trail which then links to the Bruce Trail... You could be hiking forever!

 

My own, not to be trusted as accurate Humber Valley Heritage Trail Map approximations.

 

The Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club
Caledon, Ontario, Canada

The Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club also has a great trail map online here. It shows where the Bruce Trail goes through the region.