Hiking the Bruce Trail

With a total length of 890 km, The Bruce Trail is Canada’s oldest and longest hiking trail. The trail covers the full length of the Niagara Escarpment. It starts at the Niagara River and goes all the way to the end of the scenic Bruce Peninsula. Along the trail, you can enjoy clear blue water, several waterfalls, spectacular clifftop views, as well as dozens of beaches, meadows, forests, and caves. While it may be a challenge to complete the whole trail, you can also opt to complete sections of it. Here are some of the most breathtaking sections

Niagara – Queenston to Grimsby

The trail begins at the stone cairn of Queenston Heights Park. The park is on the west side of a deep gorge, which the Niagara river cut over the course of centuries. While passing through the towns of St. Catharines and Thorold, you will cross all four of the Welland Canals. Niagara is famous as Ontario’s wine region, and you will pass several wineries on the way.

Before you start this trail section, we recommend visiting Niagara falls, as it is just a short hike from the beginning of the trail. While there, you could also visit the world famous Casino Niagara. If you want an even better casino experience, you could try a Canadian online casino instead. Online casinos usually have better games and payouts, and you can easily play them from your mobile.

Iroquoia – Grimsby to Milton

The second section of the trail starts at the shoreline of lake Iroquois. Here, you will see dozens of waterfalls, some of the most prominent are Sherman, Webster’s Albion, Tiffany, and Tew’s Falls. The trail also passes through the Crawford Lake Conservation Area, where you will find a rare meromictic lake, as well as a carefully reconstructed 15th century Iroquoian Village.

Peninsula – Wiarton to Tobermory

While there are many beautiful sections in between, we chose to review the northern most section of the Bruce Trail next. This is one of the wildest and remote sections, and the most challenging if you are beginning hiker, so we recommend it only for experienced hikers. Be prepared! Here, you can enjoy the green vegetation and forest, on one side, while enjoying breathtaking views of Georgian Bay. The section between High Dump and Tobermory has some of the best views, with 30 kilometres of high cliffs overlooking blue waters. The trail ends at the Cairn near Tobermory’s picturesque harbour.

Sydenham – Blantyre to Wiarton

The second most northern section of the trail starts with a hike across the valley of the Bighead river. It then winds along the Escarpment, and leads to the 439.00 hectare Bayview Escarpment Nature Reserve. Here, you can observe Silurian and Ordovician bedrock strata. You will have scenic views of the Georgian bay from many points in this section. On the way, you will be surprised to find many waterfalls. One of the most beautiful is the Inglis Falls on the Sydenham River near Owen. Here, you can also see rare flora, such as the Hart’s Tongue Fern.


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