Ball's Falls Historic Park
and Conservation Area
In the early 1800s, John and George Ball established
a grist mill, sawmill and woollen mill on Twenty Mile Creek . For
nearly a century Ball’s Falls was a thriving pioneer community,
but the Great Western Railway bypassed the town, and by 1900 it
was in decline.
Today, nearly 200 years later, the grist mill is one
of the few remaining working mills in Ontario. Visitors can also
view the lime kiln, blacksmith shop and several other heritage buildings,
or take part in spring and fall craft shows and other events throughout
the year.
The Cataract Trail and the Bruce Trail takes hikers
to the Upper and Lower falls. Like other properties along the Escarpment
in the Niagara Region, Ball’s Falls has great biodiversity,
with approximately 471 vascular plants, 53 species of mammals and
36 species of amphibians.
Ball’s Falls is located near Vineland. Take exit
57 from the QEW. Go south on Victoria Avenue and through Vineland
to the entrance on 6th Avenue.
TOP
Beamer Memorial Conservation
Area
Located at the edge of the Escarpment above the town
of Grimsby, Beamer Memorial Conservation Area is best known as an
excellent site for viewing the annual spring raptor migration over
the Niagara Peninsula.
Unlike smaller birds, hawks, eagles, falcons and other
birds of prey migrate during daylight and depend a great deal on
lift from the air. Along the Escarpment in the vicinity of Beamer
Memorial Conservation Area, strong updrafts develop as wind blowing
off the lake hits the Escarpment cliffs, or ‘thermals’
are created when the nearby farm fields warm up in the sun. The
birds, tired from their long journey and having to go around the
lake, take advantage of these updrafts or thermals to glide effortlessly
westward toward the head of the lake near Hamilton.
The annual hawk migration is monitored by Niagara
Peninsula Hawkwatch (link to an external
site, whose members count and identify birds of prey flying
over every day (except in extreme weather conditions) from March
1 to May 15. On a very good day, birders can count over 1,000 birds.
A permanent display board shows silhouettes of birds
of prey in flight and, during migration, another board lists totals
for the day and for the season to date. Migration monitoring information
collected at Beamer is combined with similar data from other hawk
watching areas in North America and Mexico, providing valuable,
long-term records of population fluctuations. Beamer Memorial C.A.
was recently designated an Important Bird Area (IBA).
The Bruce Trail goes along the Escarpment at Beamer
Memorial Conservation Area, giving panoramic views out over Grimsby
and Lake Ontario. Four lookouts are situated along the brow of the
Escarpment. Take the Lookout Trail to experience these splendid
views and see the 23-metre falls over the Escarpment.
To get to Beamer Memorial Conservation Area, exit
from the QEW at Exit 71/72, Christie Street (Mountain Road). At
the top of the Escarpment turn right on Ridge Road, go 1.6 km to
Quarry Road, turn right and proceed to the parking lot.
Niagara Glen Nature
Reserve
After climbing to the top of Queenston Heights, you
can descend to the bottom of the Niagara River Gorge at the Niagara
Glen, for one of the most interesting hikes along the Escarpment.
With the Falls just a kilometre upstream, this is truly an enchanting
place to hike.
There are four kilometres of trails, and many interesting
natural features to look for. An interpretive trail map is available
at the Feather in the Glen gift shop at Niagara Glen for a small
fee. The descent begins at Wintergreen Flat, the picnic area just
off the Niagara Parkway.
Nine thousand years ago, Wintergreen Flat was under
the Niagara River, and Niagara Falls dropped over the cliff at the
northern end of the Flat. Take the metal staircase down into the
gorge where well-marked, colour-coded trails lead through the forest
to the river banks and the whirlpool.
Over the centuries, rock from the walls of the Gorge
have broken away by erosion and blasting, creating a jumble of fallen
rocks of all sizes. Local stone was used to create natural stairways
between the rocks. Ferns and mosses line the deep crevices between
the rocks, which give off refreshing cool air on hot days. The Niagara
Parks Commission (link to an external
site) also runs guided nature hikes.
The Niagara Glen Nature Reserve is located on the
Niagara Parkway. Take the QEW to Highway 405 and follow it to the
Niagara Parkway. Go north past the Butterfly Conservatory and the
Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, then watch for the Niagara Glen
Feather in the Glen gift shop on the left. Contact the Niagara Parks
Commission at 1-877-642-7275.
Queenston Heights
As you climb the steps to Queenston Heights, you can
sense that this is one of
Canada’s most historically significant sites. An important
battle of the War of 1812 took place here. On October 13, 1812,
British forces under Major-General Sir Isaac Brock fought off invading
American troops. Brock was killed as he led a charge up the Escarpment.
Today, the Brock Monument recognizes his role in saving Canada from
American domination.
Queenston Heights is also significant because the
Bruce Trail
(link to an external site) starts
here. A stone cairn at the eastern end of Queenston Heights Park
marks the beginning of Canada's longest footpath.
Queenston Heights, and other parks along the Niagara
River, are managed by the Niagara Parks Commission. Since 1885,
the Commission has been charged with preserving and enhancing the
natural beauty of Niagara Falls and the Niagara River corridor.
The Niagara Parks Commission maintains about 1,619 hectares of parkland
along the river, in addition to the 56-kilometre Niagara River Parkway.
Short Hills Provincial Park
Short Hills Provincial Park (735+ hectares) is a day-use
park with six trails and the Bruce Trail. The Swayze Falls and the
Black Walnut trails are shared-use trails to accommodate hikers,
mountain  bikers
or horseback riders. The Scarlet Tanager, Hemlock Valley, Terrace
Creek and Paleozoic Trails are for hikers only. There are two waterfalls
within the park.
The Paleozoic Path (wheelchair accessible) runs from
the parking lot to a lookout platform at Swayze Falls, where Twelve
Mile Creek drops over the Escarpment. Keep to the gravelled path
if you just want to complete the 20-minute return hike to the falls.
The trail takes you through a forest and then a clearing where butterflies
feed on meadow wildflowers and blue-winged warblers sing their buzzy
notes from the brushy areas.
For a longer walk, follow the horse trails down into
the wooded valley of Twelve Mile Creek. In spring, masses of trilliums
and other native spring flowers cover the forest floor with colour.
To get to Short
Hills Provincial Park (link to an external
site), take Highway 20 from the QEW through the village of
Fonthill. Continue on Hwy 20 for a few kilometres past Fonthill
to Effingham Road (32/28). Turn right (north) and go 6.2 kilometres
through beautiful farmland with old country homes and vineyards.
Turn right at Roland Rd. The park entrance is just ahead on the
left. Contact Ontario Parks at 1-800-667-1940 or Short Hills Provincial
Park directly at (905) 774-6642 or (905) 827-6911 during the winter
months.
NOTE: Photo courtesy of Friends
of Short Hills Provincial Park (link
to an external site).
TOP
St. Johns Conservation
Area
The 28-hectare St. Johns Conservation Area protects
the headwaters of a tributary of Twelve Mile Creek, Niagara’s
only cold-water creek. The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
has built a .75 hectare trout pond on the creek. The public are
welcome to fish for rainbow trout that are reared in a smaller spring-fed
pond on the property. A wheelchair accessible path and boardwalk
encircles the pond. From the path, watch for tadpoles, frogs and
painted turtles.
A series of well-marked trails takes visitors through
a magnificent, mature Carolinian forest. Boardwalks cross wet areas
filled with skunk cabbage. Ferns are abundant. More than 400 species
of vascular plants and 80 mushrooms species have been identified
in this lush Escarpment woodland. St. Johns Conservation Area is
located near Fonthill. From Regional Road 20, take North Pelham
Road to Hollow Road.
Woodend Conservation Area
Operated by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
(NPCA), Woodend Conservation Area is a 45 hectare site atop the
Escarpment, used for hiking and cross-country skiing. The Bruce
Trail and other trails traverse the property. The Silurian Trail
follows the Escarpment edge, providing a good view out over the
Niagara Peninsula. These views will be best seen in fall and winter,
when the trees are bare. In summer, the large deciduous trees muffle
the roar of the QEW below, allowing hikers to appreciate the songs
of hermit thrushes, vireos and winter wrens.
Woodend was first settled by the United Empire Loyalist
family of Peter Lampman in 1798. One of the descendants was the
Canadian poet Archibald Lampman. Subsequent family members built
the present-day house in 1931. It is now the Woodend Environmental
Centre, an outdoor education centre for students of the District
School Board of Niagara.
To get to Woodend, take the Glendale exit (38) from
the QEW to Regional Road 70 (Beechwood Road). Drive up the Escarpment
and watch for the Conservation Area signs.
TOP
|
Ball's
Falls Historic Park and Conservation Area
