Best Day Hike Trails in the Niagara Region

I am often asked about my favourite trails in certain areas. Since I grew up in Niagara, I have explored a lot of it. Niagara has an abundance of trails to trek and sights to see, so I most certainly have not done them all, but I have seen enough to feel prepared to make this blog post!

The Niagara region has 12 municipalities, so it is large. I am also going to include a Hamilton trail in this post, since Hamilton borders on the Niagara region.

Niagara is a very unique place offering so much to explore. Outside of hiking, it has a variety of wineries, historic sites, beaches, Niagara Falls, Beechwood donuts, and so much more!

For hiking, it offers several unique environmental conditions (for example, research the Carolinian forest to be fascinated!), numerous waterfalls, cliff faces, bodies of water, and let’s not forget about the beautiful escarpment!

Alright, let’s dive into the specifics! Here is a list of my favourite places to hike in the Niagara region:

The Niagara Glen Nature Reserve

This has to be one of the coolest trails in all of Southern Ontario. This trail offers a lot for just about anyone; you see a lot of beautiful views, you get great exercise (there are a fair amount of stairs here!), and it’s great for photos.

I won’t spend too long talking about this specific trail since I already covered it on a separate blog post , but it’s definitely worth exploring. There is paid parking, multiple parking lots and multiple entry points. My favourite trails are the Whirlpool trail and the Cliffside trail. These are marked moderate to difficult, so be prepared!

Smokey Hollow Falls (Hamilton)

I know I know, this trail is in Hamilton – but Hamilton is on the border of the Niagara region so I thought I’d squeeze it in here.

The funny thing about this location is that most people come for the waterfall and don’t go much further. The waterfall is right at the parking lot, which unfortunately causes the parking lot to be packed with people. But the good news is, is that the trail is usually pretty quiet and parking is free.

This trail is pretty phenomenal, my favourite time to visit it is in the fall. But be warned, the trail can get pretty muddy! This linear trail is just over 10km and is full of twists and turns. It features water, large trees, and rocks covered in moss. There are also side trails.

Plan your visit to beat the crowds!

Beamers Memorial

Beamers is located in Grimsby and is known for being a great bird watching location! But if you’re looking to hike, this is a great place to explore. There is a Bruce trail connection, a lookout trail and a lower area with Upper and Lower falls. Parking here is free!

The lookout trail is the most popular, understandably. This trail features multiple locations for looking over Lake Ontario, the city, and trees!

The lookout trail offers fenced in lookouts, as well as lookouts without a fence. The main lookout (of the trees) has a metal platform with stairs that you can go up, or you can go in front of it and experience being on the cliff.

I have wheeled a double stroller up to the main lookout, so most of this trail is stroller-friendly, but you have to turn around instead of doing the loop.

If you enter the Lookout trail and turn right, you will come up to a bench and stairs leading down to the water. This is a great place to explore, I personally love Lower Beamers falls. It’s such a cute area and it’s very rugged in spots. A must-see, but prepare to get your boots dirty!

Read more on this trail here.

Decew Falls

This is a place I never thought I’d write about because I have been here SO MANY TIMES. From after-school hangouts when I was younger, to many photoshoots with clients, and trips on my own after a long day at work, I have been here more times than I can even remember.

Decew Falls isn’t what it used to be, but it’s always a place I’ll treasure in Ontario. It is the first place that blew my mind, and I used to live right next to it which was sweet.

I’ll note right away that this place has a steep cliff with no fencing, so be careful. But there is a trail that takes you into the forest, or you can take the trail down to the water. There is a swimming hole, 2 smaller waterfalls, and a substantial waterfall coming from Morningstar Mill.

If you come here with kids, explore the Mill and the house (it’s now a museum). It’s a beautiful spot for a picnic, family photos, and being outdoors! To get to the trails (which I don’t recommend doing with kids), walk up the stairs and you’ll see a wooden gate. Go through there and turn left!

Parking here is free but it can get crowded on weekends!

Honorable Mentions:

• Balls Falls
• Short Hills Provincial Park
• Woodend Conservation Area

Thanks so much for reading this blog, I hope it will inspire you to get outside and explore these areas for yourself!

I will also be doing my favourite places in Niagara to take photos – since most of them don’t have long trails.

Keep on trekking,

Kate 🥾🌼

If you end up going to any of these trails, tag me in your photos! @yourmatiekatie #katieoutdoors

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