Borer's Falls - Dundas Ontario

Parking at the small lot on York Road, I headed down the Ray Lowes Side Trail and into the valley. It was a cool slightly foggy November morning, perfect for hiking and the trails were empty with the exception of my dog Rosie and me. Our destination: Borer’s Falls.

The trail very quickly wound downwards into the valley and with most of the leaves now down, the view was open and beautiful. As the trail begins the climb up the escarpment, the scenery changes to moss covered rocky outcroppings and stands of birch. This area provides habitat for many significant species of plant and animals, including the largest single population in Canada of Red Mulberry, a nationally endangered tree species.
At the top of the climb there are stairs that have been cut into the rock that provide a close up view of the layered sedimentary rock that make up the escarpment. Once at the top this trail links up with the famous Bruce Trail.
By the time we reached the top, the sun had burnt off the last of the fog and the view across the valley was spectacular.
Continuing along the escarpment edge, there are plenty of spots that provide clear vantage points of the valley below and the amazing eastern white cedar’s that cling unbelievably to the cliff-edge.
The trail winds past farm field and as it starts to approach the falls, the unmistakable sound of rushing water gets louder.

Borer’s Falls is a classical, 17 metre (56 foot) waterfall, also known as Rock Chapel Falls. It is considered is a true plunge waterfall, as the water does not make contact with the bedrock until it reaches the base of the falls.
The waterfalls once powered the Rock Chapel village sawmill, which was run by the Borer family for more than 100 years. Land clearing in the area eventually altered the creek’s flow to such an extent that it could no longer provide sufficient energy, so the family switched to steam to power the mill.
There are many spots to view the falls including a bridge that provides an amazing view of the gorge.
This area is now managed by the Hamilton Conservation Authority and the Royal Botanical Gardens as a nature reserve. It provides a link between Cootes Paradise and the Niagara Escarpment and is host to a wide variety of plants and animals, including large stands of lilacs.

On the hike back, we paused to admire an historical old stone wall that harkened back to pioneer times and observed countless red and black squirrels as well as a number of curious chipmunks as they noisily scampered over the fallen leaves.

This hike takes about 40 minutes each way and is rather hilly but well worth the effort. I look forward to returning!