Brochure - Niagara Escarpment Commission

Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment
Niagara Escarpment
Explorer
A World Biosphere Reserve
Peel & North Halton
County
What You’ll Find
Discover
The Cheltenham Badlands by Neil Hester
Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment
in Peel & North Halton
What You’ll Find
Conservation Areas & Parks
Glen Haffy Conservation Area
Ken Whillans Resource Management Area
Forks of the Credit Provincial Park
Willoughby Property
Belfountain Conservation Area
Cheltenham Badlands
Terra Cotta Forest Conservation Area
Terra Cotta Conservation Area
Silvercreek Conservation Area
Scotsdale Farm
Limehouse Conservation Area
Maps
Region, Niagara Escarpment and Land Use Planning
Peel & North Halton Regional Attractions
Interactive in Google Earth
Online Tourism Resources
Peel and North Halton Regional Links
Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment
The Halton/Caledon Hills section of the Niagara Escarpment is rich in both history and biological diversity. Dominated by the Credit River and its tributaries, the Halton/
Caledon Hills section is a landscape of deeply cut stream
channels and moist woodlands. The Credit, surely one of
Ontario’s most beautiful rivers, rushes and babbles its way
through the region, its cold clear waters attracting anglers
who seek out its trout and salmon.
Glen Haffy Conservation Area
The glacial drift and moraines that bury the Escarpment to
the north are still much in evidence in this section. The Orangeville Moraine, a large glacial landform that stretches
from Horning’s Mills to Orangeville and south to Erin, provides most of the raw materials for the numerous sand and
gravel pits in this area. As the glaciers receded, the Violet Hill Meltwater Discharge washed and sorted the drift,
producing some of the cleanest sand and gravel deposits
anywhere!
Nature trails traverse the wooded parts of the property.
Watch for the large “Nature Trails” sign that marks the
trailhead. For a spectacular view of the rolling farmland
and forest to the north and east, cross the grass to the right
of the trailhead, and walk the short distance to the lookout
point.
This section of the Escarpment is at the junction of two of
Ontario’s major vegetation zones: the Carolinian and the
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence. The more southerly properties,
like Scotsdale Farm and Silver Creek Conservation Area,
have a mix of species from both zones, making them very
biologically diverse.
Yet the Halton/Caledon Hills section also borders on the
urban sprawl of the Greater Toronto Area. With intensive
development pressing in on all sides, it is good to know
that the lands of the Niagara Escarpment are protected,
and will continue to provide wildlife habitat, a corridor for
wildlife movement, and a place for city-weary visitors to
make contact with nature in this heavily populated part of
the province.
A good way to access this section is through Caledon’s
network of trails that follow abandoned rail lines. The
Caledon Trailway stretches 35 kilometres from Terra Cotta
east to Palgrave. The Elora-Cataract Trail runs west from
Cataract to the Grand River, with another 47 kilometres of
trail. Both are part of the Trans-Canada Trail. Unlike the
Bruce Trail, which is limited to hiking, the Trans-Canada
Trail is developed for cycling, horseback riding, crosscountry skiing and snowmobiling in some sections.
Glen Haffy Conservation Area, managed by the Toronto
and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), is located at
the junction of Ontario’s two most dominant geological
features: the Niagara Escarpment and the Oak Ridges
Moraine. Glen Haffy is a good place for a picnic, a hike,
or to take the kids fishing.
At Glen Haffy, cold springs issuing from the Escarpment
form part of the headwaters of the Humber River. They also
provide the water for Glen Haffy’s main attraction: fishing.
The TRCA operates a rainbow trout hatchery and several
fishing ponds here. Fishing licenses, bait and equipment
are available on site. The fishing season runs from the last
Saturday in April until the end of September.
Glen Haffy is located on the east side of Airport Road,
between Caledon East and Mono Mills.
Ken Whillans Resource Management Area
At this 217 acre conservation area located at 16026 Hurontario street on Highway 10 south of Caledon, old gravel pit ponds are home to largemouth bass. Credit Valley
Conservation encourages catch and release here. Bass
season runs from the last Saturday in June to November
30. Anglers can also try their luck for brown trout in the
Credit River at the back of the property. For both bass
and trout, you will require a valid Outdoors Card and a
seasonal fishing licence.
While fishing, you can enjoy the scenery. The area sports
a great view of the Niagara Escarpment’s ‘Devils Pulpit’
area This is one place where the Niagara Escarpment outline can be seen, buried though it is under glacial drift.
Credit Valley Conservation Photo
...a World Biosphere Reserve
Forks of the Credit Provincial Park
The two branches of the Credit River unite at Forks of the
Credit Provincial Park, a 282 hectare day-use park. The
Credit drops over the edge of the Escarpment near the
village of Cataract. A hiking trail takes you to a viewing
platform at the waterfall, with an excellent view down into
the gorge and out over the valley. You can also access the
Caledon Trailway which is part of the Trans-Canada Trail.
At the park entrance, an interpretive kiosk explains the
area’s geology. From here, you can see the park’s largest
kettle, which is a small lake. Kettles are depressions in the
ground, created by blocks of ice abandoned by glaciers.
When these blocks melted, they left pit-shaped depressions in the ground. Look for smaller kettles as you hike
the trails through the park.
You will also notice several Escarpment outcrops around
the Forks of the Credit, the largest being the Devil’s Pulpit,
which rises 100 metres above the Credit River Valley.
The Credit River has cut down through the rocks of the Escarpment, and an excellent contact between the older Ordovician rocks (the red Queenston shale) and the younger
Silurian rocks (Whirlpool sandstone) can be seen in the
river valley.
In the late 19th century, the village of Cataract, which lies
on the western boundary of the park, was a bustling town
with mills, electrical plants, railroads and stone quarries.
the Dominion Street, running along the west bank of the
Credit, linked Cataract with the nearby town of Brimstone.
The road was probably opened by the 1850s, and may
have evolved from an Indian trail. When the railway came
into the area in the 1870s, the engineers decided that the
Dominion Road would be the best route for the rail line,
so the road was relocated to the east bank of the Credit in
1879. The floods of 1912 wiped out part of the Dominion
Road near Cataract, and it was never rebuilt.
The Forks area was an important industrial centre in the
19th century. Three stone quarries employing over 400
men provided stone for the Ontario legislative building at
Queen’s Park in Toronto, the old Toronto City Hall and
many University of Toronto buildings.
Visiting the sleepy little village of Cataract today, it’s hard
to imagine how busy it was a century ago. Passenger trains
stopped here four times a day. Many travellers stayed at
the Horseshoe Inn, the area’s first hotel, built sometime
before 1870. Today, this area is a favourite destination for
enjoying fall colours, especially along the scenic Forks of
the Credit Road. The Horseshoe Inn is now the Cataract
Inn, a beautiful old country hotel and restaurant.
To get to Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, turn west off
Highway 10 onto Charleston Sideroad. Continue west for
3 km, then turn left on McLaren Road (formerly 2nd Line
West). The park entrance is about 2.5 km down the road
on the right.
Belfountain Conservation Area and the Willoughby Property
Belfountain Conservation Area, managed by Credit Valley Conservation, is a 13-acre park located in a gorge
on the east side of the historic village of Belfountain. The
Credit River runs through the property, creating a steepsided gorge and exposing the red clay of the Queenston
Formation.
This charming park was initially developed by an eccentric
inventor, Charles Mack, who invented the cushion-back
rubber stamp. Mack bought the property in 1908 and developed several unusual attractions: a miniature Niagara
Falls, a man-made cave with concrete stalagmites and stalactites, and a suspension bridge over the Credit River. He
also built a fountain of inverted bells, and dedicated it to
the community.
Adjoining Belfountain Conservation Area is the 38-hectare
Willoughby Property, acquired by CVC in 1995. Here,
Niagara Escarpment talus slopes provide habitat for ferns
such as rock polypody, maiden-hair spleenwort and dsiayleaved grape fern.
To get to Belfountain Conservation Area, take Mississauga
Road north from the 401 and travel north to the village of
Belfountain. The Conservation Area is .5 km north and
east of the main intersection of town, at 10 Credit Street.
After your visit, take in the craft and fine food shops in
Belfountain, or enjoy a meal at one of the renowned restaurants in the Hills of Headwaters region.
Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment
Cheltenham Brick Yards
Terra Cotta Conservation Area
Driving south on Mississauga Road from Belfountain, you
pass by a group of tall, abandoned brick buildings with
smoke stacks on the west side of the road. This is the
Cheltenham Brick Yards, which operated from 1914 until 1958. The red clay of the Escarpment’s Queenston
shale formation provided the raw material for high quality
baked bricks. Today, the Brampton Brick Company still
uses shale from the Cheltenham area for brick-making.
The first bricks made from Queenston shale were used to
build the home of the mill owner at Terra Cotta in 1850.
Before long, several brick companies were established in
the Terra Cotta area; in fact, the town was named for this
local resource. Terra Cotta means “baked earth.”
The Terra Cotta Conservation Area used to be a popular,
privately-owned recreational facility with man-made ponds
for swimming and fishing, a dance pavilion, sports field
and a playground. The Credit Valley Conservation Authority purchased the land in 1959, adding trails, a visitor
centre and a one-acre swimming pool.
Cheltenham Badlands
Continue south on Mississauga Road to Olde Base Line
Road, and turn left (east.) On the south side of the road,
watch for an outcrop of Queenston shale that is badly
eroded, creating a small but impressive “badland” like
those of southern Alberta. the badland may have developed when the land was cleared. The overlying topsoil
washed away, exposing the clay, which then succombed to
the forces of erosion. The site is a provincially significant
earth science feature, managed by the Ontario Heritage
Trust.
In recent years, CVC removed the swimming pool and replaced it with a man-made wetland. Shallow and deep areas provide habitat for a wide variety of wetland plants and
animals. Here, visitors can learn the difference between
a bulrush and a cattail, see tadpoles in various stages of
transformation into frogs, and watch Canada geese raise
their young. From a boardwalk that crosses the pond,
kids can use dip nets to get a close look at the aquatic
invertebrates. The swimming pool may be gone, but there
are plenty of recreational opportunities in its place, which
benefit both wildlife and people.
The Credit Valley Conservation Authority was awarded a
Niagara Escarpment Achievement Award for this habitat
restoration project.
Terra Cotta Conservation Area has trails suitable fro hiking
and cross-country skiing. Its trails also connect with those
of Silver Creek Conservation Area and Scotsdale Farm,
just to the south. The entrance to the Conservation Area
is on Winston Churchill Boulevard, just north of the village
of Terra Cotta.
Silver Creek Conservation Area
With its rich, diverse forests and steep-sided stream valleys, Silver Creek is a beautiful area for hiking. A 14
kilometre trail allows hikers to explore the Conservation
Area in depth. This moderately difficult trail winds up and
down steep valley walls, through open meadows and dep
woods, across boardwalks and bridges. Visitors looking
for a much shorter hike could head to the Silver Creek
Outdoor Education Centre, located at the corner of 27
Sideroad and the 9th Line. From here, take the Silver
Creek Lookout Loop, an easy, 2.5 kilometre trail that winds
up the Escarpment and north along its edge, offering spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. From this
trail, you can also take a ladder down into the Escarpment
rock crevices.
Photo by Neil Hester
...a World Biosphere Reserve
Silver Creek is at the junction of the Carolinian and Great
Lakes-St.Lawrence forest regions, so it is home to both
northern and southern species of plants and animals.
Watch for the shaggy bark of the shagbark hickory, a Carolinian tree species. Other Carolinian specialties include
running strawberry-bush, spicebush, and yellow water buttercup. Blue-winged and golden-winged warblers nest
here.
The Silver Creek Valley carried meltwaters at the end of the
Ice Age. Its valley separates the Georgetown outlier from
the main Escarpment.
To get to Silver Creek, take Trafalgar Road north from Hwy.
401. Continue north for 14 km. Where Regional Rd. 3
veers west off to the west, stay on Trafalgar heading north.
After 1.5 km turn right and enter Scotsdale Farm. Parking
is available near the house.
Scotsdale Farm
Scotsdale Farm is a magnificent example of an old Ontario farm, preserved as it was a half a century ago, and still
operating today. The farm, farmhouse and outbuildings
were bequeathed to the Ontario Heritage Trust in 1982 by
Stewart and Violet Bennett. The couple had raised awardwinning shorthorn cattle and Arabian horses there for over
forty years. Today, the property is managed by the Ontario
Heritage Trust, and is rented out for conferences and functions. Just walking the tranquil grounds of this lovely old
homestead generates nostalgic feelings about Ontario’s
not-so-distant agricultural past.
To get to Scotsdale Farm, follow the directions to Silver
Creek Conservation Area.
Credit Valley Conservation
CVC manages over 2400 ha of land in the Credit Watershed. Rare flora and fauna, habitats, ecosystems, and
cultural heritage features are all protected within these areas.
1255 Old Derry Road
Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 6R4
Phone: (905) 670-1615
Toll Free 1-800-668-5557
Web: www.creditvalleycons.com
The Bruce Trail
The Bruce Trail, Canada’s oldest and longest continuous
footpath, extends more than 800 km along the length of
the Escarpment from Queenston to Tobermory. The Bruce
Trail Association works to preserve public access to the
Niagara Escarpment while restoring its natural habitat.
Bruce Trail Association:
Phone 1-800-665-HIKE
Web: www.brucetrail.org
The Niagara Escarpment Commission
Since 1973, the Niagara Escarpment Commission has
worked with government, business, non-profit organizations, land managers, land owners and others to conserve
Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment as a continuous natural
environment and scenic, working countryside.
The Commission administers the Niagara Escarpment
Plan, Canada’s first large-scale environmental plan. In
recognition of the Escarpment’s special environment and
people’s efforts to protect it through the Niagara Escarpment Plan and other means, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
named Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment a World Biosphere
Reserve in 1990.
Biosphere Reserves demonstrate that ecology, economy
and a good life can exist together, each a part of the other.
Niagara Escarpment Commission:
Phone: (905) 877-5191
Web: www.escarpment.org
Ontario Heritage Trust Photo
Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment
Credit Valley Conservation
1255 Old Derry Road
Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 6R4
Parks and Conservation Areas
of Peel/North Halton
1. Glen Haffy Conservation Area
2. Ken Whillans Resource Management Area
Phone: (905) 670-1615 or 1-800-668-5557
3. Forks of the Credit Provincial Park
Web: www.creditvalleycons.com
4. Willoughby Property
The Bruce Trail
5. Belfountain Conservation Area
6. Cheltenham Badlands
The Bruce Trail, Canada’s oldest and longest continuous
footpath, extends 850 km along the length of the Escarp- 7. Terra Cotta Forest Conservation Area
ment from Queenston to Tobermory. The Bruce Trail As- 8. Terra Cotta Conservation Area
sociation works to preserve public access to the Niagara
9. Silvercreek Conservation Area
Escarpment while restoring its natural habitat.
10. Scotsdale Farm
11. Limehouse Conservation Area
Bruce Trail Association:
Phone 1-800-665-HIKE
Web: www.brucetrail.org
The Niagara Escarpment Commission
Since 1973, the Niagara Escarpment Commission has
worked with government, business, non-profit organizations, land managers, land owners and others to conserve
Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment as a continuous natural
environment and scenic, working countryside.
The Commission administers the Niagara Escarpment
Plan, Canada’s first large-scale environmental plan. In
recognition of the Escarpment’s special environment and
people’s efforts to protect it through the Niagara Escarpment Plan and other means, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
named Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment a World Biosphere
Reserve in 1990.
Biosphere Reserves demonstrate that ecology, economy
and a good life can exist together, each a part of the other.
Niagara Escarpment Commission:
Phone: (905) 877-5191
Web: www.escarpment.org
Credit Valley Conservation Photos
...a World Biosphere Reserve