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WAYPOINT
INTERVAL
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DISTANCE
km
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WAYPOINT-TO-WAYPOINT TRAIL DESCRIPTION
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001 - 002
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2.9
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From the Decew House parking lot go left on the road across the bridge and you will see the trail on the left side of the road heading into the woods beside Lake Moody. The trail passes through thorny shrubs and crosses a few wooden bridges through wet areas. Past the bridge there is a obscured white Main Bruce Trail marker on a tree ahead indicating the trail goes off to the right through the brush. The trail comes out to St. David’s Road overlooking the parking lot at Brock University. Here the trail goes to the left on the road. At the soccer fields on the right the trail goes back into the woods on the left of the road. The trail curves right towards a wire fence topped with barbed wire. The trail comes out to an open area with the Ontario Power Generation Plant off to one side with a Porta-John and the trail swings right (002).
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002 - 003
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4.5
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Leaving the fence behind turn right across a gravel road with a gate to the right and continue straight ahead where there is a red sign with a leaf logo indicating Brock University and head back into a brush strewn area of the woods past the DeCew Generating Station on the left. The trail continues through Brock University across the campus before heading slightly downhill and into the woods. The Main Bruce Trail now heads downhill and part way down there is an intersection with the main trail going off to the right and a side trail goes off to the left. Take the main trail. Squirrels can be seen where the trail comes to a wide gravel pathway along the edge of the ravine on the left. Continuing along this trail for some distance, the trail comes out to Glenridge Avenue (003) and continues to the left along the sidewalk.
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003 - 004
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6.3
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Part way down Glenridge Avenue past the curve where the guardrail ends, carefully cross the road and look for the white markers where the Bruce Trail climbs back into the woods. Climbing a steep hill, the trail continues along at a high level overlooking the street below. The trail comes out to a gravel road with an information plaque on a stone pedestal indicating the Bruce Trail ahead. Go downhill to the left and follow the trail. The trail comes to a large sign called the Bruce Trail Link with information about the Glenridge Quarry Naturalization site and leaves this gravel pathway and turns right back into the woods. The trail now wanders through a sparsely populated deciduous forest with tall trees beside the dirt trail. The trail makes a loop and climbs a very steep hill to the top where the Bruce Trail goes to the left. The trail wanders through shrubby brush before coming out to the cul de sac of a subdivision on Tremont Drive (004).
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004 - 005
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7.5
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Follow the Bruce Trail blazes down the subdivision until you arrive at busy Glendale Avenue. Observe the fancy brickwork in the driveways along Tremont. A variety of fast food shops can be found at Glendale with the Pen Centre Plaza across the street. Turn right at this intersection (005) and walk along Glendale under HWY 406.
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005 - 006
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8.2
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Before the Keg Restaurant with the large chimney you will see the turn right blaze on a telephone pole with the trail crossing the grassy field on the right and back into the bush (006).
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006 - 007
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10.1
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Watch for the Bruce Trail which goes off to the left of the Merritt Trail under a huge bent over tree and follows a rough unkempt trail that leads behind the Keg Restaurant. The path swings right into the bush under a second low bent over tree across a dried creek bed on wooden planks. Looming ahead is a huge step-like rock structure which you climb up and continue on into the brush and woods. Climbing another set of steps between two heavy concrete walls brings you to a waterfall area and a canal feeder channel with the path continuing along a grassy corridor on a narrow gravel path. Watch for a sudden right turn which is easy to miss if you don’t watch carefully for the markers hidden by foliage. The trail follows a fence along the old Second Welland Canal and comes to an overpass bridge giving a good view of a small waterfalls in the canal. Up ahead on a telephone pole you will see a blaze indicating another right turn. The trail comes out to Ball Avenue crosses Merritt St with a house right across the street and goes down the pathway to the left into the woods. Part way down the slope the trail goes off to the right down towards the railway tracks and continues to the right of the abandoned railway line. At (007) the trail veers off to the left away from the tracks and into the woods.
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007 - 008
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12.1
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Winding through an area of low shrubbery, the trail continues down a rocky slope where white throated sparrows could be seen in the trees. The trail comes out to another set of tracks and continues to the right along the tracks. White Bruce Trail markings can be seen along the railbed and in no time at all the trail goes left back into the woods again. The trail enters an open meadow with a lift bridge and tall tower straight ahead. At the bridge the trail swings right through the grassy field and heads towards a second lock in the canal. The trail makes a loop onto a paved walkway and comes close to the Welland Canal. You may cross the road to inspect the canal up close. Continue on to the bridge (008) ahead and cross the bridge.
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008 - 009
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14.0
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Across the bridge the trail continues along Glendale Ave past the GM plant until you arrive at the Third Welland Canal where the trail leaves the road and goes right alongside the canal channel. The trail then follows an overgrown winding pathway along the side of the canal for some distance. Be very careful alongside these canals and stay away from the edges where you can trip on protruding metal bolts. To your left you will see a golf course in time. Past a rail bridge the Bruce Trail swings left and downhill but instead look straight ahead for the partially hidden sign for the Bert Lowe Side Trail. By the chain link fence at this point go straight ahead on the Bert Lowe and not downhill on the Bruce Trail. This intersection is waypoint (009).
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009 - 010
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15.1
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The blue blazed side trail comes to a train bridge and the trail goes downhill and passes under the bridge past numerous bugs. The trail climbs up again and continues along the banks of the canal. The trail moves left away from the bridge through a wet area of tall weeds and climbs a very steep incline up to the top of the hill. Turn right and follow the blue blazes at the top. After climbing to the top of a second hill overlooking the gravel pit, the trail comes out to a rocky dirt road and continues along this road to the right (010).
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010 - 011
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16.8
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Up ahead you can see a windmill turning in the breeze. The trail suddenly turns and swings to the right back into the woods. The trail comes out to the same dirt road again. You can see the windmill again to your left and straight ahead there is a large low concrete silo structure with a tripod on top and blue markings. Going right, in about 10 metres, you turn right back into the bush again. At a Y-intersection, turn left and go uphill and back to the dirt road again. Turn right along this road and follow the road straight ahead, crossing a gravel road and back into the woods. The trail enters a deciduous forest, somewhat scary in appearance, and heads downhill crossing some wooden planks across a dry stream and then winds a bit to the left and continues to climb back up the slope. Watch for a difficult to see turn in the woods that goes up to the right and then heads off to the right again and then downhill once more. The trail swings left following the dry creek before heading uphill and continuing straight ahead. Coming out of the woods you will see Thorold Cemetery straight ahead and the trail turns left and follows the power line. Crossing the road ahead, continue straight ahead along Davis Road (011) through the gate and along this unused road. You can see the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls over to the left in the distance.
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011 - 012
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17.9
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At HWY 58 turn right and walk through the noisy but well ventilated 600 m tunnel under the Fourth Welland Canal (012).
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012 - 013
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20.6
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After the underpass, turn left and cross the bridge on Pine Street then turn left again and follow the walkway by the Pine Hotel parking lot along the fence. The hotel is a good place for a break, a snack and a brew. Turn right onto Patricia St. and then left onto Beaverdams Road. There are some convenience stores nearby. Follow Beaverdams to Ormond St South. At this T-intersection (013) turn right along Ormond.
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013 - 014
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22.0
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After 100 m turn right along a rock strewn gravel road as indicated by the blue trail blazes on the telephone pole ahead. You will see the nearby old transformer station. From this point on this is one of the most poorly marked side trails I have ever seen so pay close attention to the following instructions as it easy to get lost in this maze of channels and old canals. Continue straight ahead passing the first bridge you see on the left. Do not cross this bridge. The path along the Third Welland Canal comes to a T-intersection with a telephone pole straight ahead with yellow markers indicating a turn to the right (014). Very shortly after turn left and go downhill.
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014 - 015
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22.9
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At the bottom of the hill, cross the wooden bridge with metal side railings. Take the steep rutted trail straight ahead up the hill. At the Y-intersection at the top of the hill take the left path with the yellow marker and continue ahead on this road. The trail crosses a causeway between the two bodies of water and then continues along the 1.5 m wide dirt gravel trail with a wide old canal on the right-hand side. Crickets break the silence along this section. We pass by a small earth causeway to the right across the canal but do not cross here. At the second causeway which can be underwater, turn right and cross the causeway. You may have to remove shoes/socks to wade across after heavy rainfalls. This is just before the two large transmission towers carrying the power lines in front of you (015).
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015 - 016
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23.9
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On the other side continue to follow the dirt road which swings to the left. The trail now passes underneath the transmission lines and continues along the bank of the canal on your left. Passing an overgrown area with lots of shrubbery, the trail comes to a more open area and passes by a large field of milkweed alongside a metal fence on the left. At the Ontario Hydro Generation Plant fenced in area with a dam, follow the trail left to the old railway bridge over an arm of Lake Gibson that connects with the old canal. Use care in crossing this bridge (016).
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016 - 017
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24.5
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Once across the bridge, turn right and follow the other side of the canal and climb the hill. At the Y-intersection take the main path to the left. At a gravel road continue ahead to the left on the main wide road. You can see on your left the railway tracks separated from the road by a fence. Coming to a bridge over the canal we leave the gravel road and head down a steep muddy slope and cross over the dam to the other side of the canal with the roaring water rushing by underneath into Lake Gibson (017). This is the southern most point of the hike.
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017 - 018
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26.5
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Continue following the gravel pathway which swings right between the power canal on the left and Lake Gibson on the right. Once again we pass under the wires of the hydro transmission lines. Cross the old railway tracks and at Beaverdams Road (018) cross the road into a farmyard and continue straight ahead past a red barn with a sagging green roof.
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018 - 019
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27.3
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Follow the narrow dirt path through a grassy area again between the two bodies of water. Passing an abandoned hayfield, the trail passes between two areas of small shrub growth. Crossing a concrete bridge left across the canal, we come to a long square concrete underpass built specifically to carry the trail under HWY 406 (019). This area can be wet at times.
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019 - 020
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27.9
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Coming out of the tunnel the path swings right coming again to a gravel roadway along the edge of the power canal on the right and moving away from HWY 406. The trail continues along the shore of Lake Gibson before crossing the Merrittville Parkway (020) and jogging slightly to the right to continue ahead.
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020 - 001
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28.9
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Coming to a post on the left with an indication to go down a stone road, it’s worth following to take a quick look at a sluice channel feeding into the lake. Return back up the hill and continue onward as you were travelling before the detour. Pass the concrete platform on the right known as “lovers rendezvous” with the sign “dangerous water”. A beautiful blue heron glided across the surface of the water here before landing. Reaching Decew Road, the parking lot (001) is just across the road. Phew!
Enjoy the hike and the day.
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