START Lat/Long

N43.29073
W79.93695

LAST HIKED:

22Oct07

HIKE LENGTH:

14 km

TOTAL
ASCENT:

 283 m

RATING:

intermediate

TIME:

4 h

FEE:

Parking fee at Borer’s

TERRAIN:

some small hills and a staircase to descend

LUNCH SPOTS:

In RBG grounds

FACILITIES:

At the RGB Nature Centre

THE SITE:

A hike from Borer’s Falls down to the Bruce Trail headquarters at Raspberry House and into the Royal Botannical Gardens. We follow Captain Cootes Trail along the waterfront past some tower lookouts to the Marsh Walk and then back along Bull’s Point trail to Borer’s Falls.

WAYPOINT
INTERVAL

DISTANCE
km

WAYPOINT-TO-WAYPOINT TRAIL DESCRIPTION

001 - 002

0.46

From the Borer’s Falls parking lot, walk back over the bridge to view Borer’s Falls at the viewing point  with the “From Pioneer Village to Sanctuary” sign. The view is somewhat obscured by vegetation overgrowth. (002)

002 - 003

1.3

Continue on the trail along the escarpment edge passing a bench at a corner lookout point. Soon you arrive at a set of wooden steps that takes you down into the valley below. (003)

003 - 004

1.4

At the bottom of the steps continue on to  the intersection with the Ray Lowes Side Trail. We now leave the main Briuce Trail and keep to the right along the Ray Lowes Side Trail (004)

004 - 005

2.3

The trail wnaders through a relatively young woods and then descends via a set of log reenforced berms as the trail heads downhill. The trail skirts left along the base of a hill and crosses over a dry creek on a wooden platform and continues ahead through the woods alongside a fallen log. At a Y-intersection the trail heads off to the left along a new path with the old path closed for regeneration. The trail crosses a creek and heads up a slope arriving at York Road (005).

005 - 006

5.7

Follow along the grassy area alongside York Road passing under a railway underpass before crossing the road and heading into the North Shore trail section of the RBG grounds. At an intersection take the wider gravel trail straight ahead. This is the Pinetum Trail leading to Raspberry House which is the headquarters of the Bruce Trail Assoc. At a T-intersection keep left along the Pinetum Trail. Past an open area the trail becomes the Pinetum Arboretum Trail. Pass a large stone tower frequented by geese arriving at Raspberry House. Continue on towards the greenhouse complex and turn right down the paved road. Arriving at two concentric circles keep left towards the Nature Interpretive Centre. Maps are available for sale here. leaving the Nature Centre walk to the trail on side where the signs are located describing the Captain Cootes Trail (006)

006 - 007

7.5

Follow the Captain Cootes Trail turning right at the bottom of the hill. A small side loop takes you to a view of the Desjardins Canal exhibit plus a view of the ducks along the shore. A lookout spot further on talks about Hickory Island and how the bird droppings eventually killed the trees. You arrive at an intersection with the Bull’s Point Side Trail (007)

007 - 008

7.8

The Bull’s Point Side Trail takes you to a viewing tower (008).

008 - 009

8.4

Return to the Captain Cootes Side Trail and continue ahead to the George North Lookout Side Trail (009) which leads to anther tower lookout.

009 - 010

8.7

Returning to the Captain Cootes trail continue on (left) to arrive at the Marsh Walk Trail (010).

010 - 011

9.1

Turn left onto this trail and head downhill to the metre wide wooden plank boardwalk that walks out into the bullrushes in the marsh. There is a nice lookout her to view the surroundings and Rat Island (011).

011 - 010

9.6

Continue back to the Captain Cootes Trail at waypoint (010).

010 - 012

10.4

Take the Bull’s Point Trail back to the Pinetum Sidetrail (012).

012 - 005

11.1

Turn left and return back to York Road and waypoint (005)

005 -004

12.7

Continue on the Ray Lowes Side Trail back to the main Bruce Trail

004 -001

14.0

Turn left onto the main Bruce Trail back past Borer’s Falls to the starting point.