Beamers Falls | TorontoHiking Ontario Waterfalls

Beamer's Falls

Beamers Falls (Rating=B) is an 8 m wide ribbon cascade type falls where Forty Mile Creek flows 12 m down into the gorge below. A smaller lower falls is located downstream.

LOCATION:	Beamers Falls is a Niagara Region waterfall located south of Grimsby on Ridge Road W west of Mountain St. Click on the Road Map button for a Google map and directions. The Falls Locator button shows a map of other waterfalls in the area.
ACCESS:	Access is good; it's a short 200 m walk to the falls from the free parking lot. Not wheelchair accessible. Click on the Trail Map button below for area walking trails.

NEARBY FALLS	LAT	LONG	TYPE	H (m)	W (m)	SOURCE	FACING
Beamers Falls	N43.18320	W79.57376	ribbon cascade	12	8	Forty Mile Creek	NE
Thirty Mile Creek Falls	N43.16762	W79.51375	ribbon cascade	15	2.5	Thirty Mile Creek	NE
Devil's Punch Bowl	N43.21045	W79.75594	ribbon plunge	35	3	Stoney Creek	N
Balls Falls	N43.13440	W79.38376	cascade plunge	11	20	Twenty Mile Creek	N
Felker's Falls	N43.20339	W79.79013	terraced ribbon	22	6	Red Hill Creek	N

Trail Map	Road Map	Falls Locator

ToHi WATERFALL RATINGS

Overall Rating: Beamers Falls = B

Waterflow: B -seasonal
Falls Size: B - < 15 m
Aesthetics: B -impressive long cascade, exceptional sight in winter.

THE BEAMER'S FALLS AREA:

beamers-falls Beamer Conservation Area is located on the Niagara Escarpment, immediately above the town of Grimbsy and about 2 km south of the south shore of Lake Ontario. The conservation area encompasses the steep-sided, north-south gorge of Forty-Mile Creek, which is carved into the escarpment. The 5 m high Beamers Falls is located at the head of the gorge. The north-facing cliffs of the escarpment are exposed. The drier uplands support forests of oaks, hickories, maples and hemlocks. The cliff faces of the steep-sided gorge slopes are predominantly covered by White Cedar, some of which may be centuries old. The escarpment slopes have forests mainly of Sugar Maple and White Ash, but include other Carolinian species. A small abandoned quarry provides habitat for several species of amphibians and reptiles. Grimsby Point, at the northwest edge of the gorge, is an exposed rocky outcrop overlooking the Forty Mile Creek valley and the Lake Ontario plain.

The most common bird species are the Turkey Vulture and the Red-shouldered Hawk. This is likely a reflection of the recent population increase of Turkey Vulture in Canada. Other species recorded in large numbers include Sharp-shinned Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, and Red-tailed Hawk. Beamers is significant as a concentration point for migrating raptors because of its physiography. The Niagara Escarpment is oriented almost parallel to the southwestern Lake Ontario shoreline. In many locations, the cliffs of this escarpment are up to 20 m high. Often on many days in March and early April, strong updrafts occur along the cliff rim as a result of the microclimate. The migrating hawks take advantage of these updrafts. The added feature that helps concentrate hawks at Beamers is a change in the orientation of the escarpment. At this point, the distance between the escarpment and the Lake Ontario shoreline is at its lowest. As well, the escarpment surface is at a much higher elevation than the plain. All these features bring larger concentrations of hawks over the escarpment at Beamers relative to other locations along the escarpment. After mid-April, when prevailing winds tend to have a southerly component, birds usually pass over the park in the early part of the day, then pass to the south as thermals form over nearby farmlands.

The spellings Beamer’s Falls and Beamers Falls are both in common use.

BEAMER'S FALLS AREA WALKING TRAILS:

Bruce Trail, Beamer Falls Side Trail, Forty Mile Creek Side Trail, Grimsby Point Side Trail. For a map of area trails, click on the Trail Map icon above.

beamers-falls Looking downstreamFrom the parking lot, head to your left as you face the gorge. There is a high earth berm to prevent people from falling into the gorge. I have seen people jump up on top of this berm and almost go over the edge, so be careful. Follow the path along the edge of the gorge for good views of the falls. From here you can see both falls. Go uphill and cross the bridge to the other side. There you will see a laneway past some houses that leads into the conservation area. Follow this blue side trail along the edge of the escarpment until you come to a juncture in the trail. Here you will meet the main Bruce Trail. Instead look for a gravel pathway and follow that through the woods keeping to your left. You will emerge into an open field with a washroom and a hawk watching tower. Look for a path to your right and enter the woods once again joining up with the main Bruce trail. The trail loops trough the woods before it arrives at Grimsby Point which is utterly spectacular affording incredible views of Grimsby below. Follow along the escarpment edge visiting the numerous lookout and hawk/vulture watching platforms. When you come to a well-placed rest and observation bench you will observe that the main Bruce Trail descends down the steep embankment. To return to the parking lot, do not follow the Bruce Trail down but rather look again for the blue side trail and retrace your path back to the parking lot.

FOR THE ADVENTUROUS ONLY:

From the Beamers CA parking lot (the lot to the West of the falls), there is a trail that leads down into the gorge to the base of the falls. You can also descend to the creek by way of the Bruce Trail and then walk upstream to the Lower falls. There is no trail and it is very rocky with fallen trees to scramble over. In heavy flows this route may not be possible.