L14F Forks of the Credit Provincial Park

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Trail Map	Elevation	Satellite	Road Map	Photos	Locator	GPS Log	Trail Guide

Trailhead:	N43.813738 W080.015683
Hike Length:	16.5 km (or long route 20.0 km)
Time:	about 5 h
Difficulty:	Intermediate
Total Ascent:	NA
Terrain:	The Forks of the Credit Provincial Park features rolling terrain with a few steep ascents. Some walking along a roadway (not very busy) and a climb up a 164-step staircase.
Parking/Fees:	Another Provincial Park with pay-and-display machines. High parking cost ($11.00) plus $4.50 each to use the Trimble Side Trail do not make this an inexpensive hiking location. You can refuse the $4.50 fee if you hike straight through and stay out of Bellfountain Park.
Facilities:	Washroom before location (002) and at Bellfountain Park
Lunch Spot:	Along the banks of the Credit River just before the “forks” (006) or at the picnic benches in Bellfountain Park.
Last Hiked:	10 Oct 2003; 06 Nov 2003; 17 Aug 2007
Other:	Not wheelchair accessible; fishing allowed but no hunting
Updates:	Trail improvements
Flexihike:	The Crowsnest ST can be omitted.
Highlights:	Kettle Lake, Cataract Falls, Trimble Side Trail
Wintertime:	Cross country skiing and snowshoeing

The Site: Forks of the Credit Provincial Park Hike

The Forks of the Credit Provincial Park hike begins off McLaren Road, south of Hwy 124 and about 24 kilometres northwest of Brampton between Brimstone and Cataract. Take Charleston Sideroad from Caledon, then go south on McLaren Road. From the pay parking lot, you can begin the hike.

The park features the mighty Credit River, as it narrows and rushes through a deep gorge, plunging over a falls. Geological features that were deposited or carved out by retreating glaciers, such as kame hills and kettle lakes, surround the river. The park also includes some of the upland, rolling pasture land that is typical of much of southern Ontario.

Hiking and picnicking are favourite activities here. Visitors may fish but hunting is forbidden. Open year-round, the park is popular in winter for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Limited facilities include a parking lot, picnic tables, viewing platforms, toilets and marked trails to hike.

The Forks of the Credit Provincial Park is an excellent area for hiking although sometimes overcrowded on pleasant weekends and during the fall colour season. Still few people get very far into the park and soon you will be almost alone. The Kettle Lake was created by glaciation that has no inflow or outflow. The lake, carved out of a pocket in the rock by glaciers, gets its fill by meltwater and later rainwater to form a small self-contained lake. Bellfountain Park is a very popular park with many facilities. The Elora-Cataract Trailway, a section of the Trans Canada Trailway, leads back to the impressive Cataract Falls.

One of the great excitements of the Forks of the Credit hike is to see the Credit River narrow and rush through a deep gorge to plunge over a falls. Geological features that were deposited or carved out by retreating glaciers, such as kame hills and kettle lakes, surround the river. The Trimble Side Trail adds to the enjoyment of the hike with it's river crossings over wooden bridges. Trying to do the hike as outlined here has not been possible for over three years due to road closures at the railway tracks. This is scheduled for completion in mid 2011.

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