Tews Falls | TorontoHiking Ontario Waterfalls

Tews Falls

Tews Falls (Rating=A) is the tallest waterfall in Hamilton at 41 m and 10 m wide. It is a ribbon plunge waterfall located at the Spencer Gorge/Webster's Falls Conservation Area where Logie's Creek plunges over the escarpment. Waterflow is very low in the dry summer months and the waterfall is best viewed in early Spring. Ice-climbing can be seen in winter months.

LOCATION:

The falls is located in the Webster's Falls CA in Greensville (Hamilton.) The best place to park is in the lot off Harvest Road as it is between Webster's Falls and Tews Falls as you will probably want to visit both. Park in the pay parking lot off Harvest Road. Do not park on the side of the road on Harvest Rd or you will be ticketed and towed. Click on the Road Map button below for a Google road map and driving directions. The Falls Locator button shows a map of other waterfalls in the area.

ACCESS:

From the parking lot (entry fee in season) off Harvest Rd, it's a short 100 m walk to the falls which is wheelchair accessible. Click on the Trail Map button below for area walking trails.

NEARBY FALLS	LAT	LONG	TYPE	H (m)	W (m)	SOURCE	FACING
Tews Falls	N43.28075	W79.97853	ribbon plunge	41	10	Logie's Creek	SE
Webster's Falls	N43.27625	W79.98092	classical plunge	22	24	Spencer Creek	E
Borer's Falls	N43.29382	W79.93677	ribbon plunge	15	9	Borer's Creek	S
Grindstone Crk Falls	N43.33044	W79.88708	terraced ribbon	6	4.5	Grindstone Creek	S
Sherman Falls	N43.23814	W79.97280	terraced ribbon	17	8	Ancaster Creek	N

Trail Map	Road Map	Falls Locator

ToHi WATERFALL RATINGS

Overall Rating: Tews Falls = A

Waterflow :B -seasonal flow
Falls Size: A - > 15 m; very large drop
Aesthetics: A -very impressive when there is water, nice setting, observation platform, impressive gorge, great rock formations with information display.

THE TEWS FALLS AREA:

tews-falls The Spencer Gorge/Webster's Falls Conservation Area exhibits the physical features which have made the Niagara Escarpment one of Ontario's most spectacular geological formations.

This significant natural area contains two beautiful waterfalls: Webster’s and Tews Falls. Webster’s is a magnificent tiered waterfall and Tews, which towers at 41 metres, is only a few metres shorter than Niagara Falls. Both offer spectacular vistas of the gorge below.

The Spencer Gorge area with its impressive waterfalls was highly prized and ownership changed hands many times before it came into the hands of the Webster family in 1819. It had been called in previous times: Flamborough Falls, Spencer’s Falls, Fisher’s Falls, and Hart Falls. Webster purchased hundreds of acres of additional land around and below the falls which now makes up the conservation area.

At Tews Falls, layers of bedrock common to the Niagara Escarpment are exposed at the falls. Look for red lenses of Queenstone shale, fine grey sandstone and harder more resistant ledges of blue-grey limestone.

From the CA parking lot, follow the Bruce Trail north back towards Harvest Road and head right towards Tews Falls. A viewing platform provides a good spot to view the falls as Logie’s Creek tumbles over the escarpment into the gorge below. There is an upper and a lower viewing platform placed well out over the gorge to enable a good view.

TEWS FALLS AREA WALKING TRAILS:

Bruce Trail, old Bruce Trail, Webster's Falls ST, Glen Ferguson ST. For a map of area trails, click on the Trail Map icon above.

tews-falls-winter A winter cone at Tews FallsFrom the two Tews falls viewing platforms, continue along the escarpment and the main trail until you come to the signs for the Dundas Peak Side Trail. Keep right and follow the trail along beech trees. The trail is close to the escarpment edge so exercise caution. All along, there are good views of Spencer Gorge below. Arriving at Dundas Peak, which is more of a flat rock formation than a peak, you will have a magnificent view of Dundas right below and all of Hamilton and Burlington Bay in the distance.

Look for familiar landmarks such as McMaster University, Cootes Paradise and Hwy 403 as it climbs the escarpment towards Brantford. There used to be a southern connecting link leading to Webster's Falls but this route has been closed due to a tragic train-hiker accident. Leaving Dundas Peak follow the trail to your right which takes you back by an alternate route. Return to Tews Falls and back to the parking lot.
If you continue forward to the back of the parking lot, you will pick up the trail to nearby Webster's Falls.

FOR THE ADVENTUROUS ONLY:

To view the base of the falls or Lower Tews Falls, take the stairway down into the gorge at Websters Falls. Follow the trail part ways downstream until you see the point where Logie's Creek enters Spencer Creek on the far side. Now you need to cross the creek so that you end up on the east side of Logie's Creek. Crossing may not be easy depending on the volume of water. The currents are strong and the creek bed is very rocky in this one hour trek. There is no well-established trail and it is a bit challenging in places. On the way you will pass Lower Tews Falls which is just south-east of the main falls.

For an alternate route to the base of Tews Falls, park on Woodley Lane by the rail bridge. The trail in is marked with yellow paint. Follow the old Bruce Trail up the stairs and across the tracks. Continue beside the tracks heading uphill until you see the first marked tree on your right. Be VERY careful crossing the tracks and STAY OFF the tracks. Head left into the forest on the path keeping the marked trees on your right until you arrive at a campsite where Lower Tews is just below it to the left. The trail markings end here but just keep Logies Creek to your left as you walk up the east side of the creek. Watch for another waterfalls (Ferguson Waterfalls) on your right as you head to Tews. You can bypass Lower Tews on the return by climbing over the hill to get back to the campsite and onto the trail. The return trail is also marked on the trees. Be sure to keep the marked trees on your right. Remember that this is a rugged trail involving some rock scrambling and hill climbing.