Hiking The Bruce Trail: Limehouse, Devil’s Pulpit and Rattlesnake Point
Situated in Ontario, The Bruce Trail is the oldest and longest marked hiking trail in Canada. It is 885 km long, from Queenston Heights in Niagara Falls to Tobermory.
Depending on your physical ability, if you hiked eight hours a day (approximately 30 km) it would take 30 days to complete the trail end-to-end.
The Niagara Escarpment in Southern Ontario is one of the world’s natural wonders and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations.
While there are hundreds of ways to get on the Bruce Trail, we decided to explore a few sections near Toronto: Limehouse Conservation Area, Devil’s Pulpit and Rattlesnake Point.
LIMEHOUSE CONSERVATION AREA
Location: 12169 Fifth Line, Limehouse, Ontario
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
This part of The Bruce Trail is located on the Niagara Escarpment around Halton Hills, Ontario. The area is known for its deep rock fissures and crevices which are accessible from the trail via ladders at the location known as the “Hole in the wall”.
Visitors can also explore the Black Creek and the remains of the 19th century lime kilns which illustrate the cultural heritage of its past.
For hiking attire, I don’t have much of a style. I dress for the climate and try to wear what’s most comfortable. I am in the woods, it’s not a fashion show out here.
In this case I am wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants with comfortable shoes. This is to protect from ticks in the area. I got bit by a tick when I was hiking as a kid in California and it’s not fun (fortunately it wasn’t carrying any diseases).
DEVIL’S PULPIT AND THE HOFFMAN LIME KILN RUINS
Location: south on Chisholm St. on the south side of the Forks of the Credit Road
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
This part of The Bruce Trail is located on the Niagara Escarpment around Caledon, Ontario. Devil’s Pulpit is a 35 foot high cliff of the Amabel Dolostone. The short hike itself is beautiful and provides a great leg workout.
Once you ascend the trail above the railway tracks, you will come across some old railways that cross the trail. At this point you can take the newly-opened Lime Kiln Side Trail which leads to the site of the pinnacle of early 20th century technology known as the Hoffman Ring Kiln.
The kiln was used for burning dolostone to create lime which was an important ingredient for early industrial and agricultural purposes.
This is a short 600 m which we took on the way back. To continue the trail, follow the Escarpment through the area of tumbled rock until you reach the base of Devil’s Pulpit. There is a chain attached to the wall if you need assistance climbing up the steep staircase. Once you are finished enjoying the view from the top, retrace your steps back down to your car. Fortunately you’ll be going downhill this time which makes the hike easier.
RATTLESNAKE POINT
Location: 7200 Appleby Line, Milton, Ontario
Difficulty: Easy
The limestone cliffs of this section of The Bruce Trail is located on the Niagara Escarpment near Milton, Ontario. Here you can enjoy five breathtaking lookouts that dot the edge of its towering cliffs. The hike crosses the Nassagaweya Canyon and Limestone Creek as it leads to Crawford Lake.
For adventure seekers, Rattlesnake Point offers three designated sites for rock climbing. I didn’t get a chance to try out the rock climbing, but I can imagine it would be a fun activity to experience in the future.
Each hike was beautiful and offered different perspectives of The Bruce Trail. Devil’s Pulpit and The Hoffman Lime Kiln Ruins was my favourite hike, which was also the most challenging of the three.
Exploring more of The Bruce Trail is on my never ending travel bucketlist, but it was nice to get a small taste last weekend.
Over to you — what is your favourite day hike?
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