The Niagara Escarpment follows the elbow of Lake Ontario through the City of Stoney Creek, City of Hamilton and the towns of Flamborough, Ancaster and Dundas. Here The escarpment comes closest to the urban fringe.
Locally, this portion of the Niagara Escarpment is known as 'The Mountain". This area contains the largest number of water falls along the escarpment. There are eighteen waterfalls in this area: Devils Punch Bowl, Battlefield, Felker's, Albion, Buttermilk, Chedoke, Lower Tiffany , Upper Tiffany (also known as Washboard Falls), Sherman Falls (also known as Fairy), Mill, Hermitage, Mineral Springs, Steven's, Webster's, Tew's, Sydenham, Borer's and Grindstone.
Most of the falls in this area are on conservation land managed by the Hamilton Conservation Authority. The conservation authority has established 12 escarpment parks and preserved them as natural areas of significance. The area falls within the "Carolian Canada" zone - an area extending from Lake Erie, Lake Ontario to Lake Huron. It is home to trees, plants, birds and animals that are usually found in North and South Carolina. It is not uncommon to spot a possum or a magnolia tree within this area.
Hamilton is an industrial city of almost 400,000 people best known as the home of Canada's steel industry. It is also the home of Hamilton Tiger-Cats reigning Grey Cup Champions of the Canadian Football League. Hamilton has also been blessed with beautiful natural areas ranging from the deep inlet known as Cootes Paradise to the spectacular conservation areas atop of "The Mountain". Nearby to Hamilton are the charming towns of Ancaster, Dundas and Flamborough.
Travelling west from Beamer's Falls through Grimsby into Stoney Creek you will find the aptly-named Devil's Punch Bowl. The Devil's Punch Bowl plunges 10 storeys into a deep gorge of exposed, layered sedimentary rock caused by erosion from Stoney Creek. I visited the falls on three occasions. The best view is definitely during the early spring when Stoney Creek is full to the brim with spring runoff. In September the Devils Punch Bowl was bone-dry not a trickle of water flowed on one occasion.
The Devil's Punch Bowl is a remarkable sight. The falls have a rather narrow crest line of three metres or roughly 15 feet, but the water plummets 34 m or almost 100 ft. The bowl itself is about 60 metres across. The punch bowl structure was formed almost 16,000 years ago as a result of water erosion caused by the glacier's receding from the Lake Ontario basin. Although the falls are the most spectacular during the spring, the dry season of late summer and fall also offer an interesting sight to see. The punch bowl cliffs are a wonderous blend of reddish to brownish dolomites and shales. It has been called a geological gem.
Atop of the escarpment a large cross has been erected overlooking Stoney Creek and Lake Ontario. Looking north there is a great view of Stoney Creek and Hamilton and Lake Ontario.
Below the Devil's Punch Bowl is situated Stoney Creek Battefield Park. An important battle of the War of 1812 was fought here on June 6, 1813 when British troops were able on repel an American offensive. A home belonging to the Gage Family during the time of the battle has been preserved as the Battlefield House Museum.
Felker's Falls is situated in Stoney Creek just west of the Devil's Punch Bowl and is located in a unique setting - a suburban housing development. The falls and the woods provide nature close to home for the residents and it is also accessible to other visitors. Felker's Fall has a height of 21.5 metres and a crest of 7.0 metres. A special feature of Felker's Falls is the Peter Street Trail, designed for use by those in wheel chairs and the visually impaired. The trail was named after Peter Street who worked as an advocate for the disabled. Accessibility to wheel chair users and the visually impaired is made possible by constructing the surface of the trail with packed stonedust. Interpretation stations are constructed out of interlocking stone.
The Falls were named after John Fredrick Felker who bought the land around the falls in 1820. Felker's family had emigrated from Prussia in 1773. After the outbreak of the American Revolution, the Felkers, as United Empire Loyalists received 400 acres in Upper Canada from King George III.
Albion Falls is created when the Redhill Creek in Hamilton cascades over the edge of the escarpment. Albion Falls are found within the King's Forest a large park operated by the Hamilton Region Conservation Authority. Like the Devil's Punch Bowl and Felker's Falls, Albion Falls is an urban water fall. The Redhill Creek is channelized and runs under Mountain Brow Road before it tumbles 21 metres over the escarpment in gently layered cascades 10 metres wide. Graffiti is noticeable among the rocks at the base of the falls. And so is debris and litter.
A plaque placed on the old mill stone in 1967 as part of the Centennial Year projects states: The first mill was built in 1795 by William Davis and contributed to the area's economic development. Settlers came and the land was cleared. Many of the early homes are within a short walking distance of the mill stone and are still occupied by their descendants. "
Also within the King's Forest just to the west of Albion Falls is another waterfall, Buttermilk Falls (21 metres in height and seven metres wide) that is produced by a tributary of Red Hill Creek. Above Albion Falls atop the escarpment is situated Mount Albion Conservation Area. An excellent view of Hamilton and Lake Ontario can be seen from Mount Albion.
Sherman Falls is located in Ancaster in the Wilson Avenue and Mohawk Avenue area. Although it is situated in a suburban area, the Conservation area has done a great job to perserve the natural setting of Sherman Falls. The Falls were only a short walk from the road. The day I visited Sherman Falls, a young family was enjoying the view of the falls, while their interpid son was climbing the rocky slopes of the valley. Right by Sherman Falls, a young man was meditating and seeking the healing power of the rushing waters.
Sherman Falls has a height of 38 feet (metres) and a crest-line that is 18 feet in width.
Tiffany Falls is located a short distance from Sherman Falls. It is possible to see the two falls on the same day. The Hamilton-Wentworth Conservation Area brochure describes Tiffany Falls as a "sheer, shimmering cascade with pillars of limestone guarding either side. Huge blocks of stone,like giants discarded toys, litter the base of the falls and the sound of rushing water fills the steep sided valley." Tiffany Falls is located off of Highway 2 in the Town of Ancaster. A marker on the side of the road identifies the location. A small parking area is provided by the Hamilton and Region Conservation Area. The trail to Tiffany Falls begins from the parking area. A word about the trail, it can be difficult. But if you are up to the challenge the hike to view this pretty water falls worth it. On the day I went I found the trail slick. At some portions the trail became quite sheer. That required a detour along the rocky banks of Tiffany Creek. The falls start off narrow at the top and fan out about a third of the way down. Tiffany Falls has a height of 18 metres and an eight metre crest line. The falls are very pretty, almost delicate looking as they cascade over a series of steps to the bottom. This feature has lead to Tiffany also being called the Washboard Falls. On the way back I encountered a geology class from nearby McMaster University. This illustrates another value of the water falls. They are nature's classroom and the rock face provides an excellent example of the escarpment's geology and the impact of the last ice age on Ontario's landscape.
Spencer Creek's run to Lake Ontario produces two falls as it tumbles over the escarpment, Webster's Falls and Tews Falls. Webster's Falls is truly one of southern Ontario's best waterfalls. Nestled on the escarpment between Dundas and Flamborough, . There are many great views of the falls. From the east side at the top you can walk to the brow of the escarpment and watch the water roll down below down several tiers of rock before hurtling over the edge to the rocks below. But watch your step. The footing is slippery! From this vantage you also get a spectacular view of the gorge looking south.
The most spectacular view of Webster's Falls however is from the bottom looking up.To one side of the viewing stand is a staircase constructed out of stone that descend to the bottom of the falls. Webster's Falls are 20.8 metres (63 feet) in height and 24 metres (78 feet) across at the crest.
In the 1800's Spencer Creek became the industrial centre of the town of Dundas. A three mile stretch of the stream above Webster's Falls contained no fewer than eight dam sites whose mills produced the usual grist and lumber. Whiskey, barrels, wool, linseed oil, wagon wheels, beer, baskets, axes and cotton were also made in Dundas. The first paper mill in this province was built there in 1826."
Tews Falls located about 15 minutes away from Webster's Fall is the upper falls produced by Spencer's Creek tumble over the escarpment. Tews falls is a tall slender elegant water fall. The conservation authority two viewing stands for observing the Tews Falls. On either side of the falls are a good slice of exposed rock showing the various layers typical of the formation. Tews Falls are a tall elegant cascade measuring 41 metres (134 feet) in height. That's only metres shorter than the height of Niagara Falls. However Tews Falls crestline at 8.0 metres (26 feet) is considerably narrower than Niagara Falls.
Borer's Falls can be found along Rock Chapel Road, just south of Highway 5 in the township of Flamborough. Borer's Creek, the creek that tumbles over and becomes Borer's Falls is not very wide probably five to six feet at the most. But the falls tumble at least 16 metres (52 feet) and are exciting to watch. The crestline spreads 9 metres (29 feet).
Finding Borer's can be difficult. There are no signs pointing to the falls existence. When travelling along Rock Chapel Road look for Royal Botantical Gardens(RBG) signs. The lands around the falls are owned by RBG. A small bridge traverses Borer's Creek. You will have to park carefully on the side of the road by the bridge and take a short walk through the RBG land to reach the falls.
Grindstone Falls is situated in along Mill Street, South of Highway 5 in Waterdown, Ontario where Grindstone Creek cross the escarpment. The Bruce Trail runs right by the Falls. The falls themselves are about 20 feet in height and 15 feet wide.
In the early 1800s the falls attracted a number of mills that turned the Grindstone Creek Valley into a busy industrial area. Alexander Brown, one of the original land owners in the Grindstone Valley built a sawmill in 1805. Soon after the sleepy little valley was turned into a milling centre when Ebenzer Miller and other millwrights followed Brown.
The area soon became known as "Smokey Hollow" because of the smoke and steam that was being spewed from the mills. Water power provided by Grindstone Falls drove the prosperity of the area throughout the 19th Century. But as the 20th century dawned and electricity, ironically, generated with the help of neighbouring water falls like Niagara, DeCews and Cataract replaced water as the principal source of energy in Ontario. By 1912, Improved rail service also meant increased competition from larger mills located in distant cities and towns. Local mill operators could not compete with their distant, more efficient competitors. As the area began to decline, fire finally destroyed several of the mills in what could be consider the last big smoke for "Smoky Hollow".