Niagra Escarpment -- what's to shoot in Autumn?

[Bill Mitchell]

What kind of landscapes would I find to shoot between Niagra Falls and the South Shore of Georgean Bay? (I won't be going to Toronto.)

 

[Christopher Walrath]

Hike down the the floor of the Whirlpool and you might get some interesting compositional possibilities.

 

[jp80874]

I found this book helpful when planning a trip. Waterfalls: The Niagara Escarpment, The Boston Mills Press, 2000. The publisher doesn’t seem to have it on their site any more. I did find a new copy on eBay auction 300226042788 at $29.95. You might want to search the used book sites because US retail new was $19.95.

John Powers

 

[Photo Engineer]

There are several books on hiking in the Niagara frontier area. Some describe caves and trails and one describes hidden beach areas on the river and the cave with the perpetual flame from a natural gas well. I usually go south and east when I hike so I am only familiar with these by book.

PE

 

[Mike Wilde]

Bruce Trail Guidebook?

The Bruce Trail is a recreational hiking trail that generally follows the Niagara Escarpment. There are associated side trails. They ahve a good web site to browse.

In the Niagara region there is Balls Fall, and not too far away, the 20 valley adacent to Jordan Station. Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority looks after a lot of the publically accessable Escarpment sites. Regional Road 81, which runs parallel to the QEW freeway, sits at the base of the Escarpment, and runs though a number of nice smaller towns that service the adjacent fruit farms throughout the area. Lots of colourful roadside fruit stands

Further along, around Hamilton/Ancaster/ Dundas there are a number of nice watefalls, that while low in water in the fall, look great with the leaves turning colour. Hamilton Conservation looks after a number of these sites. Nearby is the industrial Hamilton - steel plants on the harbour, and the Burlington Bay Skyway, a big bridge that I like to snap at different ties of the year. Burlington holds my favourite camera shop - Burlington Camera.

Halton Region Conservation also manage a number of sites along the escarpment. Keslo, Hilton Falls, Mt Nemo and Rattlesnake Point are a few that come to mind. Arond here the escarpment start heading north to northwest.

Sites I am familiar with not too far from my home of Misssissuaga are:

Scotts Farm, located north of Georgetown, which has wonderful old twin barns, and sits on the edge of the Escarpment with a nice stream, and fields too bordered by hardwoods that are a greta shoot any time of the year. It is deeded to the Ontario Hertitage Foundation, and managed by Credit Valley Conservation. Credit Valley Conservation also has other conservation areas along the escarpment

Another nice area is the Forks of the Credit Road, near Belfountain, a hamlet not far from the town of Erin.

There are also provincial parks and nature reserves - check out non-operating parks at ontarioparks.com Mono Mills, near the hamlet of Mono Centre is just such a park that has quite tall cliffs of exposed rock that are accessable from below and above via walking trails, or visible from the road.

Spots further up the escarpment towards Tobermory I am less familiar with; they are a bit beyond a day trip to visit, and when we holiday we tend to travel much further afield. Those areas will have to wait another twenty years or so when retirement might present some days that need filling.

 

[Rob Skeoch]

I can see the escarpment from my studio window.
Rattlesnake Point is great, so are the waterfalls around Hamilton.
Niagara Falls in great also... maybe try and get lower ... alot of people fish from the shores so there must be a way down.
Some great falls in the Grimsby area as well..... plus wine tasting all through the Niagara area. (not restricted to just photographers)
As mentioned above if you get to the end near Tobermory you can go to the National Park there and hike out to the coastline..... great grottos and swimming.

 

[Bill Mitchell]

Thanks, Guys. I may have inadvertantly used the term "Escarpment" wrongly. In researching the topography I thought that it referred to the entire area west of Toronto, roughly bounded by the Niagra River on the South, Georgian Bay on the North, to the US border on the West. Please excuse my ignorance.
Anyhow, I appreciate the information so far, and hope you'll keep it coming.
PS, what is your favorite focal length for 4x5 B&W landscapes in this area?

 

[sun of sand]

If don't mind an hour trip into NYS check out Letchworth SP in the fall if never been
Certainly find plenty of shots there in a day