Hiking.
The Bruce Trail's Niagara Section runs through St. Catharines past Brock University, DeCew Falls and Morningstar Mill, and on into Short Hills Provincial Park — a 660.55 ha non-operating natural environment park on the Niagara Escarpment with more than 23 km of trails.
The principal Short Hills access for St. Catharines visitors is via Pelham Road on the western edge of the city, where day-hike loops carry you onto Swayze Falls Trail, Black Walnut Trail, Terrace Creek Trail, and the barrier-free Palaeozoic Path.
The brief.
Short Hills is the largest hiking destination in the city's catchment but it is genuinely shared with Pelham — the principal St. Catharines trailhead is at Pelham Road / Wiley Road, and most of the park interior sits within the Pelham boundary.
The park is a non-operating natural environment park, meaning open daily sunrise to 10 PM, no entrance fees, and no overnight facilities; trails are not groomed in winter. Pets must be on a maximum 2 m leash; canoeing and kayaking are not permitted; brown and rainbow trout fishing requires a valid Ontario fishing licence.
Closer to downtown, the NPCA's St. John's Conservation Area (3101 Barron Road) carries four trails through the Twelve Mile Creek valley, and the urban Twelve Mile Creek and Walker's Creek corridors connect to the Welland Canals Parkway Trail.
Best season is May through October; mid-October is the Niagara Escarpment fall-colour window on the Bruce Trail.
4. places.
- 01
Short Hills Provincial Park
660.55 ha non-operating natural environment park; 23+ km of trails (Swayze Falls Trail, Black Walnut Trail, Terrace Creek Trail, barrier-free Palaeozoic Path); principal St. Catharines access via Pelham Road / Wiley Road.
- 02
Bruce Trail — Niagara Section
Runs through St. Catharines past Brock University, DeCew Falls / Morningstar Mill, into Short Hills; volunteer-stewarded by the Niagara Bruce Trail Club.
- 03
St. John's Conservation Area (NPCA)
3101 Barron Road; four trails (Tulip Tree, Sassafras, Horseshoe, St. John's Ridge) through the Niagara Escarpment / Twelve Mile Creek valley.
- 04
Twelve Mile Creek and Walker's Creek urban trails
Municipal Twelve Mile Creek corridor and Walker's Creek trails through the city, connecting to the Welland Canals Parkway Trail.
Today's read.
Cold but firm — winter-ready conditions · light winds · clean air.
By the book.
- 01Short Hills Provincial Park: open daily sunrise to 10 PM; no entrance fees; no overnight facilities; trails not groomed in winter; pets on a maximum 2 m leash; no canoeing or kayaking.Source ↗
- 02The Bruce Trail's Niagara Section crosses both public and private land; the Niagara Bruce Trail Club's section maps are the authoritative routing source.Source ↗