Naturally, Hamilton!

Wildlife Hotspots, Vistas and Waterfalls
of Hamilton and Halton

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Site #1 - Valens Conservation Area
Access	Flora and Fauna
Valens Road and Regional Road 97.	Spring/Fall Migrating ducks and shorebirds.
	Summer. Late August to mid-Sept. Common Moorhen, Cliff Swallows, Least Bitterns, Leopard Frogs.

Site #2 - Beverly Swamp Reserve
Access	Flora and Fauna
On Safari Road, about 9km west of Hwy. #6. Parking spot on north side.	April - July Breeding birds — Northern Waterthrush, White-throated Sparrow, Broad-winged Hawk, butterflies, Spring Peepers.

Site #3 - Hyde and Rockton Tract
Access	Flora and Fauna
From Peter's Corners (Hwys #5 & #8), follow Hwy #8 past Rockton, north on Regional Road 552, 2.5km, entrance to Agreement Forest on east side of road, park on shoulder.	May - July Breeding birds — Golden-winged, Blue-winged Mourning and Pine Warblers, Upland Sandpiper, Giant Swallowtail butterflies.

Site #4 - Christie Conservation Area
Access	Features
Follow Hwy. #5 west of #6.	Wildlife management area, beach, cross-country skiing, trout ponds for fishing, trail.

Site #5 - Spencer Gorge Conservation Area/ Tews Falls
Access	Features
Through Dundas on Hwy #8 (King St) right at Greensville onto Harvest Rd.	Two viewing platforms over falls. Tews Falls and the view of the gorge are always attractive but visits in autumn to see fall colours and in winter to see large ice formations on the sides of the gorge are especially rewarding. Also, you can follow the Bruce Trail through this Conservation Area and 1 km west to Webster's Falls.

Site #6 - Webster's Falls
Access	Features
Parking lot is located at the end of Short Rd. off Harvest Rd.	Spencer Creek forms a spectacular waterfall. There are many viewing points of the falls throughout the park and trails lead you to the base of the falls. This is one of the region's largest waterfalls. A "must see".

Site #7 - Governor's Road Conservation Area
Access	Flora and Fauna
Governor's Road (Old Hwy. #99). From parking lot, follow trial straight north for about 800 m and you will see a large pond. At "McCormick's Pond", look and listen.	Mid-April to June Calling Spring Peepers, Toads, Wood Frogs, Breeding newts, Spotted Salamanders, egg masses of newts, salamanders, and toads.
	July/August Open fields: many butterflies feed there. Listen for Bobolinks and Field Sparrows. Look for basking turtles in the pond.

Site #8 - Dundas Valley Conservation Area
Access	Flora and Fauna
Governor's Rd. (Old Hwy. #99). Follow #99 from Dundas. This Conservation Area is on the south side of the road.	Spring Wildflowers and migrant birds along all trails. Salamanders under logs and breeding in ponds.
	Summer Nesting Carolinian birds (eg. Hooded Warbler, Orchard Oriole, Louisiana Waterthrush). Butterflies in old fields.
	Winter Overwintering land birds and hawks.

Site #9 - Mineral Springs and Martin's Lane
Access	Flora and Fauna
Mineral Springs Rd. 0.8km past Hamilton Conservation Authority HQ (at hairpin turn).	June Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers.
	July/August Butterflies.

Site #10 - Sulphur Springs
Access	Flora and Fauna
Old Hwy. #99, left onto Sulphur Springs Road. Follow it to parking lot where creek crosses road.	Spring Calling Spring Peepers, Wood Frogs. Migrant birds throughout deciduous woods.
	Summer Many nesting songbirds.
	Winter Winter Finches.

Site #11 - Tiffany Falls
Access	Features
Parking lot off Hwy #2 halfway up the escarpment between Hamilton and Ancaster.	Huge rocks litter the base of falls. Steep sided valley.

Site #12 - Borer's Falls
Access	Features
On Rock Chapel Rd. Located 0.5 km east of parking lot for the Rock Chapel properties of the Royal Botanical Gardens.	Once the site of a grist mill, this falls descends the escarpment into Borer's Conservation Area.
	Flora and Fauna
	July/August A large variety of butterflies occur in open fields especially where milkweed plants grow. Notable butterfly to look for is the Giant Swallowtail.

Site #13 - Cootes Paradise "Dundas Marsh"
Access	Flora and Fauna
South shore of this large wildlife sanctuary can be entered on trails from Cootes Drive at Spencer Creek Bridge.	May: Migrating songbirds throughout the woods.
	Aug-Oct: Migrating shorebirds on mudflats at end of "Willow", loafing gulls.
	April/May/Sept Migrating waterfowl.
	July/Aug Black Crowned Night Heron, Green and Great Blue Herons, Double-crested Cormorants (especially along Spencer Creek). Tree, Bank, Rough-winged, and Barn Swallows feed commonly over West Pond and Cootes Paradise.
North Shore of Cootes Paradise Trail access: 1)York Rd. and 2) from Nature Centre off Old Guelph Rd., from 2) you must pay entry fee in summer months.	Spring/Summer Check logs for basking turtles.
	May/June/July Open fields - look for butterflies. Deciduous woods - look for migrant warblers. Myriad of breeding birds will be calling. Look for snakes along paths near fields.

Site #14 - Sam Lawrence Park
Access	Features
Top of the Jolley Cut; Concession and Upper Wellington.	View of the City, Lake Ontario and Harbour during the day or night is spectacular. In summer, lovely public gardens as well.

Site #15 - Hamilton Harbour Waterfront Trail and Bayfront Park
Access	Features
Bay St. North and Harbourfront Dr.	Offers view of Cootes Paradise. Waterfront path to the fishway and a boat launch.

Site #16 - Woodland Cemetery
Access	Flora and Fauna
Valley Inn Rd. becomes Spring Garden Rd. as you travel towards Burlington. The cemetery is on Spring Garden Road. Follow any road in the cemetery that leads to the bluffs overlooking Carrol's Bay and Hamilton Harbour.	Spring/Fall Migrating and overwintering waterfowl, swans, occasional Bald Eagle, Osprey. Migrating songbirds along treed slopes.

Site #17 - Grindstone Creek/ Carroll's Bay/ Hendrie Valley
Access	Flora and Fauna
Turn into Valley Inn Rd., from York Blvd. and park along Valley Inn Rd. near water.	Spring/Summer Basking Painted and Map Turtles on logs.
	Spring/Fall Migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. Trilliums in Spring.
	Summer Leopard frogs often heard calling from ponds in the valley.
	Sept./Oct. Watch for salmon and trout migration in creek.

Site #18 - Hidden Valley
Access	Flora and Fauna
Howard Street north of Plains Road to Lemonville Road/ Hidden Valley Road.	Spring/Fall Rainbow trout, White Sucker, Chinook Salmon.

Site #19 - Smokey Hollow
Access	Flora and Fauna
Waterdown Road south of Hwy #5.	Spring/Fall Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon.
	Spring/Summer Migrant warblers. Wildflowers.

Site #20 - Mount Nemo
Access	Flora and Fauna
Off Guelph Line, North of Hwy #5.	Spring - Fall Wildflowers, soaring Turkey Vultures.

Site #21 - LaSalle Park
Access	Flora and Fauna
Bottom of LaSalle Park Road off Plains Road on the Harbour.	Year round Waterfowl; resting/feeding Common Terns.

Site #22 - North East Shoreline
Access	Flora and Fauna
Park at Canada Centre for Inland Waters off Eastport Drive underneath Burlington Skyway.	Spring/Summer Year-round - waterfowl. Common and Caspian Terns, cormorants, gulls, waterfowl.

Site #23 - Sioux Lookout Park
Access	Flora and Fauna
Between Guelph Line and Walkers Line on Lakeshore Blvd.	Fall/Winter Overwintering waterfowl.

Site #24 - Shoreacres (McNichol) Park
Access	Flora and Fauna
Halfway between Appleby Line and Walker's Line on Lakeshore Blvd.	Fall/Winter Carolina Wren, ducks, grebes, scoters (spotting scope is helpful).
	Spring (May)/ Sept. Migrating warblers.

Site #25 - Toll Gate Ponds
Access	Flora and Fauna
Large colony of water birds on berms inside the Harbour. View colony from Eastport Drive, SE of the Burlington Ship Canal.	May/June/July Double-crested Cormorant, Black-crowned Night Heron, Herring and Ring-billed Gulls.
	March-April/ August-December Migrating waterfowl (10 or more species) and shorebirds.

Site #26
Access	Flora and Fauna
Windermere Basin Approx. 2km east of Toll Gate Ponds on Eastport Drive.	May/June Common Tern colony.
	Winter Overwintering waterfowl eg. Scaup spp.; Snowy Owls.

Lake Ontario shoreline at Van Wagner's Beach Van Wagner's Beach Road, parking lots are obvious beside Lake Ontario and bicycle/ jogging path exists beside beach.	Sept, Oct Jaegers, eiders, scoters, loons, phalaropes, kittiwakes, in migration on east winds. (Spotting scope a must!)

Site #27 - Van Wagner's Ponds
Access	Flora and Fauna
Van Wagner's Beach Rd., opposite beach and parking lot for "Hutch's" restaurant.	June/July/Aug Caspian and Common Terns and Black -crowned Night Herons feed here June - August; Abandoned railway embankment serves as trail; in June, turtles nest here.

Site #28 - Confederation Park
Access	Features
Entrance available from Confederation Dr.	Provides waterfront pathways as well as swimming facilities and beach access.

Site #29 - King's Forest and Red Hill Creek Valley
Access	Flora and Fauna
Mud St. and Mt. Albion Rd., 4 km west of Hwy. #20. From Hamilton, follow Mohawk Rd. to its extreme eastern end, where it becomes Mud St. along the escarpment edge, parking lot is on left.	Winter Cooper's Hawks, finches, migrating birds.
	Summer Purple Cress, Smooth Rock Cress, Dutchman's Breeches, Squirrel Corn, Broadleaf Waterleaf, Red-backed Salamanders, butterflies, Chinook Salmon.

Site #30
Access	Features
Albion Falls Parking lot is off Mud Street 4km west of Hwy #20. From Hamilton, follow Mohawk Rd., to its extreme eastern end, where it becomes Mud St., along the escarpment edge, parking lot is on the left near the falls.	Red Hill Creek tumbles over the escarpment in a roaring, tiered waterfall. A small wetland exists above the falls.

Buttermilk Falls 0.5 km north of Albion Falls. Turn left at extreme eastern edge of Limeridge Rd. and it is 100 m down on your right.	A small waterfall into a deep gorge and a beautiful vista of the Red Hill Creek Valley. King's Forest Parkette offers trails connecting Buttermilk Falls to the Albion Falls area.

Site #31 - Felker's Falls
Access	Features
From Stoney Creek follow Mud St west to Paramount Drive to Ackland St.	A deep gorge surrounded by hardwood forest.

Site #32 - Devil's Punchbowl
Access	Features
On Ridge Road 1km east of Hwy #20.	The gorge is 10 storeys deep and contains a ribbon waterfall. Layers of exposed sedimentary rock can be easily identified.

Site #33 - Beamer Memorial Conservation Area
Access	Flora and Fauna
QEW Niagara east to Christie St. exit, follow Christie South through Grimsby, up escarpment, turn at first right (Ridge Rd.) and follow signs to the Conservation Area on Quarry Rd.	March/April/ early May Migrating hawks, falcons, vultures, eagles. Best days to view are those with south-east winds and sunny. Trails along escarpment.

Site #34 - Binbrook Reservoir/ Lake Niapenco
Access	Flora and Fauna
Highway #20 in Stoney Creek south to Highway #56 right onto Kirk Road, left on Harrison Road.	Summer, Fall Waterfowl, shorebirds, Osprey have been sighted.

Click on map numbers to view site details.