The best walks and hikes around Pelham

You view the falls from above as the trail approaches Sixteen Mile Creek. They can be quite powerful after a heavy rain, but the crescent wall of the waterfall is quite pretty even when the weather is relatively dry.

This easy packed dirt path takes you to the parking area of Louth Falls where there is a small gravel lot. The lot sometimes fills up during popular times and you can park along the road. The Bruce Trail, which parallels this one, does not lead to any parking area.

The Bruce Trail is over 890 kilometres long, and runs vertically across Ontario from Tobermory at the northern end of the Bruce Peninsula to Niagara Falls. This segment takes you through a couple small creek-fed valleys with views up to the small forested bluffs around the trail.

Upper Ball's Falls is the first of two beautiful cascades along this stretch of Twenty Mile Creek. You'll have a great view of the waterfall as it tumbles over the limestone cliffs. This waterfall is not as dramatic as the lower falls, and it requires a bit more of a walk so you'll have a better chance of solitude here. However, the waterfall can dwindle down to a trickle during the driest part of the year.

Ball's Falls Conservation Area was set up to preserve and protect the history of the village that had become a ghost town. In addition to the historic buildings the park also includes Upper and Lower Ball's Falls which you can access with short trails from the parking area.

From here you'll have an excellent view over Lower Ball's Falls. The nature of the area varies greatly throughout the year so you can visit at different times to see lush greenery, colourful leaves, or ice clinging to the cliff sides.

Fifteen Mile Creek runs through the Rockway Conservation Area near St. Catharines, and is the source of the impressive Rockway Falls. The creek feeds a striking “ramp” waterfall that plunges into a deep gorge, creating one of the area’s most dramatic natural features. Trails wind along the creek's gorge, offering hikers forested paths, scenic lookouts, and access to the waterfalls. The creek and conservation area it flows through, blend natural beauty with convenience, making it a popular destination for exploring the stunning landscapes.

Rockway Conservation Area, located along the Niagara Escarpment, offers up dramatic scenery and rich history. The site features two waterfalls plunging 19.5 and 12.2 meters, as well as trails that wind through mature forests of basswood, sugar maple, walnut, and sycamore. Hikers can explore the Fifteen Mile Creek valley, discover remnants of historic salt springs dating back to 1792, and enjoy new accessible trails and lookouts that make the escarpment views easier to reach.