Easy hikes and walks around St. Catharines

Jaycee Gardens Park traces the path of the historic third Welland Canal, although the canal was filled in when the park was created you can still see the stone remnants of one of the locks on the west end of the park. Offering walking trails, open green space, and beautiful views of Martindale Pond. Visitors can enjoy picnics, horticultural displays, and even book the park for gatherings or wedding photos.

Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie is a beloved destination that combines sandy beaches, trails, and family-friendly amenities with one of Canada’s most charming historic treasures, the Lakeside Park Carousel. Hand-carved between 1898 and 1905 by Charles I.D. Looff, the carousel features 68 beautifully restored animals and still delights riders for just 5 cents per ride, a tradition that has endured for well over 100 years. The park also offers picnic areas, playgrounds, volleyball courts, and connections to the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail, making it a perfect spot for both relaxation and recreation.

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.

Lower Rockway Falls is accessible via the Rockway Conservation Trail and makes for a great destination when visiting the area. You can hike it as an out and back or as part of a longer hike on the nearby Bruce Trail.

From this vantage point, you can watch freighters enter and exit the canal at close range, often just a few hundred metres away. The pier marks the eastern entrance to the canal from Lake Ontario, and its narrow spit offers unobstructed views of ships navigating the channel. It’s one of the best spots in St. Catharines to see the scale and movement of Great Lakes shipping up close.

This is a great spot with expansive views of Lake Ontario from the canal spit, with water stretching out on both sides. There is a lovely bench here with a refreshing breeze from the lake, and on clear days, the horizon feels limitless and unobstructed. It beautifully blends natural beauty with industrial scenery, and is the perfect place to watch passing ships, shoreline birds, and take in the vast expanse of the lake.

This is a flat, well-maintained loop that follows the Welland Canal and Lake Ontario shoreline, offering panoramic views and a steady breeze off the water. The route is a mix of paved and gravel surfaces, with access near Jones Beach and the Port Weller East pier. It's a great route for walking running and cycling, and due to its exposure, it’s best enjoyed on mild days.