Roaming Niagara’s Hidden Hills

Please note the only way to register for this adventure is on our website.

Just under two hours from the city, Short Hills Provincial Park offers a peaceful day in one of Ontario's most unique landscapes.

We're heading down to the heart of Niagara right before the turn of summer for a relaxed hike through a beautiful, yet little-known provincial park. You can expect quiet trails, a surprising waterfall and a forest ecosystem that doesn't exist anywhere else in the country.

The route winds across glacial ridges and through stands of mature hardwood trees before opening out at the lookout over Swayze Falls. Along the way, the trail traces the headwaters of Twelve Mile Creek, with small footbridges, mossy banks and a real sense of being deep in the woods despite being so close to St. Catharines.

This is the southernmost band of forest in Canada, known as the Carolinian zone, and it's home to plants and animals that thrive nowhere else in the province. Keep an eye out for white-tailed deer along the trail, owls roosting in the canopy and stunning wild flowers.

It's a slower-paced, contemplative kind of day. Perfect for trading city noise for birdsongs and getting reacquainted with the last days of spring before the busier summer trips kick in.

Please note that the waterfall is seasonal, so while the views remain stunning, the water flow may be limited.

Highlights
Hidden Niagara Gem – Skip the crowds at the better-known parks nearby and enjoy quiet trails far from the beaten path.
Carolinian Forest – Walk through one of Canada's rarest forest ecosystems, with tulip trees, shagbark hickories and other species you won't find this far north anywhere else.
Swayze Falls – Reach the lookout above the park's signature falls, which tumbles into a steep, fern-lined ravine carved by glacial meltwater.

Event cost: $50+HST - $30 optional transport available.
Register here.

About Wilderness Union
Wilderness Union is deliberate about building an outdoors community that connects you to the life-changing magic of the outdoors and helps you find your people.

Members range from 20-40 years old. The group is a mix of GTA locals and newcomers to Toronto from within Canada and abroad.

Attendance numbers on Meetup don't reflect our actual event attendance - we typically have 15-20 community members at each event. Large enough that there's someone new to meet but small enough that it's not overwhelming!

Learn more at our website www.wildernessunion.com