Happy Thursday, everyone! I hope you’re having a great week and enjoying these last few days of summer. I can hardly believe this Saturday marks the official end of the season!
Now that fall is just around the corner, I’ve been taking some time to reflect on the wonderful summer I’ve had. This summer has seen a lot of exciting milestones – from turning 30 to graduating from college to getting engaged – and it also marks one year since I made the move from Toronto to Burlington!
There’s definitely a big shift in lifestyle when you move from the bustling heart of the city to the sleepy streets of suburbia. But I love living in Burlington so much that since I moved here last July, I’ve truly never looked back! The downtown condo lifestyle was a blast in my early twenties, but as I approached my thirties, I’ll admit that certain aspects of it started to wear on me. I do go back to Liberty Village (my old stomping grounds) twice a week for work, so perhaps that’s why I don’t miss it more – I truly get the best of both worlds! But as much as I love visiting Toronto for the day, I’m always glad to come home to Burlington. I feel blessed to have a garden I can putter around in, a quiet neighbourhood where I can go for morning walks with only the sounds of the birds around me, and a plethora of beautiful nature escapes just minutes away from my house. One of those spots, which I’ve just recently discovered, is Kerncliff Park.
Located near the intersection of Dundas and Brant Street, this 40-acre park is the former site of the Nelson Quarry. It’s operated by the city of Burlington in partnership with the Cootes To Escarpment EcoPark System, an alliance dedicated to protecting and restoring natural lands at the western tip of Lake Ontario. This hidden gem contains three main hiking trails along with various side trails, one of which connects to the Bruce Trail. And did I mention it’s completely free to visit!?
A few weeks ago, I met a friend for an afternoon hike at Kerncliff. It was my first time there and after seeing how stunning it is, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t been there before. The park’s main hiking trails are the 1.5km Woodland Trail, 0.65km Red Oak Trail and 0.35km Wetland Trail.
We started with the easiest one: the Wetland Trail. This trail takes visitors on a boardwalk through beautiful marshlands, surrounded by tall bulrushes, trees, wildflowers and a dramatic backdrop of towering stone cliffs.
Kerncliff is home to lots of turtles, and we spotted several of them – including some adorable baby ones – among the bulrushes.
The Wetland Trail is completely flat and you can walk the entire loop in 15 minutes. It’s such an easy trail that calling it a ‘hike’ feels disingenuous, so I’ll just call it a walk! The trail is so walkable (and so pretty) that my friend and I circled around a few times before heading onto the Woodland Trail.
The Woodland Trail goes through the forest, and it’s definitely more of what I’d call a hike. I’d say it’s an easy to moderate trail: it’s not too long (the estimated walking time is about an hour) but it’s got some steep inclines. You can definitely get a good workout in! And word to the wise: if you plan on hiking this trail in the summer, bring insect repellant – those woods can get pretty buggy!
From the Woodland Trail, you can access the Ian Reid Side Trail. This is the one that connects to the Bruce Trail, and it’s my favourite part of Kerncliff! It involves some uphill trekking, but it’s worth it for the panoramic views you’ll get: both of the park itself and the city of Burlington beyond it. The path takes you through fields of beautiful wildflowers, and is so peaceful.
Now that we’re heading into fall, I can only imagine how gorgeous Kerncliff will be when the leaves start changing colours (I’m already seeing some early colour change!) I’m looking forward to returning to the park for some leaf-peeping, likely in October when fall foliage is at its peak. When I do, I’ll be sure to share the photos on the blog!
Do you have a favourite local park you love to visit? Let me know in the comments or via email – I’d love to hear your recommendations!
2 responses to “Kerncliff Park”
Amazing how these out-of-the-way gems pop up. So much to see in Ontario as your blog keeps pointing out!
Nice when lesser known spots are not as crazy busy.
My favourite park? Probably High Park as so big never seems too busy.
High Park is a favourite of mine as well!