Hike over 60 kms over three days
Hike Mount Nemo
Wilderness Culinary Experience
Explore the Third Section of the Bruce Trail
This Iroquoia section continues on the Bruce Trail at Syndenham Lookout and will finish at Kelso Conservation Area. Our tour allows you to complete this 60-plus kilometer hike in 3 days! Along the way you’ll stay in unique accommodations, experience some of Ontario’s only Carolinian Forests, view waterfalls and dine on freshly prepared meals.
Hike Highlights
Smokey Hollow and Great Falls
Mount Nemo
Crawford Lake
Click the Tabs to Find Out More
Hike Details
Hike Details
Price
$1,190 (solo supplement $200)
Check-in time
4:00 pm
Meeting point
The Barracks Inn, Ancaster, Ontario
Availability
2023 The Bruce Tour – Tour Schedule
Chapter 3: Iroquoia – Part 2 – Dundas to Milton (All Sunday to Wednesday)
- May 14 to May 17
- May 28 to May 31
- June 11 to June 14
- June 25 to June 28
- July 9 to July 12 (FULLY BOOKED)
- July 23 to July 26 (FULLY BOOKED)
- August 6 to August 9
- August 20 to August 23 (LOW AVAILABILITY)
- September 3 to September 6
- September 17 to September 20
- October 1 October 4
- October 22 to October 25
Duration
4 days (Sunday at 4 pm to Wednesday at 5 pm)
Group size
Maximum tour size is 12 hikers
Included
Not included
Alcohol (wine, beer, etc.)
What to bring
- Water bottles
- Hiking boots
- Hiking attire
- Click here for full packing list
Participation requirements
Participants must be capable of hiking an average of 21 kilometers per day.
Your crew
- 1 tour guide
- 1 tour director
- 1 tour chef
- 1 camp counselor
Your daily hiking itinerary
We will meet at The Barracks Inn, in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
Check-in is at 4:00 pm
Next up is our orientation and welcome feast, where you will:
- Meet the guide
- Learn about safety concerns
- Receive an introduction to the second half of Iroquoia Section of the Bruce Trail
- Finally, we will perform equipment check-in (hiking poles/backpack/safety equipment)
Hours: 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
Distance: 20.8 kms
We will depart The Barracks Inn and end at the CityView Park, followed by a shuttle to Valen Lake Conservation Area.
Highlights/Instagram Moments:
- Borer’s Falls
- Rock Chapel @ Royal Botanical Gardens
- Tunnel under Hwy 6
- Smokey Hollow and Great Falls
- The Punchbowl Market & Bakery
- Bell Tents and outdoor dining at Valens Lake Conservation Area
What we will do:
- Depart at 7:30 am after breakfast
- Shuttle to the trailhead at Syndenham Lookout to continue The Iroquoia Section
- Start off the journey standing atop Borer’s Falls
- Make your way through Rock Chapel, part of the Royal Botanical Gardens
- Find your way through a hiking tunnel underneath highway 6
- Enjoy Clappison Woods before heading to serene Smokey Hollow, topped off with a view of Great Falls
- Finish the day with a hike through Waterdown Woods, Kerncliff park and grab the shuttle at CityView Park we will shuttle to Valens Lake Conservation Area for our Wilderness Glamping Experience.
Hours: 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
Distance: 22.2 kms
We will arise and leave our base camp at the Valens Lake Conservation Area and end at Valens Lake Conservation Area.
Highlights/Instagram Moments:
- Fisher’s Pond
- Mount Nemo
- Cedar Springs
- Bell Tents and outdoor dining at Valens Lake Conservation Area
What we will do:
- Depart at 7:30 am after breakfast
- Shuttle back to CityView Park to continue our journey
- Quickly jump into the forest to see Fisher’s Pond
- Hike at the base of Mount Nemo, before heading into the forest and scaling the Niagara Escarpment up the face of Mount Nemo for unbelievable views of Southern Ontario
- Walk through a multi bio-diversity in Cedar Springs with an old forest, a creek, and a wetland all contained in a short hike.
- Finish the Day at Kilbridge Park
- We will shuttle back to base camp to Valens Lake Conservation Area for our Wilderness Glamping Experience.
Hours: 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
Distance: 18 kms
We will start at Valens Lake Conservation Area and end at Kelso Conservation Area.
Highlights/Instagram Moments:
- Yaremko-Ridley Park
- Crawford Lake
- Rattlesnake Point
- Kelso Conservation Area
- End of The Iroquoia Section
What we will do:
- Depart at 7:30 am after breakfast
- Shuttle back to Kilbridge Park
- Enjoy a day mostly on the trails with first entering Yaremko-Ridley Park
- Take a short detour to Crawford Lake, with a walk on the boardwalk and long house village
- Head up to Rattlesnake point for some more beautiful views on the Niagara Escarpement
- Finish the day and the section at Kelso Conservation Area with many vistas and deep forest
- You will cross Hwy 401 marking the end of the section before heading to the shuttle
- We will shuttle back to Barracks Inn to round out your journey.
Some of Our Frequently Asked Questions
Base level of fitness is needed to complete the hike. It is challenging, with an average of 21 kilometers of hiking per day. Check out our blog post for recommended fitness routines before your trip.
- A few water bottles to fill daily, or a backpack bladder
- Hiking boots, or other suitable footwear
- Appropriate layers for hiking
- See full pack list
Sleeping will be in a combination of charming inns and wilderness glamping, which includes bell tents, bed frames, memory foam mattress, and furniture.
For most travelers, no additional lodging is required.
For the Niagara section, check-in at the Kent Motel is at 4:00 pm on Sunday. The hike finishes late afternoon on Thursday (approximately 3:00 pm) and our shuttle brings you back to the Kent Motel, where your vehicle is parked. We usually arrive back at the Kent Motel around 5:00 pm.
Chef-prepared meals will be served for breakfast and dinner. Lunch will be freshly packed every morning.
