Hamilton Hikes: Beamer Memorial Conservation Area

A difficulty for many urban dwellers is finding an escape from the bustle of the big city with a return to peaceful nature. Add in time and budgetary constraints, which if you’re paying rent in a big city is probably a concern, and the struggle can get really real.

Fortunately for Torontonians, there are a multitude of day-trippable spots all around the city. A hub for Toronto hikers is the Hamilton area. Being in the Niagara escarpment means this region is littered with small but lovely waterfalls, a few peaks with great lookouts, and lots of opportunity for a good day’s hiking.

In this first part of a series exploring Hamilton’s hikes, we’ll take a look at the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area trails. This area offers a loop trail nested into the Bruce trail that lead you to three breathtaking lookout points.  

Lookout from the Beamer Memorial loop trail

The trail also has a separate branch that leads all the way to the head of the Beamer falls, a swift running river passes underneath a bridge and rushes down a stepped cliff face that forms the falls. By Ontarian standards, it’s a pretty impressive waterfall.

Upper portion of Beamer Falls

Though this trail is not terribly long, it has plenty of opportunity for hikers to break a sweat. There is an impressive staircase that leads down from the cliff to the continuation of the Bruce trail. At the foot of the staircase, the Bruce trail veers left but you can keep going on an unmarked trail to the right some ways closer to the foot of the Beamer falls. The water levels were high when we were there so we weren’t able to get up close, but it may be possible to do so when the river isn’t running so high.

The well-trodden trails take you through a gorgeous stretch of forest, dotted with Ontario’s provincial flower, the trillium, and some gorgeous purple wildflower beds. Despite being within close proximity to the town of Grimsby and suburban neighbourhoods, it’s incredibly peaceful and you lose the sense that you’re close to town until you reach the lookouts. In fact, a doe trotted by our group nonchalantly midway through the loop trail.

Pretty purple wild flowers

For those who may have mobility restrictions, there is a parking lot across from the lookout at the foot of the falls.

Moreover, the town of Grimsby is quaint and worth a visit. There are a number of markets in the surrounding area to pick up some trail snacks before the hike and refreshments afterward.

Stay tuned for more of Hamilton’s Hikes as we tick them off our to-hike list in the coming months!

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