An afternoon wandering along the Elora Gorge.
After having so much fun at Bronte Creek, we decided to head out for another forest walk the next week. I set myself the task of finding a suitable trail destination and landed on Elora Gorge. I’d heard of Elora Gorge before because in the summer it is a hot destination for river tubing. I’d always been curious and had it tucked away in my “one day when the boys are bigger” brain drawer. But when I realized there were also trails that ran along the gorge, I figured we could check it out. Part of me also wanted to see if it would be worth it to come back for some tubing in a couple of years.
We went in late spring (end of May) and we were just coming out of the peak of the spring pandemic. The river and surrounding area were both quiet when we were there but at the height of summer there is usually a long line of folks waiting to get onto the river and an equally long line of tubers floating down along the river. I would imagine you can probably hear folks screaming and laughing below as they get tossed around by the rapids. Nothing wrong with that (might even add to the experience!), but if you are looking for an escape from crowds and their associated noise it might be best to save this one for the shoulder seasons when the tubing isn’t operating.
This is a quick, easy trail with some great views of the gorge and the raging river down below. The trail is pretty short here, only about 3-ish km if you take it end-to-end, which was the other reason I’d chosen this spot. Again, it was early days and only our second time out so I was still playing it safe, unsure of what the kids could handle in terms of distance and difficulty. And actually, it’s a great spot for younger kids because the terrain itself isn’t too challenging and the trail is relatively short. It would be perfect for (sturdy) little legs.
The trail does technically run in a loop, but one half of the loop is actually right along the roadway that runs through the park so we just retraced our steps and came back along the same path so that we could enjoy the rushing water in the gorge. The main part of the trail runs in a straight-ish line along the gorge and is bookended by two bridges. One of the bridges (called the low level bridge) was damaged a couple of years ago so you can’t access it or cross it but the other one is still open so you can take in a head-on view of the gorge from there. At one point along the way there is a short metal staircase that takes you through a little hole in the rock down to a lower-level viewing area so you can get a little closer to the rushing water. We also took the time to cross over to the other side to go check out the tubing launch area. We did also naughtily climb down onto the river bank from the (closed) tubing access point. I wouldn't normally encourage going off trail (for both safety and conservation reasons) but we figured that hords of people go down there all summer so we wouldn't be trespassing on a protected area or anything.
Another thing to watch for is to make sure you complete the full trail. With the way the parking lot is positioned, once you enter the trailhead three quarters of the trail sit in one direction from the parking lot (to the left) and the last quarter of the trail is in the other direction (to the right). We went down the longer section first and then when we came back we figured we might as well finish the last section since it looked short and the kids still had plenty of energy. We’re glad we did because that last small section of trail actually climbs upwards a bit and there are a couple of great lookouts that really show the depth and majesty of the gorge. Definitely worth it so make sure you do the whole trail.
All in all this was a great spot to get a perfect little dose of nature. And we will definitely be back as soon as the boys are big enough to try out some tubing!
What you need to know to plan your visit!
Managed by: Grand River Conservation Authority
When we visited: Late spring
Hike length: 3.5 km *I hadn’t started tracking our distance yet so this is an estimate based on the distances provided in the trail map. See the path we took here.
Key Features & Little Surprises: Lookouts overlooking the Gorge; A staircase that takes you through a hole in the rock to get down to lower-level viewing area.
Hot tip: If you are looking for a more calm, quiet nature experience I’d suggest timing your visit so you aren’t there when the tubing experience is operating. *Note that this park is seasonal and isn’t open year-round.
Sun Exposure: You’re covered. The whole trail is under tree cover (except for the section of road where we walked towards the tubing entrance)
Trail Style: The trails are mostly packed earth, although you’ll need to watch for roots and rocks. And there is one metal staircase if you want to get down to the lower-level viewing area.
Bug-o-meter: This place was bug free when we went but given the time of year and the unseasonably cold weather that day I would say this is not a reliable bug rating!
Wayfinding: There wasn’t much in the way of trail markings here, so we did have to rely on a downloaded map. That said, there is only one trail and it’s not complicated to follow. You know immediately when you’ve reached each end because there are bridges at either end.
Parking & Logistics : There is a day use fee for this park. You would typically pay at the gatehouse when you enter the park but when we went there was no attendant, so it was cash only and they were mostly using the honour system. (You had to put your cash in an envelope and drop it in a safe box and then detach a ticket from the envelope and leave it on your dash).
Driving Time: ~ 90 mins
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