Elora Cataract Trailway
Enjoy an amble on the Elora Cataract Trailway, a 47km recreational route that was once the path of the Credit Valley Railway.
One could call this route “Evergreen Alley“ – I saw 11 species of conifer along the 10-km trail between Hillsburgh and Cataract. All but two (blue and Norway spruce) are native to Ontario. See if you can identify them all on your hike! (Most have needles and cones.) Erin Village makes a perfect stop for some mid-hike sustenance.
Where: Elora Cataract Trailway
Parking:
- Hillsburg: Station St west of Trafalgar Rd
- Erin: Ross St east of Main St
- Cataract: Mississauga Rd
Distances:
- 5 km Hillsburgh to Erin or Erin to Cataract
- 10 km Hillsburgh to Cataract (one way)
- 20 km Hillsburgh to Cataract and back
Highlights
Eastern White Cedar – Thousand-year-old white cedars (Thuja Occidentals) thrive on the Niagara Escarpment.
Jack Pine – Pinus banksiana’s small cones open when exposed to fire.
White Spruce – The roots of Picea glauca were used to make lacings for birchbark canoes.
Blue Spruce – Blue spruces (Picea pungens) appear blue due to the wax on their needles.
Tamarack – Larches (Larix laricina) are our only native deciduous conifer.
Red Pine – Red pines (Pinus resinosa) love growing in sandy soil.
Eastern White Pine – Ontario’s provincial tree, Pinus strobus.
Black Spruce – Picea Mariana is Ontario’s most common tree.
Plus, look out for Norway Spruce, Eastern Hemlock and Balsam Fir.
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