Niagara Glen

The Niagara Glen is the place to go when you have seen the falls and want to feel the land that made them. It is a Niagara Parks nature reserve on the Canadian rim of the gorge, a short drive north of the Whirlpool along the Niagara Parkway, and it holds about four kilometres of hiking trails that descend from the parkway to the edge of the Niagara River. The landscape is unlike anywhere else in the region: huge blocks of limestone that broke away from the gorge walls as the falls retreated past this point thousands of years ago, now scattered through the forest like a giant's rockery, with potholes worn by an ancient river channel and fossil-bearing rock more than 400 million years old. The forest is one of the last pockets of old-growth Carolinian woodland in the Niagara region, a southern forest type rare in Canada, with tall trees, ferns and, in spring, wildflowers. Most trails are rated moderate, some difficult, and they are rough: uneven ground, slippery rocks, stairs and steep sections, with the river and its rapids close by at the bottom. Hiking down is easy; the climb back is a real workout. The Niagara Glen Nature Centre at the trailhead offers information and trail maps, and Niagara Parks has posted daily hours for the area through the autumn. Access to the trails is free, and parking is managed by Niagara Parks. In winter the Glen is quiet and beautiful, but icy rocks and stairs make it suitable only for experienced hikers with proper footwear and traction. For thrill-seekers who prefer their adventure on foot and nature lovers who want to escape the crowds, it is the best free outing on the Canadian side.

Reading the Glen: as the falls ate their way upstream, they left a gorge behind them, and at this point an older channel and collapsing cliffs created a broad terrace of tumbled boulders between the cliff and the river. Walking the trails, you are moving through a landscape the falls themselves shaped, which is why geologists and naturalists have long treasured the site. The trails form loops, with names that hint at the features you will pass, and the river trails at the bottom put you beside the current downstream of the Whirlpool. Rock climbers know the Glen for bouldering, which Niagara Parks permits by permit only.

How to visit: drive north from the falls on the Niagara Parkway past the Whirlpool Aero Car; the Glen is on the river side of the road before the Botanical Gardens. In season the WEGO bus also stops nearby. Pick up a trail map at the Nature Centre and choose a loop that matches your fitness; an hour gives you a taste, two to three hours a proper descent and return. Wear hiking boots, carry water, stay on marked trails, and keep well back from the river, which is fast and cold. Niagara Parks warns of steep cliffs, unstable rocks and slippery surfaces, and asks hikers to use the trails at their own risk.

Who it suits: active travellers, hikers and photographers who want nature rather than neon; families with older children who can handle stairs and scrambling; and couples looking for a quiet morning in the woods. It is not suitable for strollers, wheelchairs or anyone unsteady on their feet, who will be happier on the paved recreational trail along the parkway above. Pair it with the Butterfly Conservatory and Botanical Gardens just to the north for a contrasting afternoon.