Grey County

Keefer Falls, Ontario

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

Keefer Falls in October 2010

This one needs a disclaimer: Keefer Falls is on private property. Don’t visit it.

Alrighty? A little under 4 years ago, my dad and I visited Keefer Falls, one of the many waterfalls in the Owen Sound area. The book I was using, “Waterfalls of Ontario” by Mark Harris, had updates that a few waterfalls were now on private land, but Keefer Falls wasn’t one of them at that time. We got to the area where Keefer Falls was, and there were no private property signs that I can remember, so we found the falls, went to the base, and then wandered back to our car. Along the way, we found remnants of old homesteads and farming equipment.

It wasn’t until researching later that I found out that Keefer Falls was on private property. Whether that was a recent occurrence or not, I don’t know. Keefer Falls is a pretty 25′ waterfall, and yet you and I shouldn’t visit it. It’s just that simple. If you’re desperate for other waterfalls, check out Indian Falls, Jones Falls, Weaver’s Creek Falls, Inglis Falls, or Walters Falls, all of which are within driving distance.

Directions: It’s on private property.

Accessibility: It’s on private property. (0/10)
Height: 25′
Length of Hike: Who Knows?

Where in the World is Keefer Falls?: It’s in Ontario.

Advertisement

Hogg’s Falls, Ontario

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

There are a number of waterfalls in Grey County, Ontario near Owen Sound. One of the more widely visited falls is Eugenia Falls. But there’s another waterfall very close by: Hogg’s Falls.

While not as tall as Eugenia Falls, I found it to be more interesting in a number of ways. First off, it wasn’t nearly as crowded. There were a few others along the trail, but not enough to make it seem crazy. There was also more water flowing over it (though Eugenia Falls seemed to be at very low flow). Even the scenery around the falls was beautiful. I visited the falls in fall when the colors were changing, and the colors around the falls really just popped!

Directions:

  1. From the intersection of Highway 4 and Grey County Road 13, head west on Highway 4 for a short distance.
  2. After that short distance, turn right onto East Back Line Road.
  3. After another short distance, turn right onto Lower Valley Road.
  4. Head to the parking area on the right along Lower Valley Road. The trail is across the road on the left. It’s a short distance to the falls.

Accessibility: 8/10 (easy/moderate, though a bit fuzzy)
Height: 20′
Hike: 0.3 miles round-trip

Hoggs Falls in October 2010

Where in the World is Hoggs Falls?

Eugenia Falls, Ontario

/ waterfallrecord / 1 Comment

Eugenia Falls in October 2010

What I recall the most about Eugenia Falls was that I was just a little bit disappointed. Driving southeast from Owen Sound, this waterfall isn’t very difficult to find or visit, so that is definitely a positive. When I visited in October of 2010, there wasn’t a significant amount of water, though. Other photographs online show much more water, and as usual, springtime might be the better time to view the falls.

The gorge walls did seem particularly steep, and because of this, the view is rather distant. There is one viewpoint at the top of the falls, but it’s not very photogenic. The viewpoint further downstream is better for photographs, but you’re further away from the 90′ falls. The falls still loom impressively, but it’s difficult to feel connected to the falls. And I did not try to get to the base of the falls, and it seems that is not recommended.

Directions:

  1. The road system in the area around Eugenia Falls is rather complicated.  And by that, I mean to say there are numerous different ways to arrive at the falls, even from the same starting location.
  2. The falls are found off of Grey County Road 13 between Grey County Road 4 (to the south) and Grey County Road 31 (to the north).
  3. If you’re headed south on Co. Rd. 13, the Eugenia Falls Conservation Area will be on your right.  Parking is available there.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Distance of Hike: 0.1 miles RT
Height: ~90′

Where in the World is Eugenia Falls

McGowan Falls, Ontario

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

I sometimes enjoy what happens when waterfalls meet human ingenuity. It can be cool to see how the water has been harnessed to do powerful things. In the case of McGowan Falls, though, human ingenuity tends to detract from the already small falls. While the river is relatively wide, there is only a small portion that currently has a significant drop, and that is around 4-5′ in height. I would be curious to know what the falls look like without the dam directly above. The one benefit is that is very easy to visit.

Directions:

  1. Take Grey County Road 4 into Durham.
  2. If you are heading west, as I was, there will be a street, George Street E, off of Co. Rd. 4. Turn right onto George Street E.
  3. There will be a parking area on your right (again heading west). The falls might not even be obvious, but the dam will be.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 7′
Hike: no hike necessary

McGowan Falls in October 2010

Where in the World is McGowan Falls?

Jones Falls, Ontario

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

Jones Falls, to be honest, is pretty disappointing. It’s right outside of Owen Sound, so I guess I could be a really popular place, but the view is just not that great. There are a number of trees that effectively block the view of much of the falls. You can see part of the falls directly from the road, but getting a closer view is just difficult.

The left side of the river is probably your best bet for getting an “ok” view. A trail leads over the river to the right side, but it is almost impossible to get any good pictures. I don’t believe there is any way to get to the base of the falls, at least safely or legally. (Though later reading suggests that there may be an easy way to get to the base…I just didn’t see if when I was there.) Oh well, some waterfalls just need to be left alone…Otherwise, it’ll be just another waterfall with too many people swarming around it.

Directions:

  1. From Owen Sound, head west on ON-6/21. It’s not too far from Owen Sound.
  2. You’ll climb a few hilly stretches of the road, and if you look to your right, you’ll end up seeing the falls, at least partially.  You’ll know you’re in the right area since there is a pretty big pull-off with trash cans right near the falls.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 35′
Hike: roadside

Jones Falls in October 2010

Where in the World is Jones Falls?

Weaver’s Creek Falls, Ontario

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

Weaver’s Creek Falls in October 2010

Weaver’s Creek Falls might be the smallest of the falls in the Owen Sound area, but it might also just be one of the most peaceful and quiet in the area too…and that’s surprising, considering how close it is to a very busy park. It’s almost hidden and unassuming. There are no real signs indicating that there’s a waterfall just a few hundred feet away.

The only negative thing about the falls is that it is partially on private property, and while there is a trail clearly leading to the falls, a sign says no trespassing just before you get to the falls. Oh well, you can still get a pretty good view. And the view is especially scenic during fall, when the fall colors kick in. With those fall colors, the forest floor becomes vibrant!

Directions:

  1. From Owen Sound, head south on 2nd Ave East.
  2. Turn left into Harrison Park, and almost directly after that, turn right. (It might be the only way you can go).
  3. Head down that road to the swimming pool. When I was there, you couldn’t actually go all the way down the road, and it ended at a gate. This was the perfect place to park.
  4. To the right of the pool you’ll find a boardwalk that leads over Weaver’s Creek and heads upstream to the falls.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 9′
Hike: 0.2 miles round-trip

Where in the World is Weaver’s Creek Falls?

Walters Falls, Ontario

/ waterfallrecord / 2 Comments

Walters Falls in October 2010

I visited Walters Falls in Ontario after visiting a number of other waterfalls in the Owen Sound region. It is probably one of the easiest to find, and yet it’s not necessarily a spectacular waterfall.

After visiting the falls in the area, I realized that one of the “negatives” about some of the waterfalls in this region is that it’s almost impossible to separate out the human effects on nature. At times, this can reveal a lot about history…at other times, it’s just annoying. Here it falls more to the annoying category. The book I have says it is one of the only falls in Ontario that splits into two, but that seems to be because us humans put a dividing barrier there when building a mill.

Oh well…during the fall, it’s still an enjoyable view. If you want a view from the base that is also possibly, though slippery when muddy. To view that, cross the bridge to the “right” side of the river, where you’ll see a trail that heads downhill to the base of the falls. The sun prevented great pictures at the base.

Directions:

  1. The town of Walter Falls is found near the intersection of Grey County Roads 40 and 29.
  2. On Co. Rd. 40 in the city (if you’re heading east), you’ll find Front St.
  3. Turn left onto Front St., and head to the very end, where you’ll come to The Falls Inn. Park at the inn, and head to the left to the observation deck for the falls.
  4. Cross the bridge and head downhill if you want to get to the base.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy, observation deck), 6/10 (moderate, to base, muddy!)
Height: ~50′
Hike: no major hike necessary unless you want to get to base, even then it’s short…

Where in the World is Walters Falls?

Indian Falls, Ontario

/ waterfallrecord / 1 Comment
Indian Falls Ontario

Indian Falls in October 2010

Indian Falls was one my favorite waterfalls in Grey County, Ontario. Not only was it accessible (as are most of the waterfalls in this area), but it seemed to be the least affected by humans, at least visibly. Some of the other waterfalls in the area show what human beings have done to change their surroundings, sometimes so much so that it strongly affects the waterfall that you see. Indian Falls doesn’t have that problem.

The falls are very pretty, and also rather surprising. If you walk upstream, there is nothing indicating that a significant drop is only a short distance downstream. When we showed up later in the afternoon/ evening, the sun was in the path of the viewpoint, and so it was rather difficult to get good pictures that didn’t have a lot of glare. When zooming the camera, I did have to cut out some of the surroundings, which was disappointing because of the beautiful fall colors around the falls. Better pictures may have been achieved from the base, but there really isn’t any approved trail down to the base, and the drop-offs are much sharper than they appear. I wouldn’t suggest trying.

Directions:

  1. From Owen Sound, head north on Grey County Road 1.
  2. On the left a few miles out of the city, you’ll come to the parking area for Indian Falls.
  3. Park there and follow the trail to the falls. It is mildly steep at a few points.

Accessibility: 8/10 (easy/moderate)
Height: 50′
Hike: 0.6 miles round-trip

Where in the World is Indian Falls?