Hike #34: Crawford Lake to Kelso Conservation Area, Milton

 

Crawford Lake to Kelso Conservation Area, Milton

Today we booked reservations early for Kelso Conservation Area. We then took an Uber over to Crawford Lake to link up with where we left off after our last hike. I know, I know...we ended our last hike at Rattlesnake so why start at Crawford? From Crawford we were able to take two short side trails from the parking lot to bypass the canyon section of the Bruce Trail that goes into Rattlesnake before heading on to Kelso. The cost for parking at Keslo is $9.50 per person and the Uber over to Crawford cost $22+tip. So the Uber ride was cheaper than driving two cars, especially once you factor parking cost and gas. There are washroom facilities at both locations. 


From the parking lot and visitor centre, follow the signs towards the trails. If you are heading towards Kelso, take the Crawford Lake Side Trail, first trail on your left.  




If you are heading towards Kelso take the 260 metre Canyon Bypass Trail. The Canyon Bypass Trail ends at the Leech Porter Side Trail/Bruce Trail fork. If you are bypassing the canyon, take the Leech Porter Side Trial, not the Bruce Trail. This will save you 3.3 kms. We already hiked the Bruce Trail through the canyon on our previous hike. Check out blog #33 for highlights.  




Peter spotted a Geocache tucked into the rock wall. We took a peek and a picture and returned it to its spot in the wall. 

Geocache








Canyon Bypass intercepts Leech Porter Side Trail








The picture on the left is of a white trillium soon to open

After about 3kms of hiking we finally reached the section of the Bruce Trail where we left off on our previous hike before we returned to the Rattlesnake Parking Lot. 

Intersection of Leech Porter Side Trail and the Bruce Trail

Several sections of the Bruce Trail in Halton are expected to have closures over the upcoming months for tree removal. Be sure to check the Bruce Trail Website or Conservation Halton before you head out. 





 Once you reach Appleby Line you will traverse a short one kilometre stretch on the road. Make sure to walk facing traffic as there is not much of a shoulder and the road is quite busy.




After walking alongside Appleby Line for a short distance on a grassy path beside a row of spruce trees the Bruce Trail turns right (north east) and enters into Kelso Conservation Area. 



 Kelso Conservation Area trails are for hiking and mountain biking. There is a labyrinth of trails of varying difficulty. The Bruce Trail follows easy and moderate trails as you follow the perimeter of Kelso along the ridge of the escarpment. The trails are well marked and there are several picnic spots, lookouts and facilities throughout the conservation area.





Portable toilet

Mountain bikers on Kelso Trail

Picnic spot on the Bruce Trail in Kelso


Kelso Quarry


Somehow we missed Lookout #3 but here's #2. The lookout from this spot is not that spectacular due to obstruction from trees. 




View from lookout #2

Picnic spot at lookout #2


Lookout #1 definitely boasts the better views. Kelso Lake can be seen in the distance. 


View of Kelso Lake form Lookout #1

View of the base of Glen Eden Ski Area and pedestrian bridge from Lookout #1

The most stunning views today were seen from the flat rock summit. This view from this promontory was probably the most spectacular one we've seen so far since we began our trek in Queenston.










View of Glen Eden ski hill from rock promintory


Once you reach the end of the rock promontory the Bruce Trail reenters the woods for the final descent towards the main lodge and parking. 



Along the trail are several ramps and jumps for mountain bikers to enjoy. We look forward to bringing our bikes here in the near future! 



As the gradual descent continues, the trail briefly parallels Appleby Line. 



Be careful for sharp turns in the trail!



Throughout Kelso, the Bruce Trail is merged with several other trails. This final Kelso section follows the Kiln Ruin Trail. The Kiln was used to burn limestone into a lime powder for use in concrete, mortar, and masonry products.  
Kiln Ruins

Once the descent is complete, the Bruce Trail runs alongside a train track towards the visitor centre/ski lodge. 



We were really excited to see some wildlife today. We saw several groundhogs, red squirrels and gold finches. We even saw a couple of Canada Cobra Chickens (aka Canada Geese) who photo bombed a couple of my pics. Go on a blog scavenger hunt and see if you can spot one or two (hint...check out the top of the kiln).


Pedestrian Bridge over the train tracks to Kelso parking lot

Pedestrian Bridge over train tracks

Entrance to pedestrian bridge

In the picture below, you can see the entrance to the parking lot from the pedestrian bridge at Kelso. We continued straight past the school bus to the beach/boardwalk access. We then walked along the boardwalk past the boat launch to our car, which was parked at the lot closest to the entrance to the conservation area. Note that additional reservations and fees ($6 per person) are required to access the beach.


Visitor Centre/Washrooms at Kelso Parking Area



View of Lookout #1 from the road


As you can see in the map below, the Bruce Trail does quite a loop around Kelso. If you are pressed for time, you can take the Glen Eden side trail to significantly shorten your hike. It intercepts the Bruce Trail at around kilometre 5 on the map below and rejoins the Bruce Trail somewhere in between kms 10 and 11.



Hike #34

Date:                       May 1st, 2022

Start:                       Crawford Lake Conservation Area 

Finish:                     Kelso Conservation Area

Distance:                11.7 kms

Time:                       2 hours 32 minutes

Difficulty:               Easy with some moderate sections

Trail Use:                Hiking only at Crawford Lake

                                 Hiking/Mountain Biking at Kelso

Total kms hiked:   203.5 kms

Kms remaining:    708.4 kms


Points of Interest in the Area: Kelso Conservation summer and winter activities including beach and boardwalk, boat rentals, adventure course, downhill skiing and snowshoeing. 

Also in the area mentioned in my previous blog post: Crawford Lake, Springridge Farms 

Kelso beach and boardwalk












Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bruce Trail End to End #42 Forks of the Credit: Chinguacousy to McLaren Road

Image
  Chinguacousy, Cheltenham to McLaren Road, Forks of the Credit We started today's hike where we left off last time, parking our car on Chinguacousy. Initially we were going to park at our end destination on Highway 11 and Uber back to Chinguacousy; however, roadside parking was closed due to a bike race. As a result we continued through Forks of the Credit Provincial Park to McLaren road instead of looping back around to the #11 parking spot. From McLaren we called a cab service in Orangeville (Al's Yellow Cab) to transport us back to Chinguacousy ($22.70).  We tried Uber but no driver picked up the ride. There are restrooms along the Bruce Trail in Forks of the Credit Provincial Park. Roadside parking on Chinguacousy Road (northwest end) Trail Head at Chinguacousy Road At Chiguacousy Rd the trail continues northwest through the woods, passing through some low lying areas that look like great spots for breeding mosquitoes.   Looks like Thor dropped his hammer while ...
Read more

Hike #8: Rockway to Louth Conservation

Image
  Our trek today started at Rockway Community Centre. We parked our second car at the Staff Avenue Parking Lot (base of the Louth Conservation Area).  Both locations had free parking but no washroom facilities. There was limited parking at Staff Ave (12 cars) Rockway Side Trail We took the Rockway Side Trail to the Bruce Trail which leads towards the bottom of the Rockway Falls. When we got to the bridge we strayed from the Bruce Trail and headed south on the left side of the river to the base of the falls.  This is the only way to see the falls as you cannot see them from the top at the Rockway Community Centre or from the Bruce Trail. This involved a bit of a detour (about 500 metres each way) on an unmarked trail. Be cautious of falling rocks. Bridge at the base of the Gorge In order to get to the falls you will have to climb a couple of rock ledges.  Rock ledge on route to base of the Falls The second rock ledge is difficult to climb; however, there is a conceale...
Read more

Hike #53 BTC Parking Area 30 Sideroad Mulmur to Concession 10 South Nottawasaga & Garden of Eden Rd (Noisy River)

Image
Hike #53 BTC Parking Area 30 Sideroad Mulmur to Concession 10 South Nottawasaga & Garden of Eden Rd (Noisy River) We started today's hike at the BTC parking area on 30 Sideroad in Mulmur.  I do not recommend approaching the parking area from from Ist Line EHS as it can hardly be called a road.  The parking lot had washroom facilities (a porta-potty).  We only brought one vehicle and left Peter's mountain bike (and a camping chair for Amanda) at our final destination - Concession 10 South Nottawasaga & Garden of Eden Rd.  Biking out of the Noisy River valley after a long hike to retrieve the car was less than fun! BTC parking area on 30 Sideroad (holds 20 cars) Washroom facilities at BTC parking area View east towards BTC parking area from trail Trail from BTC parking area to Line 1 EHS The first section of the trail ran North on 1st Line EHS between farmers fields.  It then turns left (west) on Mulmu-Nottawasag Towline Rd passing the small community of L...
Read more