Foul. The trails we saw were well maintained with washrooms at convenient spots (at parking lots and near the attractions). I have had the opportunity to both live abroad and dofield research as a primatologist abroad. Great attraction! Both have glass-bottomed boats, which is fantastic for seeing some of the shipwrecks. Weekend in Bruce Peninsula National Park and Tobermory, Ontario, Canada This trip report details an easy, 2-day route from Halfway Log Dump parking lot to High Dump and back. The Halfway Log Trail links to a lovely stone beach, with the Bruce Trail taking you there once you reach the coastline. Both also have sights near them to explore like Sauble Beach. I will go early spring or late fall when hopefully all the city people are gone. The white stone beach has some of the clearest water I have ever seen. I paid 30 dollars for the reservation ( all due to COVID ). Hiked the easiest trail to the water's edge - beautiful blue water. The Grotto, in Bruce Peninsula National Park, is one of the top tourism attractions in Ontario. pc.information.pc@canada.ca, "Reservations are required for parking at (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Google maps seemed to suggest that the trail was closed from Sept-Apr though we were able to access it in mid Sept. Either way, prepare for your shoes to get wet. I hope you get a chance to visit Canada and the Bruce Peninsula! Maybe the moral of this story is to be prepared to cut a hike short due to steep terrain. pc.information.pc@canada.ca, "Reservations are required for parking at (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? The Grotto, in Bruce Peninsula National Park, is one of the top tourism attractions in Ontario. Halfway Log Dump is on Emmett Lake road and from the parking lot its a relatively easy 1km hike to the beach. There are a series of climbs and descents as the route follows the shoreline with scenic views. The rocky beach down from the bathrooms is very picturesque with lots of interesting rock formations. Great challenging hike with varying types of terrain! As though an outside resident is going to use GCkey or have a card to our banks etc what a mess. Since the road that takes you to the parking lot and trailhead is so narrow, Parks Canada took it upon themselves to pave the way so no one can drive faster than the marked speed limit. Got lost a few times. When this happens, walk along the rocky beach close to the lake until you find the trail again. Are we able to walk from the Bruce Trail or Marr Lake Trail down to the Grotto? Beautiful trail with plenty of lookouts. This trail is just part of the expansive Bruce Trail I wrote about in my last blog post, and while the difficulty-level is not for everyone, the beautiful thing about a point-to-point trail with so many spectacular views is that you can turn around at any time! If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Halfway Log Dump. Bruce Peninsula National Park also includes the popular Cyprus Lake Campground with 232 camp sites and 10 yurt accommodations. Make sure to book the parking in advance. Difficult difficult difficult. Photo copyright by Edith Levy. Follow it a short distance to reach the parking lot. The Halfway Log Dump to Grotto section of the Bruce Trail is approximat. The area is high and rugged and I was surprised there are no safety features. A few places that involve scrambling over stone - so I wouldn't recommend this trail after a rainfall. It had an amazing view of the clear blue waters! Did it today March 4th. Mind you we drove 2hrs to experience this. The hike from here is rocky so if take a baby carrier if you have a baby. Thanks for helping me discover it, it seems so peaceful and serene. Thank you both! Very challenging trail, one of my favourite! Can be very very difficult when wet. According to park staff, reservations will be required starting June 18. Recommend technical footwear. Vous pouvez mme combiner les deux activits pour vivre une exprience mmorable avant de retourner votre vhicule. If you arent into camping, there are plenty of other options nearby to the park, just make sure to book your parking spot at the park so you dont miss out on seeing it. If you have questions about parking at the Grotto, Halfway Log Dump or within Bruce Peninsula National Park, please contact the park directly at 1-888-773-8888 or by email at bruce-fathomfive@pc.gc.ca. For more information, please visit: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/bruce Bruce Peninsula National Park requires parking reservations between April and November annually. Would you say a 4.5 year old could do the hike to the grotto? Id only recommend it if youre in good physical shape as theres a lot of climbing up & down hills & rocks. Its a nice place to hike and once you are away from the flowerpots, you will likely have the trail to yourself. A few technical areas but nothing extreme. Great trail. Trail was great. Beautiful views - a more difficult terrain (lots of getting up and down from large boulders) but we were able to complete it with a dog in tow. I almost wish they would do 2 and 6 hour variables on the parking for those who just want to see the grotto and take some Instagram shots and those that want to explore more of the Trail network. The rocky shorelines and vibrant woodlands of the Bruce Peninsula invite explorers and hikers of all ages. I am just starting to look into the area, but dont know that much. Can be busy with people. Our experience of the hike was similar to others: so many "ups and downs marked the rough, rocky trail." No bugs. The most amazing views you will see awaits. We found the 4 hour parking limit to be adequate for what we wanted to do and made it back to our vehicle with about 30 minutes to spare. After we were done poking around we walked over boulder beach to overhanging bluff. This is the first time that I am reading about it in any travel blog. But since swimming seems to be one of the most popular things to do in the area, I wanted to highlight that the area around the Halfway Log Dump trailhead and the resulting stretch of Bruce Trail both offer perfect spots for swimming. Biggest limitation was the time limit on parking but is doable within the allotted time. 357 Reviews. We do not recommend travelling to the park without a confirmed reservation.". In the opposite direction, the Bruce Trail will take you towards High Dump and away from Georgian Bay towards some interior lakes. Theres plenty of hiking and Georgian Bay is one of the most scenic landscapes in southern Ontario. reviewed Bruce Trail: Halfway Log Dump - The Grotto June 21, 2023 Hiking Easy to miss trailhead, went to 'no bouldering' sign and climbed up to find trail saw others making similar mistake. Access through Emmet Lake Road from Highway 6. Lots of lookouts, then down by the water. The views are incredible but the hike itself is rather hard and requires you to be looking down the whole time to watch where you are stepping, so it does take some more time than estimated to hike and enjoy the views. The reviews were correct! The water here has to be some of the most beautiful in the province. The grotto hike looks amazing! I think a 4.5 year old would get tired, so a wagon might be helpful. A shoreline sea cave with the beautiful blue waters, the Grotto is a unique natural wonder and memorable place to experience. If you want to swim, the water is still cold until August. The hike took us around 6-7 hours totalwith the quarter-hike swim lasting us about an hour. The drive itself is fairly unremarkable, its mostly just farmland that makes up this part of southern Ontario. Just as we were about to turn around and find the signed trailhead we thought we saw (which we had), we caught glimpse of a couple other hikers higher above us on the white-marked trail. The parking reservation system shows reservations required for the Grotto until October but it is unclear what. Glad you enjoyed the post, hope you get a chance to visit! The Georgian Bay shoreline including the Grotto, Halfway Log Dump and surrounding trails is a popular area of the park. loved it! BrainFrame-Kids.com
Now available for download, the Trails Brochure is the perfect companion piece when you're planning your hike. Singing Sands also has a trail that will take you through the forest as well as along the sand dunes. The fee to park is $11.70 per vehicle plus an applicable reservation fee ($6.00 online, $8.50 by phone) and an individual fee. Smartphone Audio Driving Tour between Parry Sound & Toronto, Private shuttle service to local attractions. Everywhere is on my travel wish list. baie gorgienne | List | AllTrails The fees charged for absolutely everything are outrageously expensive. There are many trails through and within the park so interesting spots are reachable. The Grotto in Tobermory: parking & hiking | Mommy Gearest With 12 unique towns and dozens of communities in between, huge diversity of natural landscapes and very long list of ways to have fun outdoors, Bruce County has you covered. Return was a bit boring, spent 4 hours walking and another absorbing the view, and drying from the ice water. Showing results 1 - 90 of 2116. stunning beach at the end of a smallest trail !! Because internet is slow. Difficult hike. Breathtaking ice formations. DLTK-Kids.com
July and August are extrememly busy times in the park so plan your trip accordingly and visit the park website for information on other attractions in the area, fees, hours, park regulations and safety tips. Planning your trip to the Grotto & Cyprus Lake area, or Halfway Log I think it would be fun to camp there and have easy access to the different hikes. If everywhere is booked up on the Bruce Peninsula there are a couple of other, less convenient, options for where to stay. There will be two time slots per day, 6 hours each. Well marked. Make sure to check restrictions on bouldering before you go as you are only allowed to boulder on the shoreline boulders, not any of the ones in the forest. # reservationrequired visit to the # Grotto or Halfway Log Dump starting on April 29. Just beautiful. In other words, Griffin and I were so mesmerized by the aqua waters and the white pebble beaches that we completely missed the Halfway Log Dump trailhead. A shoreline sea cave with the beautiful blue waters, the Grotto is a unique natural wonder and memorable place to experience. Less crowded than the Grotto, but still as stunning, explore the Halfway Log Dump at Bruce Peninsula National Park. Very rocky trail, and in some places the trail completely disappears. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Here you'll find information to help plan your visit including tips on where to go when the Cyprus Lake parking lots are full, activities for children, and recommendations on hiking trails. Beautiful hike. If you are looking for a swimming area, this place is perfect. Parking reservations are required to visit Half Way Log Dump Trail B ook your time slot ahead of time. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Horrible experience I went on July 1st. Moderate difficulty - lots of ups and downs but nothing too challenging. This post contains affiliate links, If you make a purchase through these links I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. However, at one point in the trail the water level was too high to move forward so we had to turn back early, though it was still a worthwhile hike for the views (~1.5 hr with stops for pictures). Last year, we got out swimming in southern Ontario (early-morning Elora quarry is the best) and in my home area of Kananaskis near Calgary, Alberta. You can connect with me here. Visitor centre Commercial operators and large buses Camping and overnight accommodations Group camping Things to do The walking here is a little bit more difficult as you have to go up and over some boulders and depending on water level, may get your feet wet. Halfway through the point-to-point trail (so, a quarter of the way through the roundtrip), you will find yourself at a large sign and stairs down to a vast stretch of pebbled beach. The trail all helps - make sure download the app and maps on to phone. We are from Boston and traveling in August for a Cubs/ Blue Jays game ( husband from Chicago). L'honorable Steven GuilbeaultMinistre de l'Environnement et du Changement climatique, Dautres endroits visiter en une journe, Message du prsident et chef de la direction, Les relations avec les peuples autochtones Parcs Canada, Rservations obligatoires pour la priode du 30 avril au 31 octobre 2023, Stationnement : plages horaires de 4 heures, Directions : accs par le chemin du Lac-Cyprus, Rservations obligatoires pour la priode du 17 juin au 4 septembre2023, Plages horaires de stationnement de six heures, Directions : accspar le chemin du Lac-Emmett. Griffin and I managed to hike along the shore for about a km before we had to (literally) climb our way up to the trail. What attractions are near Bruce Peninsula National Park? If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. I agree with others that the website is not entirely clear about the need to reserve parking WELL in advance, I more or less stumbled upon it and was thankful I did. Challenging hike though, not for beginners. It is difficult once you get there to make your way down on the rocks to the water. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Canada. 2023 Best 10 Trails and Hikes in Northern Bruce Peninsula | AllTrails After having experienced the fantastic blue waters in snowier weather, he and I have been itching to get back to the park these summer months. Lots of opportunities to rest and take in the spectacular sights. I would take that to mean that the Halfway Log Dump parking area is closed after September 7th. If you visit on a long weekend during the summer, be aware that the Bruce Peninsula National Park does not allow alcohol at campsites. The trademark cliffs and clear, blue water make for some amazing scenery you wouldn't expect far away from the ocean. We saw a couple of families with their kayaks propped up to dry, and their dry bags were strung high. I have finally heard back from Parks Canada. You do need decent footwear because of the beach portion being quite rocky.