Old Baldy

Posted on October 7, 2020

The Old Baldy Trail is a 4.3 kilometre out and back trail located near the Village of Kimberley with some spectacular scenic views.

Getting there, however, requires a drive up a very twisty dirt road. Once you are settled into the parking lot, the hike begins through a grassland then turns right sharply and enters the forest. From there, it is a nice easy 15 minute walk through the woods until you near the escarpments edge, when the terrain starts upwards.

Roots criss cross the path here and in my opinion, make it a little easier to hike up but not everyone will agree. Whatever your thoughts are, at this point of the trail you are very near the edge of the escarpment and there are numerous viewpoints along the trail, which feature the entire Beaver Valley and Village of Kimberley.

As you hike up, take the time to look for the vantage points. A couple of them are not as obvious as you may think.

This is a beautiful hike in the fall, since the valley is covered in orange, red and bright yellows.

As you continue up the trail, you will also find a large section of the escarpment that has broken away which can be accessed by crossing a short crevice. For some, the 150 metre drop may discourage tham from crossing but there are several trees to steady yourself with and I’ve never felt like this was a bad idea. In my opinion, this provides the best view of the Beaver Valley.

The Old Baldy Lookout got its name because it resembles a large bald spot amid the forest of trees.

Continuing up, the trail continues to climb until it breaks off through the forest to your left and after a pleasant 30 minute forest walk, will bring you right back to where you started.

The Webwood Falls Nature Reserve

On our way home, we visited the Webwood Falls Nature Reserve, which was donated by Mr. James Horwood, a longtime supporter of the Bruce Trail Conservancy. It now stands in permanent protection as part of the Bruce Trail Conservation Corridor.

It’s on a gravel road with a small parking area off the shoulder of the road so it’s a little hard to find. It seems like it shouldn’t even be there. There is an old shed which is right at the beginning of the trail. Once you find that, it’s approximately 2 minutes to walk in.

You will encounter a working water pump on the way in, which is pretty cool. And it’s a fairly easy trail to the Falls.

Two small streams converge on the property and pass over a significant drop in the Escarpment, creating a spectacular waterfall. The stream continues through a deep, forested river valley that cuts through the southern portion of the property and includes a wide diversity of habitats, including regenerating fields, mature Sugar Maple forest and meadow marsh which supports 261 documented species, including 219 plant species and 42 faunal species.