Bruce Trail: Map 4 - Ball's Falls

Pincha aquí para la versión en castellano 

First Section

On Sunday, October 18, 2026, after dropping Marcela off at the Brock University pool in St. Catharines, Malaika and I tackled the first section of Map 4 (called Ball's Falls), from the Louth Conservation Area parking lot until reaching Glen Street, about 4 kilometers away.

Half of the way (about two kilometers) was along the edge of Seventeenth Street, technically on the shoulder since there is no sidewalk; however, there is a quite wide green space that local property owners keep in good condition, along which Malaika and I walked away from the pavement.

The sky was clear that morning, with an intense blue shade, and the temperature was above 11 degrees Celsius. It was a morning that invited happiness. On the way there, until we entered the forest, we had a spectacular view of Lake Ontario ahead of us, with the city of Toronto on the other side, far away but prominent. On the way back, we discovered the terrace of the Flat Rock vineyard and couldn't resist the temptation to visit it for a wine tasting. 

The hike was easy; I didn't encounter pests or get stung by wasps, as happened to me on other recent sections, and we completed it in less than two hours (round trip). On the way there, we passed by the carcass of a squirrel lying on the lawn of one of the properties on 17th Street, and on the way back, a vulture was feasting on it.  

In the 5-point Bruce Trail ranking, I would give it 4 points (better). One of the favorable points of this Trail is the spectacular view of the city of Toronto, and a second attraction is that it passes right next to the Flat Rock vineyard, where you can top off the day.




Fact Sheet:

Map 4 – 1st section:

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Starting point:

Staff Ave (52.7)

Ending point:

Glen Road (56.6)

Distance covered:

GPS odometer: 3.74 km

Google Earth: 4.12 km

Google Maps: 4.3 km

Speed / Breaks:

 

Average speed: 4.6 kph

Moving time: 48:31 min

Rest time: 7 min

Difficulty:

Low.

Parking:

Staff Ave (52.7).

Map:

Related Links:

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