TRAILS & CYCLING
Want to get into nature, get some fresh air, and enjoy hiking trails? Lined with sandy beaches, wonderful forests, hills and hiking spots, Niagara’s South Coast has some of the richest and most exciting trails. If you’re looking for a fun outdoorsy adventure with friends or family, look no further!
Get outside and enjoy the many nature trails found across Niagara’s South Coast.
Walk by the lakefront and see the beautiful blue water and boats pass. Or, go through the lush woods full of greenery, singing birds, and calming nature noises. Take a bike and feel the breeze as you cycle through the trails and have an active day.
“I organized a cycling tour for my club, starting at Lock 8 Gateway Park in Port Colborne and taking the Friendship Trail into Fort Erie. The trail is excellent and offers great cycling for all levels. We stopped in Ridgeway at Brimstone Brewing Company for a cold drink. The little community is a gem. I wish we could have spent longer there, but there will always be next time!
Bev Hanna-Jones
Niagara’s South Coast offers a generous selection of multi-purpose trails and routes, making it easy to lose yourself in the natural beauty along the Welland Canal and Lake Erie. When you’re planning your local cycling routes, be sure to make time for the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority‘s gorgeous conservation areas.
Humberstone Marsh Conservation Area
Located in Port Colborne, this 82 hectare area protects wetlands and area waterways. Enhanced by the presence of the nearby Onandaga Escarpment, the peat/muck filled basin is one of only three such features in the Niagara Peninsula.
Long Beach Conservation Area
Located on Lake Erie, Long Beach Conservation Area is one of Niagara’s hidden gems. A unique place to camp, swim, sunbathe, fish, sailboard or jet-ski, this property is perfect for memory-building.
Morgan’s Point Conservation Area
Located along the Lake Erie shoreline in Wainfleet, Morgan’s Point Conservation Area offers a unique setting of old growth forest and remnants of the oak savannah prairie that once covered large areas of the Niagara Peninsula.
Stevensville Conservation Area
Stevensville Conservation Area is a passive recreational area located in the Town of Fort Erie. Visitors can experience a forest, meandering Black Creek, wetlands, a fishing pond and an open picnic area.
Wainfleet Bog Conservation Area
Wainfleet Bog Conservation Area is located in the Township of Wainfleet and City of Port Colborne, and it is part of the only bog wetland in the Niagara Peninsula and the largest remaining bog within southern Ontario.
Wainfleet Wetlands Conservation Area
Once covered by a shallow, warm sea 300-450 million years ago, what is now the Wainfleet Wetlands Conservation Area was the site of a clay and limestone quarry from the late 19th century until the 1960s.
FRIENDSHIP TRAIL
Once a rail line, the old right of way has been converted to a multi-use recreational path connecting Port Colborne with Fort Erie some 30 kilometres to the east. The 24 km path is straight and easy with virtually no elevation change.
Welland Canals Parkway Trail
The route stretches southwards from St. Catharines to Port Colborne, a distance of 45 km (or 28 miles). Cycling along the Welland Canal, you will see massive 26,000 ton ships up to 226 metres in length as they glide past grassy banks on their way to climb the Niagara Escarpment.
Niagara River Recreation Trail
Paralleling the Niagara River, the trail extends from historic Fort Erie through Niagara Falls to end at Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake. A touring cyclist’s dream, you’ll be treated along the way to historic sites, wonderful dining opportunities, and breathtaking scenic vistas.
Gord Harry Conservation Trail
Named for a long-time conservationist, and former NPCA Chairman, this conservation trail extends east to west across the Township of Wainfleet along the former Grand Trunk Railway Corridor and runs parallel to the Lake Erie shoreline.