Glamping weekend around Hamilton a good experience

It’s the ninth largest city in Canada and the third largest in Ontario. At the sheltered western end of Lake Ontario, the city of Hamilton conjures up a lot of images to people.

However, it is more than just a sea of grey we often view from the Burlington Skyway. It is surrounded by a lush abyss of trails and countless waterfalls that I’d love to tell you about.

I just spent the weekend hiking 45 kilometres with guests along the Bruce Trail, which follows the backbone of the Niagara Escarpment around the outskirts of Hamilton. Considering that I haven’t hiked this stretch of trail since my 2014 thru-hike adventure, it was fascinating and fun to retrace the steps of my younger ghost, but also look at Hamilton from a totally refreshed and more positive perspective.

Admittedly, I have upgraded my stance on ‘Owen Bjorgan with guests for a Bruce Trail glamping experience in Hamilton this weekend.The Hammer’ as of this weekend. I dare say this city is a standout example, and even leader, on how a thriving metropolis can coexist with nature accessibility.

Hamilton’s first and most common impression on people isn’t fair. What you see from the highway, and often smell, is an industrial jungle of greys and browns. Flames leap and smoke oozes from the factories, and there is barely a naturalized shoreline in sight. Upon entering the lower inner city, poverty is upfront and very real in some areas.

But there is so much more to this area than what is on display.

Hamilton sits nestled with its urban lands divided up between areas below the Niagara Escarpment or above it (which locals refer to as ‘the mountain’). The escarpment’s forests and associated Bruce Trail, Chedoke Rail Trail and Dundas Valley Trail systems provide access to the ribbon of green that encloses the city centre.

The seemingly endless access to these trails brings locals and visitors up close to the region’s unique biodiversity with ease. Hamilton is the northernmost area of the Carolinian Forest Zone, so its sheltered micro-climate in the ‘armpit’ at the end of the lake harbours some of Canada’s last stands of nationally rare trees and birds, such as the sassafras trees and the Baltimore oriole the hikers and I saw.

Furthermore, there is a trail style for literally any ability. Many of the rail trails are nicely paved and wide, making them wheelchair and stroller accessible. Being historic railway routes, these trails don’t necessarily have hills.

There are also broad but groomed trails that can take a family into deep woods with ease. Bikers, hikers and even horseback riders alike enjoy these stretches.

Lastly, there are still scores of classic narrow and craggy hiking routes showcasing the rugged woodsy experience some people seek. In Hamilton, you can
take the Bruce Trail up close to picture-perfect waterfalls incised into the Niagara Escarpment.

There are certain stretches where the cliffs are severe, and you must practise good old common sense in their ancient and respectable presence. In the day and age of everything being ultra-safe, the hikers and I shared a conversation about how we actually appreciated seeing unadulterated natural spaces without the artificial overburden of fences, railings, signage and walkways.

It is important for humans, especially hailing from urban areas, to experience nature in a natural state. There are studies that show how such outings are beneficial to our mental health and biological needs, as we reconnect primally with the land.

Which reminds me, like I so often do with Niagara Falls, I can close my eyes and imagine what Hamilton’s geographical wonderland would have once looked like in pre-settlement times. Dozens of crystal clear waterfalls would be pouring into the Hamilton Harbour from nearly all sides, delivering freshwater to the marshes and fish-breeding grounds below. The creeks’ upper reaches would be noisily cascading through rich deciduous forests, flowing among rare species and reshaping the land during floods.

Yet, the final stretch on the two days of hiking gave us a memorable conclusion to where we are now.

The tiny historic village of Dundas, just north of Hamilton, made us feel like we had left southern Ontario altogether. It felt like you could have been in some quiet mountain town from the past. At one point, you look up to see the imposingly sheer cliffs, like stately lion heads made of dolostone overlooking the Dundas Valley. A train passes at the base of the exposed rock as it traverses the wooded hillside, pairing nicely with the historic brickwork of the homes in the foreground. I have written before about how humans feel primal or nostalgic feelings when they see or hear fire, crashing waves or running water. However, there is something about the sound of a train that takes you back in time, too.

Speaking of such a concept, the trails around Hamilton can take you back in time in an Indigenous, historic and a natural sense. I highly recommend a summer visit to the areas described.

Please be mindful that you are still always adjacent to an inner-city environment. The beauty of the trails is enjoyed most safely during daylight hours or while hiking with others. Otherwise, happy trails, and don’t forget your camera.