My wife, Claudia, visited a friend in the Caledon area recently and while there they went to the Cheltenham Badlands. Having camped and travelled through Badlands areas in both Canada and the U.S., she was interested to see a ‘Badlands’ area right here in Ontario.
I jokingly mentioned to her that, while in the area, she should visit it before the Ford government opens it up for condo development.
Part of the Niagara Escarpment, it's located in a lovely area of rolling hills. How did it form in such an odd location? It turns out that early 1800s settlers’ farm practices and animal grazing on the 91-acre property resulted in soil erosion of the shallow layer of topsoil.
The resulting erosion exposed the Queenston Shale bedrock, which formed 450 million years ago when the area was under a great shallow tropical sea. This shale gives it a reddish-brown colouration. The white streaks in the bedrock are where water once ran through the area.
The area continues to be sensitive to erosion and was closed for several years. Fortunately, since being taken over by the Ontario Heritage Trust significant changes have been made to ensure its protection. The OHC works co-operatively with the Bruce Trail Conservancy to manage the site.
Visits to the site are reserved and can be made through a booking system that allows a carload of up to six people access to the parking lot. Visits are timed. The Cheltenham Badlands are open from dawn to dusk from May 21 to November 20. Walking on the Badlands itself is restricted, but there are two short trails at the site. The best view of the Badlands themselves is from the boardwalk accessed easily from the parking lot.
The trails are short, the first being the accessible boardwalk itself, at only 600 metres in length. Visitors must remain on the boardwalk platform as walking in or on the Badlands is strictly prohibited. The Badlands Trail is 1,500 metres long. It connects the viewing platform to the Bruce Trail.
A young forest habitat can be viewed on this short hike. Fall is a particularly good time to visit the area as the colours enhance the view and make for a splendid backdrop.
The Badlands are located at 1739 Olde Base Line Road, Caledon.
For information and booking information, click here.
