Beamer Memorial Conservation Area — Attraction in Grimsby

This was the third trail I tried in Hamilton and the only one of the three that didn't have a constant highway din, so that's something. The upper trail views are nice, though I don't know why they need those ugly metal towers marring the landscape when you can just stand on the cliff and look out. The lower trail to the stream is a steep descent and a bit rocky after the stairs. I'd be wary of doing it when the ground is damp, as I imagine the railroad tie steps get slippery. The steps are tilted at points, with no hand rails or anything else to grab. After that steep hike down it was disappointing to discover there was no water in the stream, only stagnant pools breeding mosquitoes. I didn't realize I needed to continue past the end of the upper trail to see Beamers Falls, because the kiosks at the start of the trail oddly don't include a trail map or any info as to where the waterfalls are, and the All Trails map I followed doesn't include it in the route. I ought to have looked more quickly at the Google Map; you have to emerge onto the road to get to the falls. I got in some good exercise climbing back up from down below, but this hike was...

Great spot hidden away on the escarpment in Grimsby for a hike/walk. There are a couple different loops you can take around the property and there is one that can take you down the escarpment as well. In the springtime you will often see hawkwatch volunteers with binoculars and zoom lens cameras as this area is situated along many bird of prey's migratory path. In the springtime these birds use the updraft from the lake+escarpment to soar up and over the escarpment north toward their breeding/summer feeding grounds. There is an observatory tower near the entrance and if you walk through the paths toward the edge of the escarpment there are several other man-made structures along the edge that provide more intimate views. The dominant species is definitely turkey vultures and some days one could see hundreds of vultures soar overhead but there are also several other species that you could potentially see. Make sure you stop by the bulletin board to see what species the hawkwatch volunteers had...

Very beautiful place to go hiking. Some of the trails are mild to moderate with some difficulty. We took my kids. My one daughter has autism and she loves hiking. She's not a runner so it was okay to take her on some trails with cliff sides but became too narrow and we stopped and turned around when there was a sign reading "go at your own risk" on one of the two trails we ventured down. My seven year old loved that the trail had a lookout as well as pokémon stops and those battle things. I'd be wary of going alone playing that game with the cliff sides, but I was there the whole way watching his every move and made him put down the phone when we came to the narrow part...