The Bruce Trail is a remarkable footpath along the unique and precious Niagara Escarpment. It is explored by thousands of visitors every year who seek a connection with nature in southern Ontario.
However, many people don't realize that the Bruce Trail is not permanently secure and that roughly one-third of the Bruce Trail corridor is still vulnerable to development.
The BTC is working to fill in the gaps, to secure a home for the Bruce Trail and preserve a ribbon of wilderness along the Niagara Escarpment through the acquisition of land and the creation of BTC-managed protected natural areas.
As one of Ontario's largest and most active land trusts, we have been responsible for the preservation of over 17,000 acres of land. We add new protected land to the Bruce Trail's conservation corridor each year and care for these special places through our Land Stewardship Program.
These nature reserves protect a diverse array of habitats including wetlands, karst topography, open meadows, caves, towering scarp edges and lush forests - all within the Niagara Escarpment UNESCO World Biosphere.
Thank you to everyone who has donated so generously to our land acquisition campaigns and helped to preserve these irreplaceable treasures.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy wishes to acknowledge and honour the lands of the Niagara Escarpment as the traditional territory of Indigenous peoples. In both spirit and partnership, we recognize and thank the Anishinaabek, Huron-Wendat, Tionontati, Attawandaron, Haudenosaunee, Métis, and all who provided stewardship of these lands over millennia. Read full statement >
You can preserve a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever.
Recently Protected Natural Areas
2021-2022 to date | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 | 2017-2018 | 2016-2017 | 2015-2016
Areas protected by the BTC between 1976-2015 are too numerous to be listed here.
2021-2022
Rushing River Nature Reserve
Caledon Hills section
7 acres | 303 acres of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Honeywood Ridge (expansion)
Dufferin Hi-Land section (Bruce Trail Map ); Honeywood, ON
4.6 acres | 616 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
[Two gifts of land made this expansion possible. Learn more about donating land.]
Balsam Wetlands Nature Reserve
Blue Mountains section (Map 22)
290 acres | 3.9 km of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Eugenia Woods Nature Reserve
Beaver Valley section
20 acres | 650 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Lindenwood Pond Nature Reserve
Sydenham section (Map 33)
99 acres | 547 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Colpoy's Bay East Nature Reserve
Peninsula section (Map 36)
402 acres | 1.7 km of Bruce trail Optimum Route
2020-2021
Woolverton Ridge Nature Reserve
Iroquoia section (Bruce Trail Map 5); Grimsby, ON
2.7 acres | 65 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
No trail currently on property. No public access.
Speyside Sanctuary Nature Reserve (expansion)
Toronto section (Bruce Trail Map 12); Speyside, ON
4 acres | 690 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Silver Creek
Toronto section (Bruce Trail Map 13); Halton Hills, ON
105 acres | 674 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Pine River Nature Reserve
Dufferin Hi-Land section (Bruce Trail Map 20); Kilgorie, ON
192 acres | 510 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Honeywood Ridge
Dufferin Hi-Land section (Bruce Trail Map 20); Honeywood, ON
82.8 acres | 455 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Blantyre Springs Nature Reserve
Beaver Valley section (Bruce Trail Map
33 acres | 604 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Tumbled Rocks Nature Reserve
Sydenham section (Kemble, Map 34, near km 147.6)
7.2 acres | 542 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Shelton
Sydenham section (Kemble, Map 34, near km 151.3)
2 acres | 532 m of trail secured
Colpoy’s Cavern Nature Reserve
Sydenham section (Wiarton, Map 35, near km 166.6)
75 acres | 265 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
MapleCross Nature Reserve at Cape Chin
Peninsula setion (Bruce Trail Map 39)
523 acres | 1.8 km of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
2019-2020
Woodend Meadow
Niagara section (Map 2)
7 acres | 373 m of trail secured
MapleCross Nature Reserve at River & Ruin
Iroquoia section (Map 10)
69 acres | 1.5 km of trail secured
Millen Road Access
Iroquoia section (Map 6)
0.4 acres | 23 m of trail secured
MapleCross Nature Reserve at Canning's Falls
Caledon Hills section (Map 18)
69.5 acres | 670 m of trail secured
Caledon Mountain Springs
Caledon Hills section (Map 15)
63 acres | 789 m of trail secured
Lime Kiln Bluffs
Blue Mountains section (Map 22)
36 acres | 710 m of trail secured
Fox Ridge East
Beaver Valley section (Map 25)
14 acres | 523 m of trail secured
Maple Ravine
Beaver Valley section (Map 26)
27 acres | 662 m of trail secured
Bayview Bluff
Sydenham section (Map 30)
100 acres | 651 m of trail secured
Skinner’s Woods
Sydenham section (Map 35)
113 acres | 455 m of trail secured
Mactaggart
Peninsula section (Map 38)
0.93 acres | 63 m of trail secured
2018-2019
Fisher’s Pond
Iroquoia section (Map 9)
87 acres | 1.1 km of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured
Heikoop
Iroquoia section (Map 5)
0.84 acres | 95 m Side Trail access secured
Tall Timbers
Caledon Hills section (Map 18)
24 acres | 640 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured
Valley East
Beaver Valley section (Map 26)
35 acres | 670 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Fox Ridge
Beaver Valley section (Map 25)
72 acres | 1,060 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured
East Mountain
Beaver Valley section (Map 26)
88 acres | 1 km of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured
Gardner
Blue Mountains section (Map 21)
15 acres | 130 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured
MapleCross Ridge
Sydenham section (Map 34)
100 acres | 460 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Barrow Bay Cliffs
Peninsula section (Map 38)
363 acres | 1.4 km of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Cape Chin Woods
Peninsula Section (Map 39)
100 acres | 410 m Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Driftwood Cove
In collaboration with Parks Canada and with funds from generous BTC donors
Peninsula section (Map 42)
3,276 acres | 8 km of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
2017-2018
St. Paul Nature Reserve
Niagara
10 acres | 247 m trail secured
Generously donated by the Region of Niagara and Niagara on the Lake
Red Oak Nature Reserve
Iroquoia
19 acres | 547 m trail secured
Funded by BTC Donors & Generously donated by Hamilton Conservation Authority
Maple Ridge Nature Reserve
Toronto
70 acres | 557 m trail secured
Quarryside Nature Reserve
Caledon Hills
34 acres | 279 m trail secured
Vandaleur Nature Reserve
Beaver Valley
46 acres | 485 m trail secured
Overton Nature Reserve
Sydenham
12.5 acres
Generously donated by the landowner
Kemble Wetland Nature Reserve
Sydenham
141 acres | 1,996 m trail secured
Big Bay Nature Reserve
Sydenham
24 acres | 475 m trail secured
2016-2017
Pyper Nature Reserve
Niagara
0.40 acres | 36 m trail secured
Generously donated by the Landowner
Dunedin Ravine Nature Reserve
Blue Mountains
79 acres | 1,176 m trail secured
Funded by BTC Donors and a grant from the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Natural Areas Conservation Program
Randall Taylor Easement
Beaver Valley
0.19 acres | 57 m trail secured
Generously donated by the Landowner
Daphne & Gordon Nicholls Nature Reserve
Beaver Valley
30 acres | 907 m trail secured
Lower Valley Road Nature Reserve
Beaver Valley
65 acres | 1,049 m trail secured
Irish Ridge Nature Reserve
Sydenham
150 acres | 670 m trail secured
Kemble Rock Nature Reserve
Sydenham
201 acres | 1,101 m trail secured
Ancient Beach Nature Reserve
Sydenham
58 acres | 534 m trail secured
Lindsay Nature Reserve
Peninsula
25 acres | 450 m trail secured
Cape Dundas Nature Reserve
Peninsula
231 acres | 2,918 m trail secured (+ 2,743 m side trail)
Generously donated by the Landowner
Otter Lake Nature Reserve
Peninsula
262 acres | 2,084 m trail secured
2015-2016
Lan Kwan Sum Nature Reserve at Rockside
Toronto
18 acres | 700 m trail secured
Funded by a bequest from Lan Kwan Sum and BTC Donors
Cedar Highlands Reach
Caledon Hills
7.1 acres | 250 m trail secured
Mono Kiln Edge Nature Reserve
Caledon Hills
6 acres | 400 m trail secured
Walter’s Creek Nature Reserve
Sydenham
16.5 acres | 447 m trail secured
Sydenham Nature Reserve
Sydenham
127 acres
Generously donated by the Landowner
Vanishing Stream Nature Reserve
Peninsula
105 acres | 1,100 m trail secured
Cunningham Easement
Peninsula
0.06 acres | 53 m trail secured
Generously donated by the Landowner
Hamilton Easement
Peninsula
0.03 acres | 53 m trail secured
Generously donated by the Landowner
Light Nature Reserve
Peninsula
11 acres | 358 m trail secured
Funded by a bequest from Bob Light
Areas protected by the BTC between 1976-2015 are too numerous to be listed here.