Our Nature Reserves

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 33% 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 Nature Reserves.

As one of Ontario's largest and most active land trusts, we have been responsible for the preservation of over 16,000 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 Reserve.

Thank you to everyone who has donated so generously to our land acquisition campaigns and helped to preserve these irreplaceable treasures.

You can preserve a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever.

Learn more about our latest land acquisition efforts and how you can help

Recently Protected Natural Areas

2019-2020

Woodend Meadow

Niagara section (Map 2)
7 acres
373 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route 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 Slope

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

Gardner

Blue Mountains section (Map 21)
15 acres preserved
130 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured

East Mountain

Beaver Valley section (Map 26)
88 acres preserved
1 km of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured

Fox Ridge

Beaver Valley section (Map 25)
72 acres preserved
1,060 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured

Valley East

Beaver Valley section (Map 26)
35 acres
670 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route

Tall Timbers

Caledon Hills section (Map 18)
24 acres preserved
640 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured

Heikoop

Iroquoia section (Map 5)
0.84 acres preserved
95 m Side Trail access secured

Fisher’s Pond

Iroquoia section (Map 9)
87 acres preserved
1.1 km of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured

Other Nature Reserves along the Bruce Trail

Kemble Wetland - Sydenham section - Protected in 2017

Maple Ridge - Toronto section - Protected in 2017

Lower Valley Road Nature Reserve:
Beaver Valley, 67 acres, 1.2 km of Bruce Trail

Vanishing Stream Nature Reserve:
Peninsula, 105 acres, 1.1 km of Bruce Trail

SC Johnson Nature Reserve at Walter's Creek:
Sydenham, 16.5 acres, 500 m of Bruce Trail

Silent Valley
Sydenham, 200 acres

Fairmount-Webwood Passage
Beaver Valley, 24 acres

Duntroon Crevice Heights
Blue Mountains, 7.7 acres

Cedar Highlands
Caledon Hills, 42 acres

Songbird Nature Reserve
Caledon, Caledon Hills, 23 acres

Cedar Springs Woods
Burlington, Iroquoia, 10 acres

Fairmount Wetland
Epping, Beaver Valley, 74 acres

Kimberley Springs
Kimberley, Beaver Valley, 57 acres

Pinnacle Rock
Kolopore, Beaver Valley, 128 acres

Splitrock Narrows
Dufferin Hi-Land

Malcolm Bluff Shores
Peninsula, 1,045 acres

Boyne River School Property
Dufferin Hi-Land, 9 km of Bruce Trail