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
MapleCross Nature Reserve at River & Ruin
Iroquoia section
69 acres
1.5 km of Trail
Mactaggart
Peninsula section
0.93 acres
63 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
2018-2019
Driftwood Cove
In collaboration with Parks Canada and with funds from generous BTC donors, 2018-2019
Peninsula section
3,276 acres
8 km of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Cape Chin Woods
Peninsula Section
100 acres
410 m Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Barrow Bay Cliffs
Peninsula section
363 acres
1.4 km of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
MapleCross Ridge
Sydenham section
100 acres
460 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Gardner
Blue Mountains section Near Dunedin; Map 21,
15 acres preserved
130 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured
East Mountain
Beaver Valley section, Eugenia; Map 26, north of km 46.4
88 acres preserved
1 km of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured
Fox Ridge
Beaver Valley section Near Duncan; Map 25
72 acres preserved
1,060 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured
Valley East
Beaver Valley section
35 acres
670 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Tall Timbers
Caledon Hills section, Hockley Valley; Map 18, near km 44.3
24 acres preserved
640 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route secured
Heikoop
Iroquoia section Grimsby; Map 5,
0.84 acres preserved
95 m Side Trail access secured
Fisher’s Pond
Iroquoia section, Burlington; Map 9, near km 80
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