A Day OFF :).
What do you do on your day off was the question I had for my family this morning. Ok, I really
didn’t ask them, I just said do you trust me and then they got in the car.
40 minutes later we arrived at McGowan Falls located in Durham Ontario.
The waterfalls was named after an early miller who used this site for water power. It is a fairly small waterfall with only about an 8 ft drop but is still beautiful in its cedar setting. If you stand on the bridge overlooking the falls and see the water pouring directly under your feet, cascading in graceful arches and then swirling rapidly around rocks to the calmer water downstream.
The Durham conservation area is right across the footbridge … Oh what fun!
Once you cross the bridge you can follow the cool walking trail to the left that follows the rocky woods beside the river as it flows back to town. If you walk all the way you can get an ice cream at Riverside Fish & Chips but not on a Monday 😦 they are closed.
There is a wide variety of activities for the family to enjoy in the Conservation area which has picnic shelters, washrooms, camping, cycling, fishing, swimming, boating etc. as well as being a beautiful spot to enjoy nature and to take pictures. There is also badminton, horseshoe and volleyball facilities, and some special events organized by the campground during the summer months as well.
Since the waterfall was small we decided to walk around the bottom and check out the caves. I think this is a great stop to visit for a few hrs or just pack a lunch and relex. I know some visitors will probably use this as a pit stop on the way up to bigger waterfalls around Owen Sound. But I like this little spot. It’s easy to find and everything is only minutes from the parking lot.
Categories: Fishing, Recreation, Swimming, Trails, Waterfalls
Tags: 365 things to do in orangeville, durham ontario, McGowan Falls, McGowan Falls Durham Ontario
I’m curious on how you control the water under the footbridge. Is it man controlled or electrical very curious. Is the bridge rails heightened for safety thank you Maryann
That’s a very good question. I never thought about it until you asked. And I don’t know the answer.