Buttermilk Falls

Buttermilk Falls is another one of those waterfalls that we happened across while looking into ANOTHER waterfall.

You know, Hamilton is the “City of Waterfalls”, but it’s honestly wild how many times we’ve *happened across* a waterfall, or “discovered” a new-to-us waterfall because it’s so close to another one.

Being from Winnipeg - which is about as flat as it gets - I hope that living along the Niagara Escarpment never gets old for us!

I’ll be upfront - Buttermilk Falls isn’t the most impressive or among the most beautiful waterfalls in Hamilton.

The falls come out of a storm drain/culvert, and the view is further marred by a BUNCH of graffiti on the wall face behind the falls, which gives a bit of a trashy air.

It’s a shame, really - the gorge it’s in is beautiful!

The view down from the top of the falls is pretty - and totally avoids the graffiti - but you don’t get to see much of the actual waterfall.

Still, it’s very easy to get to, and is very close to Albion Falls - a waterfall that’s a must-see.

So, for the sake of completion, let us tell you what we know about visiting Buttermilk Falls.

The Basics:

Location Name: Buttermilk Falls / Oak Knoll Park
Address: Mountain Brow Blvd, Hamilton ON. (Click for Google Maps location)
Website: N/A
Price Free!
Reservations: Not Applicable.

Logistics

Some basic information to help you plan your visit to Buttermilk Falls.

Registration and Check In

There is no registration, gatehouse, ticketing, reservations, or anything of the sort to worry about. Parking is free - just show up, find a parking spot, and go!

Parking

There is a small parking lot at Oak Knoll Park - probably enough for about 10-15 cars.

Alternately, you could park at Albion Falls - the Upper King’s Forest Parking Lot (Click for Google Maps location) - and walk the 800 metres or so to Buttermilk Falls, along the Mountain Brow Side Trail - more on that in a bit!

Finally, there appears to be some parking on the other side of Mountain Brow Boulevard , between the actual parking lot and the falls. I don’t think it’s necessarily *legal* parking, but there have been people parked there every time we’ve visited!

Washrooms

There are no washroom facilities of any kind on site at either Buttermilk Falls or Albion Falls.

That said, the Oak Knoll Park parking lot is less than 400 metres away from the Mohawk 4 Ice Centre / Liuna 4 Ice Centre - and there are public washrooms there.

Maps and Signage

There are maps of the general area both at the parking lot, and partway along the trail from the parking lot.

It’s a good map - it basically shows the area of the Mountain Brow Side Trail that covers both Albion Falls and Buttermilk Falls, with a few points of interest, parking lots, etc indicated.

In terms of signage, the only directional signage is some of the Bruce Trail blazes painted on some trees and street barriers along the way.

Really though... directional signage isn’t needed here. The location of the falls is pretty obvious, and there’s only a single trail heading in that direction. You’re not going to get lost here!

Accessibility

TL;DR: Not wheelchair friendly, but fairly accessible if you’re not using a wheelchair.

First off - there’s no designated accessible parking spots, and the trail isn’t wheelchair friendly at all.

It’s not DIFFICULT, it’s just narrow, mucky at times, has some roots and such to get over, with one area that gets a bit weird.

That said, it would be an easy enough trail to do with any other mobility aid, as long as the trail was relatively dry at the time. It’s more or less flat, with only one short, reasonable incline.

The roots along the way are small, there’s a narrow - but easy - side path to get around the weird spot, and it’s a very short walk.

Pets

Dogs are allowed - and it seems to be a popular place for walking your dog - but they must be leashed at all times, and picked up after.

We didn’t see any complimentary poop bag dispensers on site, but there was a garbage can at the parking lot.

Park Store

There is no park store at Oak Knoll Park / Buttermilk Falls.

Visitor Centre

There is no visitor center at Oak Knoll Park / Buttermilk Falls.

Picnic Area

There were no picnic tables at Oak Knoll Park, or any benches along the trail to / just past the falls.

If you’re looking for somewhere to picnic, there are a couple tables at the Arbor Rd / Albion Falls South Parking Lot, and a few more at the Red Hill Valley Trail South Parking Lot (Click the links for the Google Maps locations).

Both of these are closer to Albion Falls.

Connectivity

We have great cell reception everywhere in the area of Buttermilk Falls, Oak Knoll Park, and Albion Falls - we’re on Rogers Wireless.

Buttermilk Falls Waterfall

Buttermilk Falls is one of a few waterfalls located on the Red Hill Creek - well, a tributary of it, anyway.

It’s 23 metres tall, varies wildly in crest/width, and is a Terraced Ribbon waterfall.

Because the source is essentially a storm water overflow drain, your best bet for a nice view of Buttermilk Falls is to visit after a big rainstorm.

Just be sure to wear appropriate shoes - while rain will be good for the water flow, it will make the trail to get there REALLY mucky!

Miscellaneous

Some random factoids about Buttermilk Falls:

1. There are some really interesting rock formations surrounding the waterfall. It’s not as colourful as Devil's Punchbowl, but the texture is gorgeous.

2. There is a long list of prohibited activities for Oak Knoll Park: Smoking, littering, dumping, loitering (It’s a PARK??), destruction of plant material, discharge of firearms, dogs off leads, operation of motor vehicles, vandalism, graffiti, golfing, gambling, solicitation, and open fires.

I guess someone didn’t get the memo about the graffiti.

Entertainment and Activity

Some information on the things you can see and do while visiting Buttermilk Falls:

Hiking

There are a couple main options to consider, depending on how much walking you want to do.

The Walk to the Waterfall

There are two pathways from the parking lot, which join together as part of the Mountain Brow Side Trail of the Bruce Trail.<

The trail is wide, MOSTLY flat and well packed earth, but it can be pretty mucky You’ll definitely want to wear hiking appropriate shoes, rather than something you wouldn’t want to get muddy.

About 300 metres from the parking lot, you’ll come back to Mountain Brow Blvd - the same road that Oak Knoll Park is on.

A short trail cuts through, with Bruce Trail Blazing telling you to continue to the left - but it’s really obvious, even without the trail blaze!

You’ll walk on sidewalk for about 60 metres, passing over the top of the waterfall, with a great view down the gorge.

The trail then exits the road and continues to the left, with a couple little offshoots to see the falls.

If you turn back there, the full hike ends up coming in around 800 metres.

The Mountain Brow Side Trail

While you can cut your walk short and head back to the parking lot, you could also just keep going along the Mountain Brow Side Trail - a 2.8 km long trail, over all.

Continuing out in that direction from Buttermilk Falls will take you to Albion Falls, about 700 metres after Buttermilk Falls.

From there, the trail continues along Mud street in the direction of the Red Hill Valley Trail South parking lot. It cuts into the woods there, and meets up with the main Bruce Trail about 400 metres later.

On the other hand, going left on the main Bruce Trail will take you in the direction of Tobermory.

This route will take you past some local attractions, like Tiffany Falls, Sherman Falls, Dundas Peak & Tew Falls, and Smokey Hollow Falls, before continuing on to such gems as Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area, Cheltenham Badlands, Mono Cliffs Provincial Park, Inglis Falls Conservation Area, Eugenia Falls Conservation Area, Spirit Rock Conservation Area, Lion's Head Lookout Trail, Devil's Monument and - a personal favourite - Bruce Peninsula National Park.

Turning right onto the main Bruce Trail will take you in the direction of Niagara Falls, passing Felker's Falls, Devil's Punchbowl Waterfall & Conservation Area, and several other waterfalls along the way.

You can also access the Main Bruce Trail from closer to Oak Knoll Park - Beside the entrance to the parking lot.

The trail continues along Mountain Brow Blvd - AWAY from Buttermilk Falls - for about 600 metres, until you get just past the Mohawk 4 Ice Centre. There, you’ll join up on the Red Hill Creek Side Trail on the same side of the road.

That will take you sort of back in the same direction you came, before meeting up with the main Bruce Trail about 270 metres later. Much like the other end of the Mountain Brow Side Trail, turning left onto the Bruce Trail will head in the direction of Tobermory, while turning right takes you in the direction of Niagara Falls.

Hiking Into the Gorge

As I mentioned, there are two trail entrances from the parking lot.

If you take the one on the left - near the map sign - there’s also what appears to be an established trail into the gorge, off to the left. We haven’t had enough time to explore it yet, beyond just confirming that it continues on.

Looking at maps and photos others have taken of the falls, it appears this is probably a way to get down to the gorge in front of the falls. There is NO signage telling you not to, so I assume it’s a legal access point.

Biking

We couldn’t see any signage for or against cycling on this section of trail.

It seems to be fine for more rustic / mountain biking, and there was nothing specifically banning it... but, on the other hand, it seems to be exclusively a Bruce Trail side trail.

... and cycling is generally considered prohibited on the Bruce Trail, aside from areas where the trail is shared with other trails that specifically allow it.

SO, I’d say your best bet is to start your biking adventure closer to Albion Falls.

Across the street from Albion Falls is the Arbor Rd parking lot, which also serves as a trailhead for the Escarpment Recreational Rail Trail, which is a popular trail for cycling.

It’s not a dedicated bike trail, though - also used for hiking, walking, and snow shoeing.

The East Mountain Loop Trail is also a mixed use trail that’s good for cycling. It runs alongside Mud Rd, and can be accessed via the Red Hill Valley Trail South Parking lot.

Swimming

There are no swimming opportunities at Buttermilk Falls.

Swimming and wading are prohibited, and there are additional warnings to not come in contact with the water at all, due to bacteria levels.

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

We haven’t had a ton of luck with birding at Buttermilk Falls, but we haven’t gone all THAT many times.

So far, all we’ve seen or heard is American Robin, Black-Capped Chickadee, Dark-Eyed Junco, Eastern Phoebe, and Golden-Crowned Kinglet in the trees, and a Turkey Vulture flying overhead.

Boating

There are no boating opportunities at Buttermilk Falls.

Fishing

Buttermilk Falls really does not seem like a fishing destination.

Educational & Cultural Opportunities

There were no educational signs at Buttermilk Falls, beyond the map of the area. It’s also not really the kind of venue that’s likely to see educational or Cultural programming.

Winter Activities

The trail is not maintained during the winter, but I imagine it would be a fun place to go winter hiking, or snow shoeing - weather permitting!

Niantic Games

There are a couple Niantic game features - Pokemon Gyms, Pokestops, Ingress Portals, etc - right by the Oak Knoll Park parking lot, and a few more near the waterfall.

Cell reception is fantastic in the area, so you won’t have any trouble playing.

Final Thoughts

Like I said at the beginning of the post ... this wasn’t among our favourite of Hamilton’s waterfalls. I really don’t want to oversell it!

That said, the walk to it is short and pleasant, and continues on to Albion Falls - a waterfall that’s totally worth visiting.

While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Buttermilk Falls as a destination by itself, it’s a fine enough addition on to an Albion Falls visit.

Caveat: our first visit was in the spring, with not great lighting. I bet that gorge is AMAZING during the fall colours season - especially if the water is running well.

It’s just really a shame about the graffiti, you know?

More Hamilton Waterfalls

Interested in exploring more of the City of Waterfalls? Here are more posts about waterfalls in the City of Hamilton (and surrounding area!):

Albion Falls
Devil's Punchbowl Waterfall & Conservation Area
Dundas Peak & Tew Falls
Felker's Falls
Little Davis Falls
Sherman Falls
Smokey Hollow Falls
Tiffany Falls
Webster Falls & Spencer Gorge Conservation Area

Looking to go even further for your waterfalling adventure? Check out our larger Ontario Waterfalls for some waterfall viewing road trip inspiration!