Hogg's Falls

We saw 7 of the waterfalls of Grey County , over the course of 3 separate trips out from the campground.

The first day took us about half an hour south of Meaford, to see both Hoggs falls and Eugenia Falls. Two other trips took us out to the Owen Sound area, as well to another couple of falls - a bit closer to Meaford.

Let’s start with Hogg’s Falls - which was one of my favourites of the lot!

While not a high waterfall - it's only 7 metres high - it's definitely a must-do, in our books.

Like the waterfall itself, the walk to it is short and gorgeous, and there are several other trails leading out from the area of the parking lot.

Of particular note: There's a unique way to get right down to the waterfall base!

More on that in a bit.

Visiting Hogg's Falls

Hogg’s Falls was a first for us - it wasn’t part of a conservation area or Provincial Park, it’s actually a feature on provincial Crown Land.

As such, there are a few things to keep in mind when visiting:

Pick up after yourself, as well as your dogs - which must be leashed and under control at all times.

You're responsible for your own welfare, and are using the trails at your own risk. Don't do anything too dumb!

No digging up, or removal of plants, and you aren't supposed to just go make your own trails, either. Basically: leave everything as you see it.

Anyway, let’s get to it!

The Basics:

Location Name: Hogg’s Falls
Address: 170491-172753, Lower Valley Road, Flesherton, ON N0C 1E0
Website: N/A
Price: Free!
Reservations:: N/A

Logistics

Not a whole lot to plan out, with this one. The falls are on crown land, no fees involved, no reservations... just show up and get to it!

Maps and Signage

I am a sucker for good maps and signage, and now I am a HUGE fan of Hogg’s Falls.

The map and signage for this area are *chef’s kiss*.

The parking lot has TWO large signs, with a ton of information about the area. One is basically a welcome bulletin, and the other has all the maps, as well as info on the history.

LOVE IT.

Then - THEN!!! - the trails are all clearly marked with colour coded trail signage, showing which trail(s) you are on, and which direction each goes, where they diverge.

It’s all bright, easy to see, and well laid out.

Parking

There’s a very small parking lot at the trail head - maybe 10-15 cars worth of spots.

The road to get to the parking lot is unpaved, a little rough, and maybe 2 km long?

There’s a sign saying no trucks, and there definitely wasn’t room for any trailers, etc in the actual parking lot.

Washroom Facilities

There is a single porta-potty in the parking lot, we didn’t see any more facilities on the trails, nor were any mentioned on the maps.

Accessibility

Wheelchair users should definitely skip this stop. You’ll be able to wheel around the parking lot, but that’s about it - not even the single toilet is accessible.

As for other mobility issues, there are several trails marked as “easy” - the ones we’ve done, I’d agree with the difficulty ratings. (See the trail info a bit further down in this post for more details!)

Pets

Dogs are allowed, but are required to be kept on a leash at all times.

While we haven’t done any of the longer trails, the shorter ones all seem dog friendly, with one caveat:

As you pass the falls and the trail narrows on approach to the rope? I wouldn’t recommend taking a dog on that section of the trail. It gets really narrow and wonky, with a steep drop off.

Connectivity

Not a lot of cell phone reception near the falls, but we were able to get a little bit of coverage in the parking lot, and on the boardwalk trail.

Very sporadic though!

Miscellaneous

The trails and parking lot are not maintained in winter.

That said, if you are able to get to the trails, they’re available for snowshoeing.

Hogg’s Falls

Before I get to the trail info, let’s talk a bit about the falls, and their history.

History of Hogg’s Falls

Hogg's Falls is named for William Hogg, a businessman in the 19th century.

He built a sawmill by these falls in the late 1800s, which he named Little Falls.

The mill burned down less than 20 years later, and William turned his attention to one of his other businesses - a store in Eugenia.

Anyway, the mill was never rebuilt, and some of the original structure is still found upstream of the falls.

Was insurance a thing back then? Hmmm...

So, he went from running the sawmill and store, to developing a hydro station upstream of Eugenia Falls.

His aim was to secure a contract to supply power to the City of Toronto, but he got outbid on that - AFTER a bunch of development - so he went back to dealing with his store.

Eventually the falls were named after him, and here we are!

Hogg’s Falls Info

Hogg’s Falls is on the Boyne River, and is a 7 meter tall plunge waterfall.

It’s only a short walk from the parking lot - around 0.5 km, round trip.

There’s no actual viewing platform at the top of the falls, but there is a small clearing, with the falls clearly visible, and really close.

Be aware: there’s no barrier at all between the trail and the falls / gorge, and it’s a very steep drop off!

Unlike a lot of conservation area waterfalls, you can access the bottom of the falls! There’s a narrow trail that takes you down to a rope you help you down over the side of the embankment!

There was one section of the rope where the outer sheath was worn off - it made the rope look frayed - but the inner core was intact and strong.

It was a relatively short drop down to the ground, and fairly easy for Porter to do - he brought his camera equipment down, without an issue.

Note: Apparently the bottom of the falls in a good spot for fishing!

Entertainment and Activity

The falls aren’t the only attraction - there are several different activities available to Hogg’s Falls visitors:

Hiking

The trails are maintained by volunteers from the Beaver Valley Club of the Bruce Trail Conservancy, here’s some some basic information:

Hogg's Falls Lookout Hike

The Hogg's Falls Lookout trail is 200m each way (400m return), is rated easy, and has a natural surface with a staircase.

It's marked with purple signs along the route.

Overall the trail was mostly easy-ish, though there were some hills, and also some tree roots / etc to climb down over - especially right as you’re approaching the falls.

Gotta be honest here: If you need to avoid the stairs, you're probably going to have a bit of a rough go of the trail, closer to the falls

Riverside Boardwalk Hike

The Riverside Boardwalk trail is also rated easy, but is a bit longer - 674m, 1 way. (About 1.35 km return), and a hiking-only trail.

It's an easy walk, on a flat, well packed trail through the woods, along with some boardwalk, steps, and bridges over a beautiful creek.

...which made it pretty bad with regards to mosquitos, LOL. We didn’t make it all that far in, before giving up.

I have no idea what’s going on with the mosquitos this year, NO bug spray has repelled them in the slightest!

Hogg's Falls Woodland Loop Hike

Hogg's Falls Woodland Loop trail is rated moderate, and is a 1.8 km loop. It's a natural surface with a staircase, and is a hiking only trail.

It's marked with light green signs.

This one takes you to the falls, then through some forests and meadows.

Boyne River Loop Hike

The Boyne River Loop Trail is a 2.8 km loop, and rated moderate. It's a natural surface walk with over 200m of boardwalks, 3 bridges, steps, and a staircase.

It's marked with dark green signs, and is a hiking-only trail.

This one takes you up the Niagara escarpment, though a forest, and then near the top of Hogg's Falls before headed back to the parking area.

Upper Beaver Valley Forest Loop Hike

The Upper Beaver Valley Forest Loop Trail is a 4.8 km loop trail, and rated moderate.

The bulk of the trail is hiking-only (natural surface, with a staircase), though a portion of it is also used for horeseback riding.

It's marked with Coral - maybe orange? - signs, and takes you through some hills, hardwood forests, and open meadows.

Cuckoo Valley Lookout Hike

The Cuckoo Valley Lookout Trail is rated "strenuous", and can be done as a partial / straight shot hike, or as a return loop.

The whole thing is an 8km return loop, with a recommended completion time of 3-4 hours.

If you do the shorter version, you can walk 4.8 km out to the Johnson's Side Road parking lot, with a completion time of 1-2 hours.

Either way, the trail is intended for hiking only, is marked with yellow signage, and has a natural surface with a staircase and some steps.

This trail hypes some spectacular views over Cuckoo Valley, Beaver Valley, waterfalls - including a bridal veil waterfall - and streams.

Hikers are warned to not start this hike late in the day, for safety reasons.

Hogg's to Eugenia Waterfall Hike

The Hogg's to Eugenia Waterfall Trail is another one that can be done as a loop (13.2 km, 5-6 hours), or as a straight shot, one way trail (6.6 km, 2-3 hours).

This one is the longest marked trail in the Hogg’s Falls network of hiking trails.

It's a natural surface trail, rated "strenuous", and is marked with dark blue trail signs.

This one takes you up and down some hills, through meadows and a few different types of forest.

Trail users are asked to stick to the trail only, as it crosses land with all kinds of different ownership situations - private property, Crown Land, Bruce Trail Conservance, AND Grey Sauble Conservation Authority.

As with the previous trail, hikers are urged not to start this trail late in the day.

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

Theoretically, Hogg’s Falls should be a good place for birding.

I don’t know if it was just the weather or what, but it was *quiet* when we visited. We didn’t see or hear anything.

Well, we heard the falls and the mosquitos, either/both may have drowned out any birds that may have piped up!

Fishing

Apparently the base of the falls is a popular place for fishing - speckled trout - but no one was fishing during our visit.

Swimming

I don’t know if I’d call it swimming, but there were people wading around in the river, at the base of the falls.

It didn’t look very deep, though, and the water looked pretty clean.

Niantic Games

We didn’t have enough cell phone reception to even open the apps.

Visiting in the Winter Months

When the cold weather hits, the Hogg’s Falls trails are open for snowshoeing and winter hiking.

Note: the trails and parking lot are only maintained in the summer months.

Final Thoughts

Hogg’s Falls was a really nice area to visit, and we’ll definitely have to go back when we’re in the area.

I’m honestly shocked that it’s considered secondary to Eugenia Falls!

Not only were Hogg’s Falls prettier, you could also get right up to them. There’s also the cool factor of being able to climb down a short rope and actually get to the bottom of the falls.

Then, there’s the matter of the trails - much nicer, better marked, etc.

Oh, I am in love with the way the trails were marked, and the information presented.

Seriously, I’m writing this a week later, and just swooning over the thought that went into organizing and presenting the trail information!

Anyway, we definitely recommend visiting Hogg’s Falls, if you’re in the area!

More Places to See

Looking for some nice sights to see and great places to visit while you're out on your camping adventures? Here are a few of our favourite day use parks, attractions, etc.

Batchawana Bay
Big Bay, Ontario
Bruce Peninsula National Park
Doube's Trestle Bridge
Falls Reserve Conservation Area
Flowerpot Island
Menesetung Bridge
Point Pelee National Park
Scenic Caves Nature Adventures
Spirit Rock Conservation Area
Temagami Fire Tower
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park