Easy hikes and walks around Pelham

Lower Falls Side Trail loops for about 1.6 kilometres through the wooded slopes of Louth Conservation Area, dropping into the Sixteen Mile Creek valley before climbing back to the Bruce Trail. Expect rocky, uneven footing and a few steeper sections, especially if the trail is wet or muddy.

This trail follows a modern-day approximation of the 32-kilometre journey Laura Secord made during the War of 1812 to warn British forces of an impending American attack, from her homestead in Queenston to DeCew House in Thorold. The route passes through vineyards, woodland, open countryside and parts of the Niagara Escarpment, with some sections using roads and sidewalks as well as dedicated trails. From DeCew House, this section continues through the wooded escarpment landscape toward Lower DeCew Falls, passing along the trails around Twelve Mile Creek and connecting with the Bruce Trail near Morningstar Mill.

Lower DeCew Falls is a remote, roughly 8-metre cascade waterfall tucked into the gorge below Upper DeCew Falls. It’s harder to reach than its upper counterpart, following an unclear, often muddy path upstream along Beaverdams Creek that can be unsafe after heavy rain, but from here you get a nice view right along the trail. The falls get their name from John DeCew, a United Empire Loyalist who acquired the land in 1792 and built water-powered mills here that became an important milling centre in Upper Canada.

The stone ruins of DeCew House are what’s left of the former home of John DeCew, an early settler, mill owner, and captain in the 2nd Lincoln Militia. During the War of 1812, the house served as the headquarters of Lieutenant James FitzGibbon, where Laura Secord famously delivered her warning of a planned American attack before the Battle of Beaver Dams. Today, the preserved limestone ruins stand as one of Niagara’s most significant War of 1812 landmarks.

You view the falls from above as the trail approaches Sixteen Mile Creek. They can be quite powerful after a heavy rain, but the crescent wall of the waterfall is quite pretty even when the weather is relatively dry.

This easy packed dirt path takes you to the parking area of Louth Falls where there is a small gravel lot. The lot sometimes fills up during popular times and you can park along the road. The Bruce Trail, which parallels this one, does not lead to any parking area.

The Bruce Trail is over 890 kilometres long, and runs vertically across Ontario from Tobermory at the northern end of the Bruce Peninsula to Niagara Falls. This segment takes you through a couple small creek-fed valleys with views up to the small forested bluffs around the trail.

Upper Ball's Falls is the first of two beautiful cascades along this stretch of Twenty Mile Creek. You'll have a great view of the waterfall as it tumbles over the limestone cliffs. This waterfall is not as dramatic as the lower falls, and it requires a bit more of a walk so you'll have a better chance of solitude here. However, the waterfall can dwindle down to a trickle during the driest part of the year.