Waterfalls Near Toronto – Exploring the Cascades of Grey County

Even if you’ve lived in Toronto for a long time, you might not’ve known about all the different water falls north of the city and strung along the way up towards Owen Sound.  In this guide, find out how you can build an easy day trip from Toronto to see 4 different waterfalls and if you’re lucky, a bonus visit to a field of yellow flowers.

It has been a long time since I’ve gone on a family road trip and so when my Dad proposed the idea to go up north for a one-day road trip, I was all for it!  The following chronicles our itinerary that we followed chasing waterfalls.

Visiting Waterfalls North of Toronto

#1 – Eugenia Falls

Starting from Toronto, drive up highway 400 and just a tad over 2 hours, you’ll reach your first waterfall.  On the way up you will pass by Orangeville, Mono, Shelburne, and then you’ll enter Grey County.

There really aren’t any huge signs that point out the falls but once you’re really close there are some basic blue signs that tell you where to turn.  There isn’t a giant billboard announcing Eugenia Falls but you’ll know you made it when you get to a lot with a number of cars and bikes parked alongside 2 porta-potties.  Nearby you’ll also see a sign with more information about the Eugenia Falls Conservation Area.

Once you’re parked, there’s a short walk to the falls themselves.  You arrive at them from the top where there’s a stone wall that protects you.

I would classify these waterfalls as a thinner string of water as opposed to sweeping wide plunge that you might be expecting.  As your first waterfall, Eugenia Falls are quite unique to the others that you’ll encounter on this day trip from Toronto

Continue along the trail and you’ll see that the protective stone wall will eventually disappear and you’ll see a steep cliff drop.  You don’t need to continue at this point if you don’t feel comfortable.  In fact, we turned around and went back to the original point where you get great views of the falls.

A secondary way to see the falls is to get to the stream of water that leads to the plunge.  There’s a path to the right and through a fence that’ll bring you to the waterfall’s edge.  It’s unclear whether this is allowed or not but certainly be careful if you make your way up here.

#2 – Hoggs Falls

The second waterfall is not far from Eugenia Falls but there’s still a bit of driving to do depending on which route the GPS takes you through.

Similar to the first one, the signs for Hoggs Falls aren’t clear so rely on your map app to take you to the parking lot.

Hoggs Falls might be one of my favourite hidden gems on this road trip.  Nestled in the first, this is a wide cape of water that cascades over a short cliff.  It’s not thunderously tall but is quite beautiful to photograph and includes a nice short hike to get to.

For those that are a bit more adventurous, there’s a rope that you can use to get all the way d own to the bottom.

The hike itself is quite short so you’ll get to the falls quite quickly.  There isn’t much of a trail to get to other angles so expect to snap few quick pictures and then head back to the car.

It’ll be close to lunch time at this point.  I recommend that you head over to The Bicycle Cafe in Flesherton.  Their BBQ pork is quite awesome.  Their menu also has special dishes for vegans and vegetarians.

#3 – Inglis Falls

After lunch, you’ll drive just a bit over an hour to a region just outside of Owen Sound that is technically still part of Grey County.

So far, you’ve seen small hidden water falls.  Inglis Falls is a proper cascade of waterfalls that’s quite well-known in these parts.  It’s quite the impressive sight to see.

When you arrive at the parking lot, head over to the small information center.  Here, you’ll find more information about the geological formation of this area and the mill that used to sit right atop the falls.

What makes this particular waterfall different is the fact that you can see it from the top and the bottom quite easily.

At the top, there’s a raised wooden platform that gives you a panoramic view of Inglis.

To view the waterfall from the bottom, there’s a well-constructed path that’s quite safe and well-travelled.  It’ll take you through a forested area before you’re presented with a narrow passageway that surrounds you on both sides with rock.  Keep going further down and you’ll start hearing the rumbling of the falls.  Eventually, things open up and you’ll see Inglis Falls in full.

This one is pretty because of the rippling effect you see from the water as it cascades through multiple levels of rock.

Bonus – Field of yellow flowers next to Grey Roots

Not far from Inglis Falls is the Grey Roots Museum & Archives.  Opened in 2004, this is a multi-purpose facility designated for the preservation of cultural and heritage traditions in Grey County.  Through demonstrations, its Heritage Village, archival resources, interpretive programs, and educational programs, it’s a great little stop along your day trip from Toronto.

If you’re here in the summer, you might be lucky enough to encounter a beautiful endless field of yellow flowers adjacent to the museum.

After leaving Grey Roots, you can also include an optional stop at Kelso Beach.

#4 – Indian Falls

Take Grey Road 1 through Owen Sound and you’ll eventually make it to Indian Falls.

The signs are well-marked for this waterfall from the main road.

As the grand finale, you’ll be quite impressed with Indian Falls.

You’ll be able to stretch your legs as this one has a bit more of an actual hike to get to the waterfall.  You will follow a creek created by the downward flor of water from the falls.  You’ll eventually start a gradual climb upwards until you get to the top where you’ll see a bridal veil of water that falls over a curved cliff.  The hike takes a total of 15 to 20 minutes depending on how fast you go.

The trail will take you past some fencing but there are a couple of openings that’ll give you great vantage points of the waterfall that’ll be right across from you.

For the brave lot, you can actually walk right up to the top of the falls and along the shallow waters.  The water doesn’t move at a fast speed which gives Indian Falls a gentle tumble downwards.

There’s also supposed to be a trail to the bottom of the waterfalls but that one isn’t marked let’s just say it isn’t official.

Final thoughts

If you’re looking to do something a little different, think about doing this waterfall tours north of Toronto.  It makes a perfect weekend getaway.  It’s impressive what we have a couple hours drive from the city.  These might not have the star power of waterfalls you might find in Hawaii but the variety of these four waterfalls are still a pretty sight and demonstrates the beauty that you can find in Ontario.