Dundas Valley Trails in Fall: Walking In From South Dundas

From September 26 to November 8, 2026, the Hamilton Conservation Authority requires a reservation for every visit to Spencer Gorge. That covers Dundas Peak, Tew Falls and Webster Falls, so those spots now run on a booking system. The Dundas Valley behind the south end of town has no booking requirement. It still has its own rules this fall: a closed trail, a race day on October 24, and a weekday schedule that changes in November. Once you know those dates, the valley may be the easiest fall hike in Hamilton to reach from town on foot.

What a Spencer Gorge Visit Involves Right Now

Spencer Gorge has strict rules this season. Bookings are made online, up to nine days ahead and no later than midnight the night before. HCA says plainly that there are "no walk up, drive up or same day reservations." Each booking is a two-hour slot at either Dundas Peak and Tew Falls or Webster Falls. A four-hour slot covers both, and bookings hold rain or shine.

For non-members, the cost is an $11 vehicle fee, $5.50 per passenger and a $10 reservation fee. The four-hour visit adds another $11 for parking. HCA members get in free but still pay the $10 reservation fee. HCA also says City of Hamilton parking enforcement will patrol the streets around the gorge. A ticket in a Special Enforcement Area costs $250.

Under these rules, even arriving on foot doesn't skip the booking. The Dundas Valley works differently, and the difference comes down to how you get there.

The Door at Warren Park

HCA's trail brochure describes the Spring Creek Trail as 3.3 km one way. It starts at the Dundas Valley Trail Centre, crosses Sanctuary Park and ends in Dundas at Warren Park. HCA estimates 90 minutes. For anyone living around Pleasant Avenue, Warren Park and Sanctuary Park are the closest ways into the valley from town. The main HCA entrance at 650 Governors Road sits further into the valley.

The route from town looks like this:

1. Warren Park, the Dundas end of the Spring Creek Trail.
2. Sanctuary Park, at 27 Sanctuary Drive. The City lists it there, and HCA's guide to the Hamilton–Brantford Rail Trail names it as a rest stop.
3. The Dundas Valley Trail Centre, a replica Victorian train station. HCA calls it the hub of the valley's trail network, with displays, brochures and maps.

From the Trail Centre, the valley's trail system runs about 40 km and reaches almost every part of the conservation area. It's organized around three major trails: the Main Loop Trail, the Bruce Trail and the Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail.

The rail trail is the second way in without a car. HCA's guide says it's free to use for hiking and cycling. The same guide lists Sanctuary Park and the Trail Centre as points along it. Cyclists may use the valley's multi-use trails and must stay on marked trails. Bikes are not allowed on the Bruce Trail. HCA also points wheelchair and scooter users to the Rail Trail, since the valley's other trails are rugged.

There's a third option on the town side. The City's Spencer Creek Trail starts at the Ogilvie Street bridge and runs west to Mill Street. From there, sidewalks connect it to the Bruce Trail near the Highway 8 CN overpass. The City notes that parts of the route cross private land and the eastern section is unfinished.

What HCA Charges For

HCA's 2026 fee schedule sets the Dundas Valley entrance fee at $11.50 per vehicle. The only other entry fee listed is $21.50 per horse, which includes the vehicle and trailer. The table has no line for anyone walking or cycling in. Whatever the reason, HCA prices the valley by vehicle, and the trail from Warren Park isn't a vehicle entrance.

The Spring Creek Trail is a two-way route, so it also works for driving visitors. HCA lists five lots, each with an address:

HCA's fee page gives one vehicle rate for the valley and doesn't break it down by lot. Visitors parking at a side lot should check the posted signs. HCA doesn't list Old Ancaster Road or Martin Road as entry lots, so roadside stops there shouldn't be assumed to be allowed.

The membership numbers are worth checking for households that do drive. A 12-month HCA membership costs $130 plus HST new or $117 plus HST to renew. It covers up to seven people in one vehicle and doesn't cover peak-season reservation fees. At $11.50 a visit, a first-year membership pays for itself on the twelfth paid drive into the valley, before tax. For anyone who reaches the valley on foot, that count may never come up.

The Dates the Valley Runs On

Skipping the booking doesn't mean any day is fine. The valley's fall dates are set by a trail alert, a race and a land agreement:

The G. Donald closure is deep in the valley, away from the Sanctuary Park side. The town-side walk-in isn't affected, but loops that run east through the Reforestation Trail are. HCA's alert gives no reopening date.

The race is the busiest single day on the valley's calendar. Organizers describe a point-to-point course from Burlington to Dundas along the Iroquoia Section of the Bruce Trail. Runners park at the conservation area and take a bus to the start. A 2.5 km stretch of the course runs along Dundas streets. The 25 km bus leaves at 8:45 a.m. for a 9:30 a.m. start, and the 10 km bus leaves at 10 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. start. Both races finish at Stacey Meadow Pavilion. Entry is capped at 180 runners. Racers' parking is included, while spectators and crew pay the regular entrance fee. The listing doesn't mention any trail closure. On race morning, walking in from Warren Park keeps you out of the main lot when it's busiest.

November Changes the Weekdays

The biggest calendar change comes as Spencer Gorge's reservation season ends. HCA's 2025 to 2027 agreement schedules the 2026 Haudenosaunee deer harvest for Monday, November 2 to Thursday, December 3. The agreement limits harvesting to Mondays through Thursdays and bans it on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It also caps the combined harvest at 60 deer per calendar year.

That means a calendar split for November. From Friday to Sunday the valley runs on its usual rules. From Monday to Thursday, parts of it are closed. HCA hasn't yet published the 2026 list of affected trails. Under the agreement, HCA must post a "Public Notice of Trail Closure" on its website, at the Dundas Valley gatehouse, and at the main trail entrances used during the harvest. It must also notify landowners next to the harvest area. Last year's notice said harvesting happened in two schedules at once. One of them, Schedule B, had no public access or trails, and the notice pointed to area closures and trail signs. Check the HCA alerts page before any weekday hike from November 2 on.

The Main Loop gives the valley's fall weekends some depth. The Basadinaa Experience is a recent Indigenous-led series of interpretive signs on the Main Loop Trail, reached from the Trail Centre. HCA developed it with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Six Nations of the Grand River. Basadinaa is Anishinaabemowin for "in the valley." The Kanyen'kéha word Ohrón:wakon has the same meaning. The panels cover the Between the Lakes Treaty No. 3, the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, the Mohawk Portage Route and Grandmother Moon, among other subjects. The Hermitage Ruins are just off the same loop. Dogs must be leashed everywhere in the conservation area.

For a Pleasant Avenue household, a typical fall weekend could look like this: walk from Warren Park through Sanctuary Park on the Spring Creek Trail, arrive while the Trail Centre is open, and do the Basadinaa panels on the Main Loop. There's no booking window, no per-passenger fee and no enforcement-zone parking to deal with.

Trail access is one of the everyday details that shape life in south Dundas, and it's often hard to see from a listing. If you're weighing how close you are to the valley, now or for a future move, Jessica Alexopoulos & Associates is happy to talk it through with you. Get in Touch.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.