Mill Creek (Metcalfe Rock) and Mono Cliffs

kemaru2
Nov 10
4 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

These two are my very first Bruce Trail hikes. I hiked these way back in 2023 before I ever thought about hiking the entire bruce trail. I have these hikes saved within the AllTrails app which is how I firstly remembered completing them and secondly how I have all the stats and info about the trails.

~Mill Creek (Metcalfe Rock)

This was the first Bruce trail hike and to this day, several years later, I still remember this hike because of how wonderful and special it was. It is such a great start to this journey of ours. I did the Mill Creek Loop Trail in Ravenna, Ontario on July 21, 2023. I assume this hike would have been over Toyota's summer shutdown. Through the AllTrails app, I gave it 5 stars and my first line I wrote is "Absolutely loved this trail."

Smiling person with two huskies in a car. One dog is white, the other has a brown face. The interior is dark, creating a cheerful mood.

We left home at 7am to drive up to the trail head.

This is the first picture of our "now" epic journey. Don't mind all the dog hair, you'll get used to that in every photo. haha

This trail has nice long boardwalk areas. The videos and photos I have show it had rained the previous day of us going since everything is wet. So, I have a video of the dogs running up and down the boardwalk chasing each other. In case you didn't know, usually boardwalks get super slippery after it rains. So the pups were running and chasing each other and they couldn't grip the wood. At one point both of them almost took me out at the knees! haha

Further along on this trail it opens up to the creek. You take the boardwalk up across this cute little bridge and then it comes back down to maybe a foot over the water. I allowed the dogs to go for a little swim since they were hot. Oliver follows the boardwalk to the shore and goes in the water that way. Smart boy! Mia decides that instead of following Oliver, she would instead like to jump off the boardwalk. I can see her trying to work up the nerve. In the video, she's walking up and down the boardwalk to see which spot is best to jump in at. Eventually, she chooses the best spot, then she's working on her courage to make the jump. She crouches down with her bum in the air about to leap off and she psyches herself out. haha BUT with lots of encouragement from this Mommy she finally takes the leap. Go Mia! I was so proud of her as she's swimming around. I can't remember if this was her actual first time swimming but if it wasn't the first, it was definitely the second. Even since then it's only been a handful of times. This is the reason why this hike is so memorable and special. Oliver enjoys going in to the water as long as he can touch the ground. He is not a natural swimmer as he brings his front paws high out of the water and slaps down on to the water which then sprays up into his face, which he does not like. Then the cycle continues. haha

Brown and white husky sits on a rocky, mossy trail wearing a brown harness. Green foliage in the blurred background.

Metcalfe Rock

This trail is also amazing because it has Metcalfe Rock as a destination point. It's these sky high rock crevices that are covered in moss with trees growing from the rocks. It is such a neat experience that you can explore through. In the middle of the crevice the air temperature dips several degrees that you can feel the cold air. There is a little cave section that you can walk through that comes to a dead end. The trail does have you climbing on pretty big rocks. Since I had the dogs with me, I had to find a different side trail around that area.

This hike will always be super special and I encourage you all to check it out. I didn't meet a single person on this trail which is so nice to have nature all to yourself. The trails were well worn and easy to walk. I literally did this hike in running shoes! This trail has lots of ups and downs. This entire hike took us 2 hrs and 40 min. We travelled 9.3kms however only 3.08 kms of it is the main bruce trail. So only the 3.08 kms attribute to our goal of 890 kms. For reference, Mill Creek is in the Beaver Valley Club section of the Bruce trail.

Woman with two Huskies in harnesses on a forest trail, smiling amidst lush green trees. Bright daylight filters through leaves.

~Mono Cliffs

We completed Lookout Trail at Mono, ON on August 15, 2023. This trail also was a very cool experience. Obviously, I was picking all the best local trails right off the hop. I had given this trail 4 stars, I think it lost a star because parts of the hike had a very narrow trail. At these narrow sections, the dogs could barely fit side by side which isn't overly enjoyable to walk through tall grass (especially during tick season). The pictures show that this trail was also completed on a very rainy day We will typically hike through any weather and just prepare accordingly.

Woman in a gray cap smiles during a hike in a lush, green landscape under a cloudy sky. Her backpack reads "Osprey."

2023 is when I first got the Alltrails App and also when I started hiking more often with the dogs. For all of these hikes I am wearing running shoes, leggings and some athletic type shirt. I have a Osprey hiking backpack that can carry water but those are the basics that I hike with. Since then I have accumulated more safety essentials but I am very low key and don't have any of the latest gear. Hiking for me is about being in nature and you definitely don't need fancy things to do it.

The lookout is beautiful but the main feature of this hike is definitely the canyon cliffs. You walk down these wooden stairs into a canyon that is surrounded by mossy rocks. I love how trees are able to continue to grow out of these rocks. Nature is truly incredible. The boardwalk is nicely built and it guides you through a part of the canyon.

Person crouching with two dogs on a wooden path in a lush, mossy forest with rocky walls. The scene is peaceful and natural.

Two huskies sit on a rocky path, surrounded by greenery under a cloudy sky. They wear harnesses and appear calm and content.

We completed this trail in 2 hrs and 5 min and travelled 7.4 kms. Of these kms, 6.18 count towards the main bruce trail. Mono Cliffs hike is within the Dufferin Club section of the Bruce Trail.