Hermitage Cascade

Photo Credit: Gisèle Grenier/Art by Nature

At only 4 metres this diminutive hidden treasure is one of the smaller waterfalls in the area, but still worth the trip to see, especially in the spring thaw, or after a heavy rain.  To find the waterfall, park in the first parking lot at the Gatehouse (before the Hermitage Ruins) and walk back toward the entranceway.  The waterfall is located east of the driveway.  If you have the time, take a few minutes to follow the Main Loop Trail to view the Hermitage Ruins.

Back in 1855, George Gordon Browne Leith bought the Hermitage property in the Dundas Valley. As a second son of a Scottish baronet, he could not inherit either his father’s fortune or his title, so he moved to Canada to start a new life. Only ruins exist today, but it takes little imagination to consider what they must have looked like in their heyday. The stone for these beautiful buildings was quarried locally. The limestone sills came from the nearby Credit River Valley and red bricks were brought up from Dundas.  The ground floor of the main house had a drawing room, library, dining room and a huge entrance hall; all furnished in stately opulence with oil paintings, fine carpets and polished fixtures.

Regrettably, The Hermitage burned almost completely in October 1934, leaving the Ruins and Gatehouse that stand today.

From the 403, take the Rousseaux exit west to Ancaster.  Follow Rousseaux to Wilson Street (2nd set of lights) and turn left onto Wilson.  From Wilson Street, turn right onto Sulphur Springs Road.  Turn right again at the stop sign.  This is Sulphur Springs Road.  Continue downhill into the valley until you see a small sign on your right for the Hermitage.  Park at the first parking lot.  The falls are located behind the Gatehouse, the small stone building near the entrance.