Inglis Falls
A 18 M Horsetail Waterfall On The Niagara Escarpment, With A Gorge, A Boardwalk, A Lookout, The Bruce Trail And A Conservation Area With Picnic Tables. A Short Stop In Owen Sound, With Steps Down To The Base And A Frozen Cascade In Winter · Owen Sound, Ontario
Inglis Falls drops over a limestone lip of the Niagara Escarpment on the Sydenham River at the southern edge of Owen Sound, about 3 km from downtown (confirm). The water spreads across a broad ledge and falls roughly 18 m into a deep, mossy gorge, loud in spring and thin in late summer. A conservation area surrounds it, with a rim lookout, a boardwalk, stairs to the base of the gorge, picnic tables and a section of the Bruce Trail that links the park to the long escarpment path. The ruins of an old mill sit beside the river, and a small arboretum covers the upland. In winter the cascade freezes into curtains of blue ice that draw photographers and cautious walkers. It is one of the most visited free stops in Grey County, easy to combine with a walk through Owen Sound and a drive up the Bruce Peninsula. Entry is by a small fee or a donation (confirm). Allow an hour for the falls and two or three if you walk the trails above and below.
Inglis Falls Conservation Area, on the Sydenham River on the south edge of Owen Sound about 3 km from downtown, on Grey County Road 1; coordinates approximate, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
The conservation area is generally open every day from sunrise to sunset, and the gorge can be seen from the rim lookout without a long walk (confirm hours and any gate). A small day-use fee may be collected at the parking area in season, and the stairs to the base are closed or unsafe when ice builds in winter (confirm). Flow is strongest in the spring thaw from March to May and after heavy rain, and often drops to a trickle in August. Daylight ends early from November to January, so plan a winter visit for the middle of the day.