Escarpment and Chippewa Rail Trails

Two years ago, I rode the Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail as part of a longer Kitchener to Hamilton ride. It was a very good trail with the former Sulphur Springs train station being the main draw. However, I was meaning to check some other rail trails in the Hamilton area such as the Escarpment and Chippewa. Having got a new gravel bike last month and a day off work yesterday, I finally got to check both trails off my bucket list.

After getting off the train at West Harbour and riding up McNab, I reached Cannon Street which is one of my favourite bikeways in Hamilton. I then took Catharine and Young Streets to get to the Escarpment Rail Trail which begins at Ferguson Avenue.

The trail head isn’t that clearly marked, but it’s at the opposite corner of the Corktown Pub.

If you were to turn left (instead of veering right), you would come across this pink tunnel.

The Escarpment Rail Trail at its starting point along Corktown Park and starts its long gradual climb.

There are several wayfinding signs telling you how far the next trail exits are.

While the trail is well shaded and has some lights, it seriously needs to be repaved! The pavement quality was very rough in a few parts east of Wentworth Street which made having the gravel bike a good idea this time around. The north side doesn’t have barriers all along and can be a steep drop - especially near the end - so keep that in mind when using the trail.

The first of four lookouts from the Escarpment Rail Trail with the steel factories in the distance which give Hamilton its Steeltown and Hammer nicknames.

At Arbour and Mountain Brow, the Red Hill Trail begins which goes all the way to the Waterfront.

A short ride on this trail and a steep descent to the lookout offers this nice view of Albion Falls.

I also went to the official Albion Falls lookout on the other side, but preferred the one next to the Red Hill Trail.

Some nice utility box art on Arbour Road.

Arbour Road leads to this bike trail across the Lincoln M Alexander Parkway to Stone Church Road and the Chippewa Trail. However, how many wayfinding signs do you need here? LOL!

You get dumped onto a painted bike lane, but there is a multi-use path on the south side leading to the Chippewa Rail Trail. The lack of a safe crossing here is the biggest weakness of this route.

Fortunately, the City of Hamilton is working on addressing this shortcoming through the Stone Church Road trail extension project as evident by the dug-up corner at Arbour and Stone Church.

The Chippewa Rail Trail – part of the Trans Canada Trail and Greenbelt Routes – begins at the Red Hill Business Park sign. It turns to gravel shortly past that sign.

I liked this old building next to the trail, so opted for a selfie here.

One thing don’t like about the Chippewa trail is the lack of safe highway crossings.

While the Hamilton portion of the trail had a few benches along the trail, Haldimand County went all out with their portion of the trail with these information maps and black metal benches.

They even put out this “Welcome to Haldimand County” sign.

The signage they used along the trail – including distance markers – was nice. The trail was closed at this spot at Haldimand Road 66 which meant taking the road the rest of the way to Caledonia, but the wayfinding signage to Caledonia is very good. It also helps that McClung Road has a decent paved shoulder.

Some new suburban style housing construction can be found on Caledonia’s outskirts.

I then took the Rotary Riverside Trail for a brief spell which was terrible! The trail was very rocky in parts which is definitely not recommended for road bike use.

There are some nice views of the Grand River, but you’re better off heading towards Downtown Caledonia on road and then return via Argyle Street and Road 66.

A shot of Downtown Caledonia with the bridge in the distance.

Before returning to Hamilton, I grabbed a custard tart and iced coffee at Revival Coffee Shop. A good way to support local businesses instead of going to the nearby Tim Hortons, though I did wish there was a bike rack in that plaza.

Hamilton's Victoria Avenue has these Zicla ramps to accommodate the nearby long term care home.

Victoria Avenue ends at Burlington Street and the city’s known steel factories.

Burlington Street leads to Collective Arts Brewing where I stopped by for a drink and kettle chips, as well as took a few cans home. In a case of cutting it close, I then got on the train at West Harbour just as the doors were about to close!

While I preferred the Hamilton to Brantford Trail for a long-distance ride from Hamilton, the Escarpment Rail Trail is worth it for the city and waterfall views - especially if it can be repaved - while the Chippewa Rail Trail is not bad either. Wonder which rail trail I should tackle next?