Spencer Gorge Conservation Area is located at multiple entrances, but is located in Dundas, ON, just outside of Hamilton. The park has three main attractions, being Tew Falls, Webster Falls, and Dundas Peak (pictured above). It includes a portion of the Bruce Trail, and so beautifully highlights the amazing nature of the Niagara Escarpment. I visited in April 2025.
The Spencer Gorge was created 10,000 years ago, when a glacier rifted along the land, creating the Niagara Escarpment and its many crevices. One of said crevices was the Spencer Gorge, including the two famous falls. The land was first owned by Dr. James Hamilton (and Webster's Falls were originally called Dr. Hamilton's Falls), and then bought Joseph Webster Sr. in 1819. Numerous mills and other attractions were built on the numerous plots surrounding the gorge, but the first sign of a park came in 1931, when the former mayor of Dundas, W.E.S. Knowles, bequeathed the land (donated via his will) to the city for the purposes of building a recreational park. As you can see on the right, numerous plots surrounding the gorge (Tiplady, Tew, Spears, McClennan, and Simpson) were purchased in the 1966 by the HCA, and the park's been under their authority ever since. This information is courtesy of the 2012 management plan here. For more cultural history of the area, see section 1.4 of this article.
The gorge is named after Spencer Creek, but the creek gets its name from William Spencer, who was a farmer, and one of the area's earliest settlers.
Before it was owned by HCA, the land was called Tew Falls Conservation Area.
The Spencer Gorge offers a ton, including:
- 2 waterfalls to gawk at
- numerous lookout platforms to view said waterfalls
- beautiful panoramic views of Dundas
- scary but interesting rocky overhangs
- large conglomerates of exposed limestone
- informative signs, diving into the area's history
- birdwatching for large birds of prey
- geocaching and snowshoeing are also available
There are two unconnected trail systems, and they are:
Gorge Trail - ~1km
This is the best (and only) way to enjoy Webster's Falls. This trail system is not connected to the Tew Falls or Glen Ferguson Trails. Despite this, it is worth the drive to see the wider of the two falls, but still standing at 22m (72ft) high waterfall.
Tew Falls Trail (Shurvin Mile) - ~1.5km
Everyone's favourite trail at this park is rightfully the Tew Falls Sidetrail. Not only is it the only access to the two lookout platforms overlooking the 41m (133ft) high Tew Falls, it also accesses Dundas Peak, standing at 65m high. This trail is breathtaking, and the limestone overhangs are reminiscent of something out of Killarney. Beautiful trail.
Glen Ferguson Side Trail - ~0.8km
Spencer Gorge's last trail is just a different way to access the home parking lot, but it has some interesting terrain as well, and shouldn't be forgotten while visiting.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:
To access Webster Falls, go to the parking lot on Fallsview Road. You cannot access the falls from anywhere else, except walking along Fallsview Rd. from Brock Rd. To access Tew Falls and the Dundas Peak, you must go to the parking lot on Harvest Rd.
There are two separate sections of this park.
The west side (including Webster Falls) is accessed from the Webster Falls parking lot on Fallsview Road.
The east side (including Tew Falls and Dundas Peak) is accessed from the Tew Falls Parking Lot on Harvest Road.
Make sure you enter the correct side as there is no trail connecting the two sections, due to the extremely dangerous conditions of building a bridge over a 200ft valley.
Note that the photos in this section are not explicitly from this park, they are good photos of species that live here.
Turkey vultures
Eagles
Paper birch
Trees that dare to grow on overhanging limestone
Visit both sides of this park.
You can day trip here from Valens. It is the same creek after all!
Don't follow Google Maps or Apple Maps' directions. It's 570 Harvest Road for the east side, and 24 Fallsview Road for the west.
I don't like having dual spotlights, let alone triple, but I can't pick between Tew Falls, Webster Falls, and Dundas Peaks. Of the two waterfalls, Tew Falls is the taller one, at a staggering 41 metres high, just 11 metres less than the world famous Horseshoe Falls. Tew Falls showcases the interesting limestone formations behind the falls, and looks like something out of a princess movie.
Webster Falls on the other hand, is much wider, and has a higher flow rate. Although being shorter, it feels more like Niagara Falls, just pounding water than can be heard on the other end of the park.
And lest we forget Dundas Peak, somehow so calming and nervewracking simultaneously. You can see literally everything in the city - all the way to the harbour. And it's not even a difficult hike to the top, very accessible for most.
Visit all three, or you deserve your money back.
Tew Falls
Webster Falls
View from atop Webster Falls.
Damn. $11.50 for all that? Plus, the same $11.50 brought me to Tiffany Falls, and could've brought me back to Valens or Fifty Point (providing I went the same day lol). Breathtakin' views, and I would like to take a tour to do all of Hamilton's waterfalls, including the two here. 9/10.
Dundas Peak and Tew Falls entrance
Webster Falls entrance
Maps:
Webster Falls: https://conservationhamilton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Webster-Falls-2023.pdf
Tew Falls and Dundas Peak: https://conservationhamilton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Dundas-Peak-and-Tew-Falls-2024.pdf
Below are all of the informative panels throughout the park.
