This conservation area contains two separate falls, Upper and Lower Punch Bowl Falls.
The Lower Falls is a 5.5-metre classical waterfall, and the main Upper Falls is a 33.8-metre ribbon waterfall. The Devil’s Punch Bowl is one of the Niagara Escarpment’s most amazing sights, created at the end of the last ice age by huge melt-water rivers that plunged over the Stoney Creek Escarpment, thus carving the Punch Bowl and gorge.
From the bottom of the falls, one can see the many different coloured rock layers of the Escarpment. The Punch Bowl is the only area where one can view such a large vertical display of Ordovician and Silurian stratified rock. Some of the layers include Queenston Formation red shale, Cabot Head grey shale, limestone and shale dolomite. There is a spectacular view of Stoney Creek and Hamilton Harbour from the lookout, not to mention the view down into the seemingly bottomless gorge. The Dofasco 2000 Trail, an 11.5-kilometre trail through upper Stoney Creek that features a long boardwalk section through Vinemount Swamp Forest, begins here.
We would also direct you to read our DISCLAIMER and our TRAIL USERS CODE.
Region(s): HamiltonNearby towns and cities: Hamilton | Stoney Creek
Trail feature tags: Boardwalk | Lookout | Waterfall
DEVIL’S PUNCHBOWL CONSERVATION AREA characteristics
Length: Dofasco 2000 Trail 11.5 kmDifficulty: Moderate (Trail classifications)
Trail surface: Boardwalks and Natural
Trail use: Hiking and Snowshoeing
Accessibility Notes: Accessibility not known
Flora & Fauna:
Not yet reported
Amenities: Boardwalk, waterfalls
Contact:
nature@conservation hamilton.ca
Hamilton Conservation Authority 838 Mineral Springs Road, Ancaster, Ontario 905-525-2181
Find it: Ridge Road, Stoney Creek, ON
GPS Coordinates (main trailhead):
Latitude: 43.2113060
Longitude: -79.7547220