Best Hikes at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park + Guide

Planning to visit Mono Cliffs Provincial Park? If you’re looking for the best hikes in Mono Cliffs, and a guide to visiting -then you’re in the right place.

Mono Cliffs Provincial Park (often just referred to as “Mono Cliffs” locally) is one of the most popular hiking trails in the GTA, and has really increased in popularity since the pandemic.

Mono Cliffs is my favourite place to hike, and is very special to me too.

My husband and I have been hiking there since far before the popularity boom (since before you had to pay a park fee, which started being required in 2023.)

We go to Mono Cliffs every season, sometimes with our kids and sometimes without – and each time of year brings special unique additions to the park.

I have all the tips for you below on:

• The best trails to visit in Mono Cliffs Provincial Park
• A complete tour that includes all the side trails you don’t want to miss
• Helpful tips to ensure you have a successful visit
• Things to do nearby, so you can make a full day of it

Be sure to make your reservation online here before heading to Mono Cliffs.

So, let’s jump in – everything you need to know about hiking Mono Cliffs Provincial Park!

Side Trails NOT TO MISS at Mono Cliffs Park

The side trails below are some of the best trails at Mono Cliffs Park. What to keep in mind is that these are SIDE trails within the park. You wouldn’t be doing just these trails alone; you would need to hike to them from a larger trail.

The Mono Cliffs Provincial Park is not a single trail but is instead of combination of intertwining trails that criss-cross various parts of the park. Below are the side trails to include in your hike at Mono Cliffs.

To help plan your hiking at Mono Cliffs, you can print off a copy of the park trail here (they don’t hand out maps.)

You can also take a picture of the park map at the parking lot when you arrive. It looks like this:

1. The Lookout Trail (side trail)

Distance: 1.7 km
Approximate hiking time: 30 – 45 minutes
*the above amounts are additions to the regular trail that you’d be going on to get to this side trail*

My favourite trail to visit at Mono Cliffs is the Lookout Trail.  It’s the highest point in the park, you could call it the ‘summit’ of the park.

This trail offers a cliff-top lookout with a view to the South which, on a clear day, can see the Toronto skyline and the CN Tower in the distance.

The Lookout Trail is one of the farthest points from the entrance but is easily the most spectacular view in the entire park. 

From the entrance to the park all the way to the endpoint of the lookout trail, you should budget for it to take around 60-90 minutes of hiking time.

To get to this side trail, you’ll wind your way past:

• open meadows
• through a valley with towering cliffs
• past small turquoise ponds
• and through the forest gradually making your way up the side of a cliff.

Most of the trail is fairly easy to navigate with only the final few feet up to the summit requiring you to make your way over a few jagged rocks.

Unfortunately, the Lookout trail at Mono Cliffs is not stroller-friendly as the trail to the summit is narrow and goes over some steep and jagged rocks.

Pro hiking tip: If you plan to make your way up this trail, be sure to have sturdy hiking shoes, water, and a map (Tip: take a photo of the map at the entrance) as there are a number of linking trails to navigate and it’s easy to get lost or miss the trail if you are just wandering aimlessly.

2. McCarston’s Lake Trail (side trail)

Distance: 2.5 km
Approximate hiking time: 50 – 70 minutes
*the above amounts are in addition to the regular trail that you’d be going on to get to this side trail*

The McCarston’s Lake Trail circles a small pond (“McCarston’s Lake”), through a forest trail with towering Oak and Maples trees, and past an open meadow.

In the Fall, the McCarston’s Lake trail is one of my favourite trails to go down as the “lake” offers a peaceful place to stop with a very small sandy beach and surrounded by trees that turn beautiful fall colours. 

The forest path turns vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows and the forest floor is littered with fallen leaves.

This trail is an easy hike with mostly wide accessible trails though there are sections that can only be traversed in a single file. I would not recommend bringing a stroller on this trail.

3. Cliff-Top Side Trail (side trail)

Distance: 3.2 km
Approximate hiking time: 1 -1.5 hours

The Cliff-Top Side Trail is a flat, mostly straight trail through the forest. 

As the name implies, the trail follows the top of a dramatic cliff which forms part of the Niagra Escarpment (although, I should note you can’t see the cliff for most of the trail.)

What makes this trail worth hiking is closer to the Northern end where it branches into the McCarston’s Lake Trail. 

Close to the entrance to the McCartson’s Lake Trail is a viewing platform that walks out over the cliff edge and offers a spectacular view of the valley and trails below.

Just 20m further down the trail from the cliffs viewing platform is an unassuming metal staircase that leads down a very short side trail right through a crack in the cliff face.

From there, you will find out of the most popular lookouts in the whole -park – a metal platform that offers that special panoramic view of the surrounding land.

Between a narrow crack in the towering cliff and an untouched ecosystem hidden inside this narrow split in the rock face.

The Cliff-Top Side trail is flat and wide and easily accessible with a stroller – so it’s the best side trail to take with young kids (as you can see, I have my 2 year old in a sled in the photo which is totally possible.)

The only exception is the metal staircase down into the cliff crack if you choose to go down it.

Combined Trails Route – A Tour of The Best Parts of the Park!

Want to see the best of Mono Cliffs? We have planned a tour that includes all of the side trails above (The Lookout Trail, McCarston’s Lake Trail and the Clifftop Side Trail.) Here’s how to see the best of the park while visiting Mono Cliffs Park

The Best Tour of Mono Cliffs Provincial Park

Distance: 6.5 km
Approximate hiking time: 2 – 2.5 hours

It is easy to spend all day wandering the trails and taking detours that bring you to all corners of the park.

When I go to the park, I have mapped out a route that takes me past all of the best parts of the park in a single continuous loop that brings me from the parking lot to the best lookout spots and back to my car with no backtracking.

I’m going to share the route that we usually take when we go to Mono Cliffs, that brings us to all the side trails mentioned above, and allows for the best experience.

If you want to hit all of the best spots, here is my recommended route through the best-interconnected trails:

Step 1:

From the parking lot, follow the Carriage Trail into the park until the trails combines with the Spillway Trail then follow it north through a meadow area. 

Whenever the trail splits, follow the path to the right to remain on the Spillway Trail.

Eventually you pass the only bathrooms in the park (now is your only other opportunity to use the restroom until you return to the parking lot in another 1.5 hours). 

Step 2:

Here you meet the Walter Tovell Trail.  Follow the Walter trail North a short distance up a large hill until, near the top, you should see a fork onto the Lookout Trail which you then follow.

The Lookout Trail is generally a narrow trail that slowly leads you up the side of the cliff until the big reveal at the lookout.

There is an opening on the side of a cliff with a spectacular view which on a clear day you can see right down to the Toronto city skyline and the CN Tower. 

This is the perfect place to sit and rest and have a snack and enjoy the view. You may see other people there just chilling; basking in the sun.

Step 3:

When you are ready to get moving again, look for the small path near the top of this lookout area which leads back down into the forest to continue along the way.

As you follow this trail up and down hills deep into the forest, you eventually hit the end of the trail at the McCarston’s Lake Trail.  There is a map at this fork to check where you are in case you want to get your bearings.

Take the trail left and follow it.  Within a few minutes, you should see the “lake” on your right and below you through the trees. 

Keep following the trail until it comes to an almost T junction. 

To your left the trail continues down a hill but to your right it leads right down to the edge of the pond on a tiny little sandy beach. 

This is a good place to stop and relax. You may see some wildlife on a quiet day. On warm summer days, I’ve seen people swimming here.

Step 4:

After you visit this beach, continue back to the main trail and down the hill, following the trail out.

Eventually, you get back to one of the main trail (the Cliff-Top Side Trail) where it looks like a giant wooden fence that you need to climb but this fence is just to prevent people from taking bikes or horses down the trail. 

You can easily pass between the fence in a narrow gap in the middle.

Follow the Cliff-Top Side Trail to your right and slightly up a hill where after only a few meters, you’ll see the metal staircase to your left leading down between a crack in the cliff. 

Be sure to take a few minutes to go down and explore this dead-end trail! This is one of the most famous, sought-after places in the park because of the tall cliffs on either side.

Step 5:

Once you come back up the stairs, continue further up the hill. You will see a viewing platform to your left that hangs out over the cliff and offers another view of the surrounding area.

Continue further along the trail (heading south) for another 600m or so and keep an eye out for signs that show the trail that heads to the left into the forest and off the wide trail that you are on. 

If you continue down this wide trail you eventually hit a road and out of the park no where near your car and still quite a ways from the town so turn back and look for the trail marker.

This trail marker brings you down a short trail which when followed straight turns into the Carriage Trail which leads to a large, steep staircase that heads down a steep hill, essentially bringing you down the cliff and into the valley.

The Carriage Trail will lead you back to the parking lot and the park entrance.

Another Option: The South Outlier Trail

The South Outlier Trail
Distance: 3.5 km
Approximate hiking time: 1hr – 1h 45m

The South Outlier Trail is a trail that we very rarely do within the park. We normally do the plan that we just outlined above.

The South Outlier Trail only trail that doesn’t really offer access to the wider trail system inside the park and is mostly just a stand-alone trail.

The pros about it are that:

• it offers an extended hike right along the edge of a cliff
• it’s likely a lot less busy that other parts of the park because most people want to see the lookouts mentioned above
• it’s a bit more challenging

The South Outlier Trail is better suited for a hiker with at least a moderate ability. The trail is narrow and rocky and winds right along a cliff edge.  The trail also has a moderate elevation climb from the start-up to its highest point.

Again, the South Outlier Trail doesn’t really connect to any other trails within the park, like the ones above are. If you want to do the South Outlier Trail, then you would do that trail only.

4 Tips for Visiting Mono Cliffs Provincial Park

Consider eating at Mono Cliffs Inn

We love having either lunch or dinner at the Mono Cliffs Inn before or after our hike at Mono Cliffs Park. (On weekends, they also offer brunch.) It’s a nice little restaurant with great local food.

They have an upstairs dining area, and a very cute basement cellar that offers pub food.

Regardless of which dining area you want to sit in, if you’re hiking on a weekend, then be sure to reserve in advance at Mono Cliffs as its the kind of place that fills up quickly.

Bring Water

Mono Cliffs isn’t considered to be an ‘easy’ hiking area. I would call it moderate. It’s in a remote area where the nearest store is a good 10-15 minute drive, so you don’t want to be without water.

I always bring a bottle with me on the hike, and leave another bottle (not plastic) in the car for after the hike.

Go to the bathroom before your hike

There is a bathroom at the parking lot and only a single other public bathroom in the entire park. It is not very conveniently located (being at the end of the Spillway trail and the Walter Tovell Trail junction)

Take a picture of the trail map

many of the trails at Mono Cliffs are interwoven and its very easy to get turned around or lost if you are simply wandering aimlessly down side trails.

Mono Cliffs By Season

Some of my tips for hiking Mono Cliffs Provincial Park depend on what season you’re there in, as fall is very different from spring. Read below for special things to know about each season in Mono Cliffs and what to bring

Mono Cliffs in Summer

Summer is a great time to visit the Mono Cliffs Provincial park.  Most of the trails are completely forested and offer lots of shade from the hot summer sun.

This also means the temperature can change by a few degrees in different parts of the trail with the deep forest, and the elevation change in some of the trails.

The shaded valleys being a few degrees cooler than the humid and hot cliff top trails or open meadows. I normally just wear a tank top in summer, but it doesn’t hurt to have something else to throw on incase you get cold.

Also, be sure to bring a hat, bug spray and plenty of water with you.

Mono Cliffs in Fall

Fall is one of my favourite times to visit the park. You can’t really beat the cooler temperatures, and the tall towering trees turn dramatic fall colours.

You can get sweeping views of the entire region from the Cliff Top Side Trail viewing platform or the cliff-top precipice of the Lookout Trail. (Be sure to check out one of both of those trails if visiting in fall.)

Be warned though that the park also gets VERY busy during peak fall colours. Reservations are required in advance if you plan to visit.

If you want to come on a fall weekend, then I would wake up at 7am and reserve for the Saturday or Sunday that you want to come.

Lately, we’ve been avoiding Mono Cliffs in the peak fall colour season just because of the crowds and how hard it can be to get a reservation. But definitely give it a try if you haven’t done it yet!

Mono Cliffs in Winter

We love going to Mono Cliffs Park in winter. To be honest, its one of my favourite times to be there.

Winter in the park often feels like a winter wonderland, as the higher elevation usually brings a lot of snow to the area. It’s definitely one of Ontario’s best winter destinations.

I love the snowy landscapes, and the fewer crowds (Mono Cliffs is definitely less busy in the winter than in say, summer or fall.)

Be sure to bundle up and definitely bring your winter boots and snow pants as the snow on the trails can get quite deep in some areas.

But, if you are dressed appropriately, you’ll be greeted by a winter wonderland or snow covered trees with a dusting of snow nearly constantly falling from the branches above.

Mono Cliffs in Spring

If you time it right, Spring at the Mono Cliffs Provincial Park offers a magical sight as the forest floor transforms into a carpet of beautiful white Trilliums (the official provincial flower of Ontario).

The best time to see the Trilliums bloom is generally for a short 2 week period between the first and the third week of May before the May long weekend.

Be sure to wear water proof boots in spring and bring your bug spray as most trails will still be a bit muddy and the bugs are hungry after their long winter sleep!

Things to Do Near Mono Cliffs

Regardless of which trail you take, you will likely spend somewhere between and hour and two hours at Mono Cliffs. If you came from the GTA, you should know bout a few other notable things to do in the area, to make a full day of it.

Mono Cliffs Inn
Location: Mono (5 minute drive from the park entrance)

Mono Centre Brewing Co.
Location: Mono (5 min from the park entrance)

One day when we were driving home, we noticed that Mono had it’s own brewery. It looks busy and lively on sunny summer weekends. From what I can see, there isn’t a menu but they have their own craft beers. Check them out here

Mrs. Mitchell’s Restaurant
Location: Violet Hill (8 min drive from Mono Cliffs)

Mrs. Mitchell’s is an old school house turned into an upper-scale restaurant. They have brunch on Sundays, and delicious lunches and dinners. We often come here for anniversaries.

If you have trouble getting a reservation at Mono Cliffs Inn, then I’d definitely consider this place! (I personally like it even more than Mono Cliffs Inn.)

There’s also a nice store attached to it called Granny Taught Us How. Violet Hill is a small hamlet that is a hidden gem in Ontario, in my opinion. This place needs a reservation weeks in advance, especially on a weekend.

Adamo Estate Winery
Location: Mono (15 minute drive from Mono Cliffs park entrance)

We stumbled upon Adamo Estate Winery while looking for things to do near Mono Cliffs, and it’s a lovely place to visit.

The view of the vineyard were beautiful (they do weddings here) and the food was delicious. I’d highly recommend a stop here.

The Rosebud Motel from Schitt’s Creek
Location: Hockley Valley (10 min drive from Mono Cliffs)

If you came from far, and you’re a Scitt’s Creek fan, then you may as well make a quick detour to go check out the now iconic motel that was used in the TV show.

It’s pretty easy to park in the lot in front of it, and I rarely see people there even though I’ve seen countless selfies in social media photos. Hockley Valley is also a cute small town to visit.

Museum of Dufferin
Location: Mulmur (12 min drive)

The Museum of Dufferin holds many local treasures; artifacts, information and stories about the history of the area.

It’s not a huge museum, and would probably be a quick (1 hour) stop. It’s open from 10am – 4pm, but closed on Sundays.

South Simcoe Railway
Location: Tottenham (26 min drive from Mono Cliffs)

The South Simcoe Railway is one of the few Victorian trains left in southern Ontario that you can still ride.

It’s not often running, but when is running you may be able to hop on it for a ride. Usually, the run rides during fall colour season.

The South Simcoe Railway is in the town of Tottenham, in New Tecumseth. Tottenham also has two fantastic restaurants – Taste of Freedom, and Timo’s.

Places to Stay Near Mono Cliffs

• Hockley Valley Resort – If you’re looking for a more luxurious holiday, then Hockley Valley Resort is tried and true – with a spa, restaurant and ski resort on site.
• Ketchum House – If you’re into sustainability, a unique opportunity is staying in this fully self-sustained, eco-friendly house just 15 minutes from Mono Cliffs Park. We did a tour here once, it’s a beautiful property with amazing view and the owners were very nice people
• 150-year-old Carriage House – This 1-bedroom rustic cottage is less than 20 minutes from Mono Cliffs Park.
• Cabin on the 9 (pictured below)- If you want a rustic experience, consider staying in this off-grid cabin. We stayed here and absolutely loved it. It’s actually owned by the same people who own Ketchum House, and they are lovely and environmentally-cautious people. It’s less than a 20-minute drive to Mono Cliffs Inn. See our YouTube video about it here.

Best Hikes at Mono Cliffs FAQ

Here are the most commonly asked questions on Google about visiting and hiking at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park

How long is the hike at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park?

The length of your hike at Mono Cliffs depends on which trail you take. Overall, you can probably expect to spend somewhere between one and two hours hiking at Mono Cliffs; possibly more if you need to take breaks.

Is Mono Cliffs family-friendly?

Mono Cliffs is family-friendly, and we’ve brought our kids there a few times. To be honest, when we want to hike with our kids, we usually choose shorter, smaller trails that are closer to home – and we hike at Mono Cliffs as a date usually as a couple. The reason is that Mono Cliffs trails, while definitely suitable for kids, can be long – especially if you want to go up the Lookout Trail (which we always do.) It’s also worth mentioning that many of the side trails at Mono Cliffs aren’t very stroller-friendly.

Do I need to reserve for Mono Cliffs?

Yes, unfortunately you now need to reserve (sometimes far) in advance in order to go hiking at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. Reservations started being required in July 2023. You can reserve five days in advance of your hike starting at 7am.

Are there bears at Mono Cliffs?

There likely are black bears at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park, but its very rare to ever encounter one. We’ve been hiking there for 15 years in all seasons, and have never seen a bear. However, it’s good to be prepared about bears by following the tips from Ontario Parks.

Can you bring dogs to Mono Cliffs?

You can definitely bring dogs to Mono Cliffs – we see many dogs when we’re there. Just be sure to keep your dog on a 2-metre leash at all times. This is not only a bylaw, but for the protection of the sensitive flora and fauna and wildlife of the area, but also the respect of other guests. Mono Cliffs has become a lot more popular in recent years, so it’s much harder to visit there without bumping into lots of other guests, and the increase in popularity means that Mono Cliffs is a lot more managed than it was before, so there are sometimes staff patrolling the area.

What is the most beautiful provincial park in Ontario?

The most beautiful park in Ontario is generally believed to be Algonquin Provincial Park, but it’s also very popular – especially in summer and fall.

Final Thoughts on Hiking at Mono Cliffs Park

The Mono Cliffs trail system has a number of unique geographies – cliff tops, meadows, deep forest trails and shaded valleys.  It’s a beautiful hiking spot near Toronto, and one that has become very precious to me over the years as I have many shared memories with my husband (and sometimes kids, when we bring them!)