9 BEST Waterfalls in Hamilton, Ontario
You’ve probably heard about Hamilton being the waterfall capital of the world – and it’s true. It’s rare to have so many waterfalls within the proximity that there are to Hamilton, Ontario. While the exact amount of waterfalls near Hamilton is uncertain (and it also depends what you count as a waterfall) there are at least over 100 of them.
While there are over 100 waterfalls, some of them are very hard to get to, or not accessible to the public. In some cases, the access to falls has changed. Planning a visit to Hamilton Waterfalls can be confusing because there are many photos on Google Maps and Photos that show perspectives that are not accessible or possible to get to anymore.
There are about 10 waterfalls that people actively visit in Hamilton and that are still possible and easy to get to. Having made a few trips to Hamilton specifically to see the waterfalls, I’m going to try to give you the most current, up-to-date information as of 2026.
By the way – if you’re going to use any of the parking lots, bring payment (card or phone wallet) because unfortunately none of the official parking lots for the Hamilton Waterfalls are free. Some of them even need to be booked in advance, as they’e so popular. So, here are the best waterfalls near Hamilton Ontario to visit, and what to know about each of them!
11 BEST Waterfalls in Hamilton, Ontario
1. Webster Falls
Distance from parking lot: 5-10 minute walk (very close!)
Reservation required: ✅ (only at certain times of year)
Webster Falls is probably my favourite of all the Hamilton Waterfalls, or at least tied for first place with Sherman Falls. Webster’s Falls are 72 feet tall, and located inside the Spencer Gorge Conservation Area, along with Tew Falls (mentioned below) So it’s worth it to see both waterfalls together in a single visit. The first time however, we visited Webster Falls only, which you can totally do as well. There are so many angles to enjoy Webster Falls on its own, that its worth a visit even just by itself.
You can walk around the platform, getting views of them from different angles. The Spencer Gorge Conservation area has some plaques with the history of the area, as well.
The parking lot has two ways to get to Webster Falls – one is a short 5-minute walk, but the longer one will take you through a 10-15 minute hike. We took the longer route and enjoyed the fall foliage on our hike.
Want to visit Webster’s Falls and Tew Falls below? Reservations are usually needed at certain times of year (summer and fall.) Reserve on their website here before the day of your visit. I tried to reserve the day of my visit and wasn’t able to because the system only allows to reserve up to the day before. Luckily, it was a weekday and the parking attendant let us in since there were few other visitors. If you click the link above and it says no reservations are needed, then you’re good – simply show up early to get a parking spot!
2. Tew Falls
Distance from parking lot: 5 minute walk
Reservation required: ✅
Tew Falls are 135 feet high, and are the other waterfall in Spencer Gorge Conservation area. If reservations are needed, then only one should be enough to see both waterfalls. However, there are two different parking areas so you would need to find parking twice.
So yes, you read that right – even though Webster Falls and Tew Falls are located in the same park, they each have their own parking lot. For Webster Falls, you’ll park at Webster Falls Parking Lot. For Tews Falls, you’ll park at the Dundas Peak parking lot.
Dundas Peak is another worthwhile visit within Spencer Gorge Conservation area if you’re visiting Tew Falls. You get a view of Dundas and Hamilton, over the trees. It would be a 20 minute walk to reach Dundas Peak from Tews Falls (plus another 15-20 minutes going back downhill.) See a map of Tews Falls to Dundas Peak walk here.
3. Sherman Falls
Distance from parking lot: 5-15 minute walk (depending where you park)
Reservation required: ❌
Sherman Waterfall is our favourite of all the waterfalls in Hamilton, after Webster Falls. Being there felt so surreal, like in a movie. I love how its a shaded area with the sun just peaking through the tops of the tree branches. It’s really pretty in there. They are not the tallest waterfall by any means (only 55 feet) but the enclave surrounding them is so beautiful and serene.
There are a few different places you could park for Sherman Falls – there are lots at: 691 Artaban Rd, and 720 Artaban Rd (choose one.) We found parking off of Artaban Road, which has signs for the Dundas Valley Conservation Area. From there, it took us about 10 minutes to walk to the falls.
Reservations aren’t required, but parking (like with most waterfalls in the area) is paid, and of course, the lot is pretty popular on weekends. We had no issues finding parking on the week day that we visited.
4. Tiffany Falls
Distance from parking lot: 10-15 minute hike
Reservation required: ❌
Tiffany Falls is another beautiful waterfall, and it requires a slightly longer hike to reach it than some of the other waterfalls. There is a paid parking lot area for Tiffany Falls right on Wilson street, at 900 Wilson St E.
For some reason, we didn’t know about the Wilson street parking for Tiffany Falls. We instead did a somewhat lengthy (but beautiful hike!) on the Bruce Trail all the way from the Sherman Falls parking lot area to get to Tiffany Falls. You could do this hike vice versa as well. If you park at Tiffany Falls, then cross Wilson Street from Tiffany Falls parking lot which will take you on a path on the Bruce Trail.
It took us less than 30 minutes to get from one waterfall to the other, and there were very few other people on the trail!
5. Borer’s Falls (aka Rock Chapel Falls)
Distance from parking lot: 15- 30 minute walk (depending on which lot you park in)
Reservation required: ❌
Borer’s Falls stand 49 feet high, and are located in the Rock Chapel Conservation area. They can be seen from the bottom, or through peering through trees from observation decks the top. These falls are a bit harder to get to than other waterfalls in Hamilton, simply because there are different paths to take and its easy to get lost.
The water flow for Borer’s Falls is very seasonal and dependent on rainfall. The leaves on the trees in the summertime can make it hard to spot them as well. Spring (or after rainfall) is the best time to try to get a glimpse of Borer’s Falls.
Borer’s Falls is a bit less busy than some of the other falls, because it isn’t as easy to get to. Unlike Sherman Falls or Webster Falls, it isn’t a short walk from a parking lot. You can park at two different spots for Borer’s FallsL one is the Rock Chapel Conservation Area (15 minute walk), and the other is the Borer Fall’s Dog Park which would be a 30 min walk. Regardless of which park lot you choose, pay close attention to signage for directions to the waterfall.
Other helpful things to know: No reservation is needed for Borer’s Falls regardless of where you park, but the trails and the falls are popular and the parking lot is small, so plan your visit accordingly!
6. Albion Falls
Distance from parking lot: 30 seconds
Reservation required: ❌
There are many different viewpoints for Albion Falls, and they aren’t all from the same parking lot (or officially still open.) One thing to note though is that access to the bottom of Albion Falls has been closed for years. So even though there are so many photos circulating online of the bottom of the falls, there is no longer a way you can get there legally, unless the City of Hamilton opens it again.
To see Albion Falls, we parked at Albion Falls Parking Lot and stood on an observation deck that gave us the view in the top right of the photos above. There were plenty of parking spaces (although it wasn’t a weekend.)
Albion Falls wasn’t my favourite waterfall in Hamilton. It has a highway driving over it and didn’t feel as serene as some of the others. Still, might be worth a look though! The waterfall also has a fascinating history which you can read about here.
We parked at Albion Falls Parking Lot, but you can also park at Mountain Brow Blvd parking lot.
7. Devil’s Punchbowl
Distance from parking lot: Less than 5 minute walk (150m)
Reservation required: ❌
Devil’s Punchbowl is a unique waterfall with a stream of water pouring into a circular pit (the punchbowl.) Devil’s Punchbowl is heavily affected by rainfall and some times of the year, you won’t see a waterfall at all. We visited in the fall, and there was no water stream whatsoever. (Photo above, left.)
Important! Going to the bottom of Upper Falls is now prohibited, so the only view you can now get is the one in the top left-hand corner above. There are actually two different waterfalls here, Upper and Lower Punchbowl Falls. We only saw Upper Falls (which is the famous one.)
To see Devil’s Punchbowl, park at 204 Ridge Rd, and bring your credit card for payment for parking. It’s worth it to come here, even if the waterfall isn’t running. There’s a gorgeous park with a lookout over Hamilton and Lake Ontario.
8. Smokey Hollow Waterfall
Distance from parking lot:
Reservation required: ❌ (but parking is paid, and fills up at busy times)
Smokey Hallow Waterfall can be accessed with a hike, or simply a short look from a viewing platform near the parking lot. If you want to do the hike, then you park at 150 Mill St S, and take the Waterdown Trail which is 11 km.
If you just want to head to the viewing platform (pictured in the photos above quickly) then you’re going to park in a lot just off Waterdown Road. From there, it’s a stone’s throw to a viewing platform to see these tucked away falls.
9. (Upper) Princess Falls
Distance from parking lot: 1 hour hike
Reservation required: ❌
There are two Princess Falls – Upper Princess Falls, and Lower Princess Falls. Lower Princess Falls can only be seen from the highway 403, which means its the ‘most viewed’ of all the Hamilton Waterfalls, but it also means that you only have a few seconds to look at it!
Upper Princess Falls however, you can see on a hike of the Chedoke Radial Trail which is just under 4 km. To hike the Chedoke Radial Trail, park at 1180 Scenic Dr, Hamilton, ON. There are many trails and paths, and you’ll need to look for signage to get to the waterfall.
Pro Tip: Like many others, Upper Princess Falls have a seasonal waterfall, so depending when you come, the volume may look very different from the photo above.
10. (Upper) Chedoke Falls
Distance from parking lot: 5-15 minutes
Reservation required: ❌
The coolest thing about Upper Chedoke Falls is that they’re located within the Hamilton city limits. The uncool thing? They’re not easy to find, and access to the bottom of the Upper Falls (as seen in many older photos and videos online) is no longer possible, and is now considered trespassing and you could be fined.
So how to see Upper Chedoke Falls safely and following the rules?
- Park at the Chedoke Golf Club Parking lot at 563 Aberdeen Avenue, Hamilton, ON. There is a huge 200+ step staircase, and you’ll need to follow signage to bring you to a platform to get a glimpse of these falls.
- Park Cliffview Park at 26 Upper Paradise Rd and follow signage to the falls which are also located down the same huge staircase.
The falls are sometimes hard to see; people have been missing them even when looking for them. This is because the foliage of the trees can obstruct the view a bit – visiting during spring, autumn or winter should make it easier to get a glimpse of the falls!
Pro Tip: Similar to other waterfalls – there are technically two Chedoke Falls. The Upper is the more impressive one, at 59 feet tall. The Lower ones are two little ribbons flowing down a stack of rocks.
11. (Bonus) Felker’s Falls
Distance from parking lot: Less than a 5-mintue walk
Reservation required: ❌
Let’s finish off this article with a relatively simple and straightforward waterfall to visit – Felkner’s Falls! They are located right inside Felker’s Falls Conservation Area and are easy to get to from the parking lot.
They are not always running (waterflow is seasonal) but they are a pretty sight when you can see them at the right time!
To get to Felker’s Falls, you’re going to park at 43 Ackland St, Stoney Creek, ON. From there, it’s just a quick, stroller friendly and wheelchair accessible lot to the viewing platform.
Other Things to Do in the Area (Besides Waterfalls)
Didn’t get a reservation, or arrive at the parking lot and it’s too full? Here are the other things to do in the Hamilton area that aren’t getting nearly enough attention
1. Visit the downtown of Dundas!
Dundas is technically a suburb of Hamilton, but it has a small town feel on the main street with lots of cute shops and great places to eat. I would add it to my list of cutest small towns in Ontario, except more apart of Hamilton now than it is a town in itself. Still definitely worth a visit.
We live 1.5 hours from Hamilton and we drove all the way there just to see the waterfalls while our daughters were at school (it was a weekday.) We stopped in Dundas for lunch at a cute café – there are quite a few good restaurants, and places to shop at.
2. Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is gem located about a 20-minute drive from downtown Hamilton. It features real Canadian military planes, interesting information on Canadian Aviation, as well as Virtual Reality (for ages 12+.) See visiting information here.
Hamilton Waterfalls FAQ
How many waterfalls does Hamilton, Ontario have?
Hamilton Ontario has over 100 waterfalls nearby, but not all of these waterfalls are easily accessible. There are a handful of standard waterfalls that are easy to visit. You need to research in advance to find
What is the most popular waterfall in Hamilton?
The most popular waterfall in Hamilton is Webster Falls. At certain times of the year, you need to reserve in advance.
What city in Canada has the most waterfalls?
Hamilton Ontario is the Canadian city with the most waterfalls! There are over 150 waterfalls in the area. Most of the waterfalls aren’t right ‘in’ Hamilton, but just outside the city – in suburbs, small towns and coutnryside surrounding Hamilton. From Hamilton, you
Final Thoughts on Waterfalls Near Hamilton Ontario
I hope that this guide has made it much easier for you to plan a visit to Hamilton to explore its incredible waterfalls. In a nutshell, the top waterfalls you should plan a visit to are Sherman Falls, Tiffany Falls, Webster’s Falls and Tew Falls These are the best ones, although there are some other gems on this list as well. This access to natural beauty is part of what makes Hamilton and the Niagara Peninsula such a great place to live and amazing day trip from Toronto.