Rockwood Conservation Area

My hubby and I went to the Rockwood Conservation area because of an Instagram photo I saw of how amazing this place was.  I wasn't really disappointed, although the sky wasn't what I would call ideal.  It had rained a few times but I managed to take some photos.


The park charges $7/each person.  They are friendly and had pointed us in the right direction to the waterfall I thought would be the main feature, but wasn't.  The real feature here are the caves.

There are over 194-acres of great hiking trails, boardwalks and idyllic sandy beaches.  It also houses an interesting array of castle-like ruins which are the remains of a woolen mill that once existed here.

Rockwood is just an hour outside Toronto. Its accessibility and proximity to major highways like the 401 make it an easy city escape.  What makes Rockwood Conservation Area unique from most parks is the sheer amount of activities it boasts and its rich geological aspects.   A few environmental features it’s known for are the glacier bluffs, extensive cave systems (12 in total) and some of the oldest dated trees in Ontario. 


Even with Rockwood being a nature lovers paradise, it seems over the years the biggest tourist draw has been the stunning Harris Woolen Mill ruins, the remnants of an ancient textile mill.

Built in the mid 1880s, the mill was forced to shut down during the Depression and has remained vacant since.

Over the past decade, the mill had gone through almost a million-dollar renovation to preserve its history and make it safe for visitors to walk through and appreciate.The site is part of the Grand River Conservation Authority, and is an extremely popular spot for picnics, hikes, photography shoots and weddings.

If you want to spend more than a day inside the park, there are over 120 campsites on four main campgrounds.

Fill your entire weekend up with swimming, fishing, canoeing, hiking, and even paddle boarding — which you can rent in the summer.  The conservation area is open year-round and camping is available from May to October.

I loved it here so much that at the end of the day I almost wished I brought a tent.