Wainfleet

Between Haldimand and Port Colborne, the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail follows rural roads that hug the shoreline in the Township of Wainfleet where there are three beach access points for those looking for a dip in the Lake and some excellent eateries along the route (east of Brawn) for those needing a meal. People interested in camping should consider the Long Beach Conservation Area. While in the area,  check out the Wainfleet Wetlands Conservation Area. It was a quarry until the 1960s though it would be hard to believe that today. Years of restoration work led by the Conservation Authority have naturalized the area creating a thriving eco-system that attracts birds and wildlife. Fossil enthusiasts will love this area. Hikers and walkers will enjoy trails in the Wainfleet Wetlands Conservation Area (check out the Quarry Trail) and Morgan’s Point Conservation Area, where the boardwalk and trail take through dunes and old growth forest.

In 2005, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust secured funding ($159,000) to contribute to the  conversion of 12 kilometres of abandonned rail bed into a stone-dust trail. Led by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, the Trail connected the Wainfleet Wetlands via the Trans Canada Trail, Welland Canals Parkway Trail and Greater Niagara Circle Route. In 2017,  the trail was renamed the Gord Harry Rail Trail. Together the Waterfront Trail and Gord Harry Rail Trail provide a looped trail experience in Wainfleet.