Hamilton

Those passing Hamilton from the Highway would recognize it for its industrial waterfront, but Hamilton will surprise new visitors. What the view from the highway hides are marinas, and waterfront and bluffside parks and shops, avenues of unique restaurants. The City is a nexus of major cycling and pedestrian trails, from the Niagara Escarpment and throughout the Dundas Valley, from the Bruce Trail to the Greenbelt Route and yes, the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. The past two decades have dramatically changed the waterfront, bringing with it new recreational uses, restored natural areas and cultural features.

Welcome to Steeltown.

2019 marked the opening of the HamBur Loop, extending the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail from the waterfront to historic Ferguson Ave station, Albion Falls and the Red Hill Valley, forming a 50km loop connecting Hamilton and Burlington around the harbour. Much of the route on the Hamilton half of the HamBur Loop is off-road and family friendly, however there are on-road sections in Burlington and through central Hamilton and a set of stairs that must be navigated from the York Street bridge to the Desjardins Canal.

The Hamilton Waterfront Trail (7.5km): follows Hamilton Harbour from Princess Point (Cootes Paradise) through Bayfront Park, Pier 4 Park, the Discovery Centre and on to HMCS Haida. You’ll also find Williams Coffee Pub, a Waterfront Ice Cream stand and the Hamilton Harbour Queen Cruises nearby.

At Cootes Paradise there is an impressive staircase with a cycling trough leading to Dundurn Park and some amazing lookouts. From here you can connect to Burlington via York Street- extreme caution is needed when crossing the ramp from the 403.

Note: The staircase at Coote’s Paradise is quite large and steep and can be a challenge for cyclists with full paniers.

The Hamilton Recreation Beach Trail (8 km): Follows the Lake Ontario shoreline taking people from Burlington under the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge to Confederation Park and into the former Stoney Creek. Interpretative panels describe the history of Hamilton’s waterfront and explain the restoration process. There are two wonderful restaurants, a major waterpark and great beaches where you can take a dip into the Lake.

Download Printable Map

HamBur Loop (Red Hill Valley and Round the Bay)

Download Printable Map

Hamilton East: (Lake Ontario waterfront)

Trail Attributes

The Trail in Hamilton splits into two sections: The Hamilton Waterfront Trail and the Hamilton Recreation Beach Trail.
Both Trails are largely off-road, 6m wide, paved asphalt.
Both trails provide a smooth, wide surface for all users, especially bladers.
A stunning pedestrian and cycling Bridge over the QEW connects the Waterfront and Hamilton Beach to the Red Hill Valley Trail and downtown Hamilton.
Navigating the route in the area of the York Street bridge (part of the HamBur Loop section) includes a set of 166 stairs. A bike trough is included and there are a number of wide platforms that help separate the work.
All parks and trails are signed to prohibit motorized vehicles; if you observe this behaviour please call the City of Hamilton customer contact centre 546-CITY and they will direct your call to bylaw for enforcement. The definition of “motorized recreational vehicle” means a snowmobile, go-cart, trail bike, mini bike, all-terrain vehicle, or similar vehicle, or E-Scooter, or similar vehicle, propelled or driven by an internal combustion engine, battery, or other form of power, other than muscular power.
E-scooters are permitted only where signed to allow it; it is not allowed on the Red Hill Trail.

Local Maps and Connections Staging Areas Amenities and Transit Helpful Links

Links to Local Maps

Hamilton Bike Map (PDF)

Recreational Trail Maps and Guides (PDFs)

Cycling Routes and Maps (Information and PDFs)

Hamilton Trails Listing

Connections

Greenbelt Route and Lake Ontario Watershed Network — The 475km Greenbelt Route connects communities, farms and businesses from the scenic wine region of Niagara to the challenging but stunning hills of Northumberland along Ontario’s Greenbelt, terminating at Roseneath near Rice Lake.

There are three connections to the Greenbelt Route in Hamilton, via the Dundas Valley, Red Hill Valley, and Escarpment Rail Trail. You can experience a number of these connections via the HamBur Loop, Escarpment Country Cruise, and Dundas Valley Loops, all following the Greenbelt Route, Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, and one of the signed connectors joining them as part of the Lake Ontario Watershed Network.

Grand Great Lakes to Greenbelt 1000km Itinerary — Guiding you along the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, and Greenbelt Route in an incredible figure-8 (with Hamilton as the hub), this route will give you a quintessential southern Ontario experience.

Royal Botanical Gardens Trail System — From Cootes Paradise to the Hendrie Valley, the RBG trail system – over 18km, 10 lookouts, 12 creek crossings around Cootes Paradise Marsh. Parking located at Princess Point (near 300 Longwood Rd N, Hamilton, ON).

Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail — A 32 km off-road trail that connects Hamilton’s Dundas Valley to Brantford Ontario. The trail continues uninterrupted to Paris and Cambridge.

TransCanada Trail — The TransCanada Trail passes through Hamilton. The Hamilton Brant Rail Trail has been officially recognized as part of the TransCanada Trail network.

Community Links

Hamilton

Staging Areas

Hamilton Waterfront Trail

Dundurn Park-York Blvd.
Bayfront Park-Harbourfront Dr and Bay St.
Pier 4 Park – Leander Dr. and Guise St.
Pier 8 – Canada Marine Discover Centre
HMCS Haida at Catherine St.

The Hamilton Beach Trail

Confederation Park – Van Wagner’s Beach Rd. and Centennial Parkway
Van Wagner’s Beach beside Lakeland Community Centre – Van Wagner’s Beach Rd. East of Confederation Park
Beach Blvd south of lift bridge