The Bruce Trail is located in southern Ontario and runs between Niagara Falls and Tobermory. The trail is over 890 kilometres long with other 400 kilometres of side trails. While camping at the Bruce Peninsula National Park we hiked one of those side trails.
Cottrill Lake Side Trail is located on Britain-Lake Road, just off of Dyers Bay Road. There are several access points and hikers can make it into a fairly short hike, or add on sections to make it longer. We opted to hike the trail on the west side of the road only, then we took the road back to our vehicle.
There were no other hikers on the trail at the time and it was quiet and peaceful. The trail was easy and cool with some lovely views and the sound of birds singing throughout the hike.
The Bruce Trail offers hikers a variety of hikes along the Niagara Escarpment and if you are ever nearby you should definitely check out the park of the Bruce Trail or one of the many side trails. Be sure to check their website for any trail changes or closures beforehand.
https://brucetrail.org/trail_changes
We have one of their trail books which include the trail maps for the entire trail, but you can also buy individual maps online, both in print and in digital copies.
Before hitting the trail, make sure you have an idea of the length of the hike you are planning on taking since this is an end to end trail and only some of the side trails are looped. It is easy to hike further than expected. Pack water, food, and a map. Some of the trails are very rugged and hikers should be careful during the winter or wet conditions.
Nearby towns include Dyer’s Bay and Miller Lake, and just a short drive north there is the Cabot Head Provincial Nature Reserve. If hikers keep driving north on Highway 6 they will find the Bruce Peninsula National Park and then the town of Tobermory. There are a variety of accommodations on the peninsula that should suit any visitor.
