Headwaters Communities in ActionMono Cliffs Provincial Park
Birch Tree with Fungus in Mono Park. Photo by Valerie Jones
Several Trails meander through this 750-hectare natural environment park on the Niagara Escarpment, including a 6-kilometre section of the Bruce Trail. The carriage Trail is short and has a wooden staircase that lets you limb to a cliff-top viewing platform. It’s the main access point to four of the park’s seven trails.
Walk through a canyon on the Spillway Trail or past 30-metre cliffs on the Cliff Top Trail. Look for the differences in the trees, shrubs and wild plants through the park. These are caused by climatic variations that can occur in a small area. In the canyon’s rock crevices there still may be snow and ice in July. Some of the plants are rare and very sensitive.
Warm air currents from the cliffs create thermals that attract Ontario’s native turkey vultures. These wonderful flyers ride the air to circle and watch as you hike. Their large, upswept wings, black bodies with light colours underneath and small heads separate them from other soaring birds. The trails here are moderate with natural rocks that can be slippery when wet. Paid parking is available.
| Name | Mono Cliffs Provincial Park |
| Description | Mono Cliffs contains a significant section of the Niagara Escarpment, including crevice caves, an upland limestone plain, and talus slopes. The park features two prominent masses of rock, separated by erosion from the main rock body. |
| Activities | Hiking, biking, snowshoeing, horseback riding |
| Location | Fourteen km northeast of Orangeville, four km east of Mono Centre. Take hwy. 10 north from Orangeville to Mono Centre Rd. (Dufferin County Rd. 8), then go east eight km past the village of Mono Centre to the 3rd Line E.H.S. The main entrance to the park is located along the 3rd Line E.H.S. at a pay parking lot with washrooms. There is a map of the park and the seven colour coded trails. |
| Maps | Mono Cliffs Provincial Park Map |
| Parking | Parking lot. 1 hour $3.00, 2 hours $5.00, full day $11.00 |
| Trail Head | 3rd line E.H.S. at pay parking lot |
| Trail End | 3rd line E.H.S. at pay parking lot |
| Distance | Various distances depending on the trail chosen. |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Surfaces | Natural |
| Amenities | Washroom at parking lot. Mono Cliffs Inn |
| Landmarks | The Niagara Escarpment, diversity of ferns, and cedars. |
| Cost | No cost |
| Trail Web Site | Mono Cliffs Provincial Park |
| Closest Town | Orangeville |
| Location | **Plot and add Google maps location*** |
| Parking | Yes – 1 hour $3.00, 2 hours $5.00, full day $11.00 |
| Access Point |
3rd line E.H.S. at pay parking lot |
| End Point | 3rd line E.H.S. at pay parking lot |
| Length | various lengths depending on trail |
| Duration | various, see colour coded trails |
| Difficulty | moderate |
| Surfaces | natural earth |
| Activities | hiking, biking, and horseback riding |
| Amenities | Mono Cliffs Inn |
| Landmarks | |
| Cost | |
| Maps | Mono Cliffs Trail Map |
| Web Site | www.ontarioparks.com |
Parking & Trail Access
Fourteen km northeast of Orangeville, four km east of Mono Centre. Take hwy. 10 north from Orangeville to Mono Centre Rd. (Dufferin County Rd. 8), then go east eight km past the village of Mono Centre to the 3rd Line E.H.S. Go north one km on 3rd Line E.H.S. OR take Airport Rd. to Mono Centre Rd. (Dufferin County Rd. 8), then go west to 3rd Line E.H.S. North one km on 3rd Line E.H.S.The main entrance to the park is located along the 3rd Line E.H.S. at a pay parking lot with washrooms. There is a map of the park and the seven colour coded trails:
- Carriage Trail (red)
- Spillway Trail (blue)
- Cliff Top Trail (green)
- McCarston’s Lake (orange)
- South Outlier Trail (yellow)
- Lookout Trail (grey)
- Bruce Trail (dotted)
