Hockleycrest Loop

Hike Length: 5.4 km (from and back to the 5 th Sideroad)

Terrain: Variable with some hilly parts

Section: Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club

How to get there and where to park:
From Highway #9, drive 3.5 KM north on Airport Road, then 0.6 km east on 5 th Sideroad to the parking area on the north side.

Description of the hike:

From the parking area, follow the white blazes northward on the main trail through a pine plantation and then along an open corridor between two stands of pine. After a distance of 300 m, turn right on the south junction of the Harmony Side Trail (point01). Continue on the main trail until you reach the junction of Darcy's Side Trail (point 02). Please note that between points 01 and 02 there are a few private trails going off from the main trail. PLEASE STAY ON THE

BLAZED TRAIL. The main trail turns left and enters a hardwood bush before encountering the north junction of the Harmony Side Trail (point 03), Continuing on the main trail we pass a gazebo on the right. This is used as a rest stop by Bruce Trail hikers and walkers from the nearby Tai Chi Centre. You can also enjoy a quiet moment here. Soon after, the trail turns right (watch for this turn as the wider path continues straight on) The trail follows a narrow path before reaching a white metal gate (point 04) Between this point and the last turn off, a tornado touched down in May 1985. Evidence of this can be seen by the many fallen trees and pieces of twisted metal from rooftops of nearby barns and houses. At the gate we follow the blazes of the main trail. THERE ARE SEVERAL PRIVATE TRAILS IN THE AREA. PLEASE STAY ON THE BLAZED TRAIL. After a distance of 640 m, we reach the east junction of the Hockleycrest Shortcut Side Trail (point 05). From here, we continue north on the main trail. Crossing a pretty stream on our left we come to the north junction of the Hockleycrest Side Trail (point 06). This is our turn-around point and we now start to head southward by following the blue blazes of the Hockleycrest Side Trail. After passing through a hardwood section, we arrive at a pass-through (dodgeway) gate. ONCE AGAIN, THERE ARE SEVERAL PRIVATE TRAILS IN THIS AREA; PLEASE STAY ON THE BLAZED TRAIL. After 370 m in an easterly direction, we pass the next junction of the Hockleycrest Shortcut Side Trail (point 07) where the trail veers right and continues south to the return to the white gate (point 04). At this point, we turn right and retrace our steps by following the main trail back to point 03. We then follow the blue blazes of the (short) Harmony Side Trail to point 01 where we rejoin the main trail and continue straight on, which will take us back to the 5th Sideroad parking area and the end of our hike.