The Sydenham River drops 18 metres off the Niagara Escarpment into a gorge it cut itself. Around it sit a county museum, a 1920s garden estate and a harbour town with a brewery in an old train station. One coach, one day, no driving.
Pick your date and seats below. That is the coach, the museum and the conservation area in one ticket.
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Leaving Toronto in the meantime
Cancel 14 or more days before you go and you get 90% back.
Choose your own adventure: we drop you off, and the bus picks you up in the same spot.
A short, flat walk on even ground, at your own pace.
The limestone around Owen Sound is roughly 430 million years old. The Sydenham River is a newcomer, and it has made an entrance. At Inglis Falls it drops 18 metres off the Niagara Escarpment into a gorge it has spent millennia cutting out of that limestone.
The falls sit inside a 200 hectare conservation area with 7.4 km of trails through old growth eastern white cedar, dense fern colonies and glacial potholes drilled into the rock by ancient whirlpools. The trails connect straight onto the Bruce Trail. You do not need to be a serious hiker. You do need shoes with grip.
There is human history mixed in with the geology. The remains of a nineteenth century grist mill sit by the water, and a historic filtration plant that ran from 1912 to 1969 stands nearby. More than twenty species of fern grow in the gorge, and in mid spring there are wildflowers and early migrating birds.
Owen Sound itself is a small city with more cultural weight than its size suggests. Tom Thomson grew up just outside town and the gallery named after him still runs on 1st Avenue. The harbour has craft breweries, independent restaurants and an arts scene that has grown around them.
A waterfall you can hear before you can see.
Three stops, and the coach moves you between them. The times come from the schedule, so they are right even when the route changes.
We pick you up
Just north of Yonge and Bloor subway station. Come up the Asquith exit and look for the coach. Get there fifteen minutes early.
The county museum for Grey County, and your first stop. Indoor galleries, the Grey County Gallery, rotating exhibits and a travelling exhibit from Science North. Your admission is part of the fare. Next door, and free, is Morland Place: a 1920s estate with formal French and Italian style gardens, a hedge maze and hand poured concrete statues.
Good to know:
Facilities: A modern, fully accessible building, Washrooms, Picnic spots outside
Note: The outdoor Moreston Heritage Village opens later in the season. On a mid spring departure the indoor exhibits are open and the village is not.
The main event. Trails run from easy strolls to moderate sections with rocky footing, and there are several viewpoints over the falls and down the valley. The conservation area's own trail network joins the Bruce Trail, so you can go as far as you feel like and turn around.
Good to know:
Facilities: An accessible viewing platform at the falls, Parking and admission covered by your fare
Note: Access to the base of the falls is closed for safety and this is enforced. Every good view is from the rim.
The coach drops you in town at the end of the hike with time to find dinner. Mudtown Station is a brewery and restaurant inside a restored 1947 CPR rail station on the harbour, with beer brewed on site. Plenty of other places are within walking distance, and the Tom Thomson gallery is on 1st Avenue.
Good to know:
Facilities: Restaurants, cafes and washrooms within walking distance of the drop off
Note: Mudtown Station gets busy. Ring ahead on (519) 371-3575 if you have your heart set on it.
We drop you back
The bus returns to the same place it left from, so you go home the way you came.
This is our estimated return time, not a guarantee. Traffic can change it and some trips do run late, so please leave yourself some room afterwards rather than booking something tight against it.
A short list. Nothing technical.
Access to the base is closed for safety reasons, and that closure is taken seriously. Do not go looking for a way down.
The viewing platforms along the rim give you the whole cascade at once, which is more than you get from the bottom anyway. The main platform is accessible.
There is nowhere to buy lunch during the museum and gardens part of the day, so pack one. There are picnic spots at Grey Roots.
Dinner is the opposite problem. You are dropped in the middle of Owen Sound with restaurants all around you. Bring cash or a card.
The trail network is rocky in places, with tree roots and modest changes in height. Trail runners or hiking boots are right.
Flip flops are not. The rock near moving water stays damp.
This one runs in mid spring, when meltwater has the falls at full volume, in partnership with Grey County Tourism.
Placeholder dates · the real ones come from our booking system
We are Canada's outdoor bus service. Since 2010 we've taken more than 300,000 people to parks and trails without a car. You bring lunch. We handle everything with wheels.
The Sydenham River drops 18 metres off the Niagara Escarpment here. In mid spring, with meltwater still pushing through, it is one of the most powerful waterfalls in southern Ontario.
Grey Roots Museum & Archives is your first stop and your admission is already paid. Indoor galleries, rotating exhibits, and a Science North travelling exhibit.
Morland Place sits beside the museum. Formal French and Italian style gardens, a hedge maze and hand poured concrete statues. Open daily and it costs nothing.
The coach leaves you in Owen Sound with time to eat. Mudtown Station is a brewery in a restored 1947 CPR rail station on the harbour. Then reclining seats the whole way back.
★★★★★ 4.6/5.0 on Google
This is the 1st time I used Parkbus but it won't be the last.Brenda H. · Google
This is a great service if you don't have a vehicle or just don't want to drive. I'm so happy to have discovered this. There will definitely be more Parkbus trips in my future!James Taylor Wilson · Happy Parkbus customer
Speaking from someone who doesn't drive. This is a must!! I highly recommend this!Linda Ann · Facebook · Jun 2024
Factor in the cost of gas, parking and renting a car, it's a lot cheaper than taking a personal vehicle.Toronto Star
Parkbus is a great option for nature lovers, whether it's a day trip or overnight camping getaway.The Globe and Mail
Cancel more than 14 days before departure and you get a 90% refund, with 10% withheld for payment processing. Inside 14 days refunds are not available, except for a medical emergency in the 48 hours before departure, which needs a signed doctor’s note within 14 days of the missed trip and returns 50%. Tickets are transferable: you can change the passenger name up to 48 hours before departure.
If Parkbus cancels a trip, you get a full refund. We decide no later than 48 hours before departure and only on confirmed conditions: the park closed or the park authority asking us to stand down, an evacuation order or alert, an area restriction order, the highway closed, or the trip judged unsafe to run. A forecast is not one of those things, and trips run rain or shine.
Grey County without a car, and without anybody having to drive home tired.
Not quite the right fit? These all leave from the same spot downtown.
