Elora Quarry

A Limestone Swimming Hole, a 19th-Century Village, and Zero Highway Stress.

‍

There's an abandoned limestone quarry about 90 minutes northwest of Toronto where the water turns cerulean on sunny days and 12-metre cliffs rise straight out of the pool like the walls of some ancient Roman bath. It's been a swimming hole since before it was officially anything. Locals have been jumping in (unofficially, then officially) since the quarry closed decades ago. The Grand River Conservation Authority made it a conservation area in 1976. The swimmers never left.

‍

The Quarry

Elora Quarry is a two-acre, spring-fed pool carved into the Silurian-era dolostone of Wellington County. The cliffs that ring the water are layered with 400-million-year-old fossils and eastern white cedar clinging to the rock face. There's a sandy beach, a shallow wading area for kids, and deeper water further out for anyone who wants to explore the full perimeter. One-kilometre loop trail threads through the cedar forest along the rim, with overlooks down to the Grand River. It's not a waterpark. It's geology you can swim in.

‍

‍

The Barrier (and How We Remove It)

Here's the thing about Elora Quarry: it sells out. Tickets are timed, parking is limited, and the drive from Toronto means battling the 401 on a summer weekend alongside every other person who had the same idea. For anyone without a car, it's been functionally off-limits.

‍

That's where Parkbus comes in. We handle the driving, the parking headaches, and the quarry admission (it's included in your ticket). You handle the sunscreen.

‍

What's Waiting for You

Your Parkbus ticket gets you access to the quarry from 10am to 2pm. After that, the bus drops you in the village of Elora for a free afternoon before the ride home.

• Four hours at the swimming hole. The water is cool, the cliffs are dramatic, and the beach has enough sandy real estate to stake out a spot with your snacks and a book. Strong swimmers can loop the entire quarry. Everyone else can float, wade, or just sit on the rocks and wonder why they don't do this more often.
• A one-kilometre trail above the waterline. The loop trail wanders through cedar forest and delivers views down into the Grand River gorge. It's short enough to do before your hair dries from swimming. Good for stretching your legs or scouting the best cliff-viewing angles for photos.
• An afternoon in a village that A.J. Casson (of the Group of Seven) called "Ontario's most beautiful." Elora's downtown is 19th-century limestone buildings lining the Grand River, filled with independent shops, glass studios, artisan bakeries, and enough ice cream options to require a strategy. The Elora Mill, a restored 1830s gristmill turned luxury hotel, straddles the Tooth of Time waterfall at the edge of the gorge. You don't need to stay there to walk around it and feel fancy for a minute.
• Real food after a morning of swimming. The quarry itself has no food vendors (pack your snacks for the morning), but Elora village delivers. Sourdough from Elora Bread Trading Co., handmade ice cream from Scoop, patio dining along Metcalfe Street. You will not go hungry.
• The Elora Gorge viewpoint, free and open. Victoria Park in downtown Elora overlooks the gorge where the Grand River rushes between 22-metre limestone cliffs. It's a two-minute walk from the shops and it's the kind of view that makes you put your phone down. Then immediately pick it back up to take a photo. Then put it down again.

‍

Tickets: 

• Regular: $70.00
• Student: $63.00
• Child (12 and under): $35.00
• Senior (60+): $63.00