More ways to explore Canada this summer: An outing to the Royal Botanical Gardens,
680 Plains Rd W, Burlington - Hamilton
It is the largest botanical garden in Canada, a National Historic Site.
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I visited several times in late May and early June, and arrived by car, public transit, and once by bike from Burlington. There are two entrances:
- RBG Centre and Hendrie Park: 680 Plains Road West, Burlington Ontario
- Rock Garden: 1185 York Boulevard, Hamilton, Ontario
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Royal Botanical Gardens is located at the western tip of Lake Ontario. Two distinct formal gardens are contained with 2,007 acres of nature reserve, nestled into the slopes of Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Region. Explore and enjoy the many historical outdoor plant collections, the indoor Mediterranean Garden, and 27 km of nature trails.
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My favored garden part is the Rock Garden
Opened to visitors in 1932, the historic Rock Garden is considered the birthplace of Royal Botanical Gardens. Following a significant rejuvenation, the David Braley and Nancy Gordon Rock Garden reopened in 2016 to embrace sustainable trends in garden design and management while respecting the integrity of its heritage setting. Bold swaths of brilliant perennials provide sweeps of inspiring colour and texture throughout all seasons.
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Garden Admission applies for daytime access to RBG’s formal garden areas (Hendrie Park, RBG Centre & Rock Garden).
RBG Members have access to daytime garden visits year round! It is worth to get the membership if you live in the area or in the GTA of Toronto.
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Besides the gardens there are lots of other nature trails nearby:
- The Waterdown Trail is a scenic in-and-out hike around 11 kilometres long. It’s considered moderately challenging and includes stairs and sometimes muddy conditions.
- Some side trails and loops along the trail provide some shorter, faster hike options.
- Waterfalls are located in environmentally sensitive areas – please stay on marked designated trails and obey closure signs; there are many rare plants that can be easily damaged or destroyed.
- Rock Chapel Golf Centre, a couple of kilometres west of highway 6 on highway 5, features an 18-hole mini-putt course.
- Waterdown Village Farmers’ Market, open Saturday mornings May through October, features a long list of local vendors.
- The historic community of Waterdown has plenty of delicious treats to indulge in.
- Copper Kettle Cafe is known for its mouth-watering apple fritters
- Pick up meat, cheese and baked goods for a picnic at Harrington Lane Farms
- Not far, in neighbouring Freelton, West Avenue Cidery serves up small batch ciders in a stunning farm setting.
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