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Parks, Gardens & Conservation Areas
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Beamer Memorial Conservation Area Sunsets |
Left: Gorgeous October evening sky at sunset above Beamer Memorial Conservation Area in Grimsby. Top Right: Welcome to Beamer Memorial Conservation Area, parking area and park entrance on Quarry Road, Grimsby. Bottom Right: Beamer Memorial Conservation Area lookout, offering beautiful escarpment and skyline views.
Photos: [Carly Lebel].
Beamer Memorial Conservation Area, located on the Niagara Escarpment in Grimsby, Ontario is renowned not only as the best vantage point in the Niagara Peninsula to observe the annual hawk migration, but also for offering one of the most breath-taking and picturesque views of the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario at sunset. Take a hike along the scenic lookout trail, and soak up the beautiful views at sunset from 3 of the viewing platforms.
Although the entire trail is quite long (10km), there are amazing views from the first lookout point which is only about a 10 minute walk from the parking area and is wheelchair accessible. As the sun begins to descend, these platforms allow you to gaze over the entire town of Grimsby and Lake Ontario as the sun shines down reflecting off of the buildings and the lake. This destination is a perfect area for watching the sunset as you are able to see the whole sun as it disappears below the horizon, with nothing blocking your view as you sit on top of the Niagara escarpment. Summer and early fall evenings are the best time of the year to view sunsets at this location as at these times the sunsets are more spectacular and picturesque because of the seasons and angle of the sun. The gorgeous colours of the sky at sunset over Lake Ontario at times can be mesmerizing.
Beamer Memorial Conservation Area is an ideal location for a family hike, romantic walk, or a place to get out and walk your dog, to enjoy the forest scenery and atmosphere and gaze over Grimsby and Lake Ontario as the sun sets. This location offers park benches where you can relax and enjoy a romantic picnic dinner, or a coffee while soaking in the views, and a staircase up to a lookout tower, where kids enjoy climbing up and down. Photographers have amazing photo taking opportunities available at this location surrounded by nature - forest, trees, wildlife including birds of prey, cliffs, and interesting flora and fauna. As the beautiful bright coloured sun sets over the escarpment cliffs and the lake, you will not only enjoy the view but leave with beautiful photos.
Warning: Never look directly at the sun.
The time of the sunset varies throughout the year.
For photographers, lighting can make a huge difference in your photography. Consult this sunrise and sunset photo calculator prior to your visit.
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Beautiful autumn coloured sky, taken on an evening hike up the Beamer Trail, in Grimsby in September. [Photo: Carly Lebel]
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TripClip Audio File |
Click to play or download the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area Sunsets TripClip (mp3 format).
This destination is also part of the TripClip tour entitled Sunset Tour of Niagara.
Open Year-Round
8am to dusk
From East or West via the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW):
Take exit 71, Christie Street, Grimsby (south) towards the escarpment
Christie Street becomes Mountain Street at the downtown traffic lights
Follow Mountain Street (Regional Road 12) south, up to the top of the Escarpment
Turn right (west) onto Ridge Road
Turn right (north) onto Quarry Road
Park entrance is on Quarry Road on your right
The Escarpment and area rock were formed from sediment deposits on an ocean floor that covered this area over 400 million years ago. These deposits were compressed over millions of years and formed layers of sedimentary rock. The prominent cliffs of the Escarpment resulted from river and slope erosion that began over 2.5 million years ago, before the onset of the ice age. The lanscape was further modified when thick glacial ice sheets advanced and retreated over the area, carving a deep channel into the softer sedimentary rock. Since the last glacial retreat, approximately 13,000 years ago, large volumes of spring melt water continued to erode this channel resulting in the deep gorge of the Forty-Mile Creek.
More recently, Beamer Memorial was the site of a sawmill powered by water from the creek, and a restaurant and the home of John and Anna Beamer, early Grimsby settlers.
Beamer Memorial Conservation Area is renowned as the best vantage point in the Niagara Peninsula to observe the annual spring hawk migration. It is part of the internationally designated Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve, and offers breathtaking views of the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario. The trail features interesting flora and fauna and is a significant area for water discharge of the 40 Mile Creek. It is an excellent site for observing birds of prey such as hawks, falcons, bald eagles and turkey vultures in the spring, and offers great views of the 40 Mile Creek Valley. As a natural escarpment property this area has a variety of old growth and interior forest offering a linear wildlife and plant corridor, with Sugar Maple and Red Oak predominately throughout the site as well as some Hemlock and White Cedar.
Beamer Falls Bed and Breakfast at Falconridge Farm:
Important Bird Areas of Canada:
http://www.bsc-eoc.org/iba/site.jsp?siteID=ON023
Ontario Trails Council:
http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/trails-a-z/beamer-memorial-conservation-area-trail
Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority:
http://www.npca.ca/conservation-areas/beamer-memorial/
Sunrise and Sunset Time/Date Calculator
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunrise.html
Sunrise and Sunset Photo Calculator (For photographers)
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/sunrise-sunset-calculator.htm
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