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River

Forty Mile Creek

Class

Ramp

Size

Medium

Visitability

Good

Accessibility

Free

Activity

Moderate

Walk Time

2min

Trail

Moderate

Gorge Access

Difficult

Other Trails

Lots

County

Niagara

Take the QEW (Niagara-bound) to Mountain road in Grimsby. Follow Mountain road south and drive up the Niagara Escarpment. At the top of the hill, turn right on to Ridge Road and drive for about one kilometer (Stay Right!). The falls are located on the right side of Ridge Road. There is a small gravel parking area just to the east of the falls. The property on the west side (left bank) is private, so please stay on the right bank (looking downstream).

Settlement

Grimsby

NTS Map

30 M/4

Easting

615896

Northing

4782161

UTM Zone

Beamer Memorial Park is a relatively well known park in the Grimsby area that is famous for the migration of raptors in the spring. Numerous hawk species are found in abundance in spring due to strong updrafts of warmer air over the Escarpment. This waterfall is an interesting example of the ramp form. This type of waterfall occurs where a strong resistant caprock formation is absent, preventing the formation of a "plunge" class waterfall (eg. Balls Falls). Instead, water picks away at the hundreds of thin rock layers at a "relatively consistent" rate, thus forming the ramp. The waterfall is fan-shaped: expanding out from the 3-4 m wide crest to an "apron" perhaps 20 m wide. The waterfall can be particularly pretty for photography, even during low flows, when the river spreads out over the fan, developing thousands of little "micro-falls" suitable for close-up photography.

The easiest way to view the view the falls is from above. The gorge walls are steep and there is no guard rail, so USE CAUTION when walking around the crest of the waterfall. If you are very careful, you can also make your way to the base of the waterfall. A short path leads into the forest on the right side (looking downstream) of the waterfall. Follow this weakly worn path and carefully scramble down to the river bed below the falls. This gives an entirely different perspective of the waterfall, and, once you've made it to the bottom, is a less threatening viewing location. This path is not suitable for young children or the elderly.

SPECIAL NOTE: Interpretive signs at the main entrance to the park - see Beamer Falls (Lower) - display photographs of the waterfalls by myself. In addition to the main waterfall, there is also a second waterfall, reviewed separately as "Beamer Falls (Lower)." If you follow the trail along the top of the gorge, walking behind the building located in the woods, you will eventually be able to overlook Lower Beamers Falls.

Beamer Falls is included in the print version of Waterfalls of Ontario (see link at bottom of page).