Hiking Sherman Falls
Aug. 30th, 2025 08:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerCanada travelog #19
Hamilton, ON · Tue, 26 Aug 2025. 4:15pm.
This afternoon we hiked Sherman Falls in Hamilton. It's the first half of our second two-fer today. After the bust with dry balls we found plenty of wetness over at Albion Falls and Buttermilk Falls. Now we're doing another two-fer with Sherman and Tiffany Falls. Except it's not quite a two-fer because although we could park once and hike both falls— the distance between the two is reasonable— why hike when we can drive? Especially when the trail between the two mostly just follows the road. And it's starting to rain.
The first bit of fun with hiking Sherman Falls was parking at Sherman Falls. If there's one thing the Hamilton region loves even more than putting fences around waterfalls, more than growing thorny vines over fences over fences around waterfalls, it's putting No Parking signs all up and down the streets near waterfalls. The damn things were growing wild like poison ivy in the summer. We parked in a designated lot almost 1/2 mile away. And we had to pay. Thankfully not $22.50 like yesterday, but also not cheap.
Although the sun is shining in this photo (above; you can see shade under the brim of my hat) it sure was dark as we hiked through the thick forest in the canyon up to Sherman Falls. Yes, this is finally a waterfall with a trail up the bottom of the canyon! Though honestly I think the reason the city hasn't fenced it off and forced us to view it only from safety above is that the land above is all privately owned. So it's already fenced— and the Parks & Rec people aren't allowed. 🤣
There was one other small family at the falls when we arrived. We hung back a bit as they were crowding the scene vamping with duck-lipped poses for Insta or whatever. Once they were gone we had the falls to ourselves for about 15 minutes, before the next small group arrived. Doing these waterfalls hikes midweek definitely changes the crowding equation vs. our normal of hiking on Saturday and Sunday because we're working stiffs.
Curiously there are two trails to Sherman Falls, one from the left and one from the right, and they do not join near the falls. If there was a footbridge over the stream in the past there's no sign of it now. Instead I found a place where the water was shallow a bit down from the falls and rock-hopped across. Hawk didn't want to chance getting wet feet and socks (we're wearing hiking sandals today; boots might have been a better choice) so we walked out opposite trails and met back at the road.
Up next: Hiking Tiffany Falls
Hamilton, ON · Tue, 26 Aug 2025. 4:15pm.
This afternoon we hiked Sherman Falls in Hamilton. It's the first half of our second two-fer today. After the bust with dry balls we found plenty of wetness over at Albion Falls and Buttermilk Falls. Now we're doing another two-fer with Sherman and Tiffany Falls. Except it's not quite a two-fer because although we could park once and hike both falls— the distance between the two is reasonable— why hike when we can drive? Especially when the trail between the two mostly just follows the road. And it's starting to rain.
The first bit of fun with hiking Sherman Falls was parking at Sherman Falls. If there's one thing the Hamilton region loves even more than putting fences around waterfalls, more than growing thorny vines over fences over fences around waterfalls, it's putting No Parking signs all up and down the streets near waterfalls. The damn things were growing wild like poison ivy in the summer. We parked in a designated lot almost 1/2 mile away. And we had to pay. Thankfully not $22.50 like yesterday, but also not cheap.
Although the sun is shining in this photo (above; you can see shade under the brim of my hat) it sure was dark as we hiked through the thick forest in the canyon up to Sherman Falls. Yes, this is finally a waterfall with a trail up the bottom of the canyon! Though honestly I think the reason the city hasn't fenced it off and forced us to view it only from safety above is that the land above is all privately owned. So it's already fenced— and the Parks & Rec people aren't allowed. 🤣
There was one other small family at the falls when we arrived. We hung back a bit as they were crowding the scene vamping with duck-lipped poses for Insta or whatever. Once they were gone we had the falls to ourselves for about 15 minutes, before the next small group arrived. Doing these waterfalls hikes midweek definitely changes the crowding equation vs. our normal of hiking on Saturday and Sunday because we're working stiffs.
Curiously there are two trails to Sherman Falls, one from the left and one from the right, and they do not join near the falls. If there was a footbridge over the stream in the past there's no sign of it now. Instead I found a place where the water was shallow a bit down from the falls and rock-hopped across. Hawk didn't want to chance getting wet feet and socks (we're wearing hiking sandals today; boots might have been a better choice) so we walked out opposite trails and met back at the road.
Up next: Hiking Tiffany Falls
