It took a while to get to Elora Gorge Conservation Area from Toronto due to heavy traffic on a Saturday early afternoon, but once we got there, it was relatively quiet. For $8.50 a person, we were able to access the parking lot, which is situated conveniently next to the hiking trails. The hiking trails themselves are very short and flat, especially for someone who has lived in mountain towns before, but they are good nonetheless by Ontario standards. The trails mostly run along the top of the gorge cliff, overlooking the water with an obstructed view, however, once you get to the end of the trail, you could go on top of a bridge and get a great view of the gorge. read more

See all

Park entry fee: $8.00/person Cars were parked on the grass or anywhere they found the space. Tubing: registration $20/person Plan ahead, the line was long. If you rented the equipment elsewhere, you don't have to wait in line but there's no signs up indicating which wasted a lot of time. Once you get the band, follow the yellow steps to the launching area. The hike is steep and long. Once you get into the water, you are on your own, there aren't life guards. The water flow was steady but other areas, fast. There is a area in between you can stop and dive off into the water. It's not easy to navigate the where to go unless you paddle in some way(used my water shoes) It's beautiful along the way, the scenery is beautiful, you will pass a waterfall! When you get to the end, it's best to step off as it was harder when when you reach the chain. Now the walk back to return equipment (if rented on site) and to the parking is also long but through the trail so just follow the signs. Along the way, I saw many camp sites. Tips, Bring water shoes, rocks Bring water proof case for car keys/phones. I guarantee if not secured, you will lose it. Bring ropes if you want to stay linked to your friends Wear sun screen Wear life jacket Wear helmet read more

See all

The conservation area is alright for picnics and some light hiking. And probably tubing in summer (I visited in Fall). But you can get better views of the gorge (and for free) from the town of Elora. From Victoria Park, for example. read more

See all

I recently visited the Elora Gorge, using the Toyota funded GRCA pass made available at the local library. Visited in May. Admission rate is roughly $7. There are campsites too. The parking was easy to get to and the hiking began. There are a number of trails to follow so I definitely want to give it another try in the future. I followed the trail along the gorge, but I was disappointed that it was all fenced off so you're practically viewing from behind a fence the whole time- I get the safety because during spring melt the flows can be high but ..... Eventually you can make it to the tubing entrance, we arrived but tubing was not running until June because the spring melt is augmented. Being in the Gorge was like viewing the the Niagara Falls, so it's sort of cool. Definitely will visit in the future for the tubing. The GRCA is not funded by tax payers, thus charge admission. read more

Came to visit the conservation area during the Canada Day long weekend. When I got here, the lineup ain't too bad. But parking was a bit of a challenge. Cause girlfriend and I were here to walk the trail. However the parking lot by trail area was filled with cars. So we parked farther away and walked back to our trail. When we got to the entrance to the trail, it's fully covered with trees. So one suggestion is always bring a light coat as the trees act as a canopy so we will not be too hot. Back to the review. This trail is epic. When I stood by the railing and looked down, I saw the gorge with the flowing water. Epic scene here. The trail is not bad, there are specific spots for hikers to go down and be close to the water. We finished the hike and found a nice spot under a tree to have a picnic and rest. There's also a splash pad for those hot days. Lots of kids playing. When we were leaving, as we exit the park. We saw there were upwards of 50 to 60 cars waiting to get in. One suggestion for other visitors, come early. read more

Not sure why reviews are so bad. However, I went here a few weeks ago and had so much fun!! Went with a bunch of friends for a water tubing/hiking/bbq day of craziness. It was also during the heat wave we had. If you are hesitant to do tubing, I would definitely recommend it! Water had some slow lazy moments and some where water can be a bit rough. I thought it was such a cool experience and only $35 ish for all the equipment you need (tubing, life jacket and helmet). No time limit on how long you can keep them so we went tubing twice and each time was at least 1 hour or more. Also, you can have some fun with it as I actually saw some people bring matching tubes and floats in animal shapes, etc. My group had split into 2, one for hiking and one for tubing. I was in the tubing group and found to get to launch pads you actually have to walk a bit far with the tubes. I'd almost say 15-20 min walk to launch pad and when you head back. Water can get higher and tougher as the day goes on. But if you go too early there might not be enough and you can possibly injure yourself that way too. So always be careful and aware. My group created a little human chain to stick together and it definitely felt like a team building exercise. Haha. CAUTION: While I did have a blast I would not recommend water tubing to any families with young children. Anyone who does this activity should be able to swim, not be afraid to get flipped over as current can get rough in some areas and have the ability to get up and off their tube if necessary. I had a few tall young guys in my group and even they got flipped. Also some areas were shallow and rocky so a lot of the time you must "lift butts up" which became a common shout in our group. Haha. TIP: Just come very early to avoid crazy lines. Like come 30 mins before the rental place opens if you can. Line ups are crazy 1-1.5 hrs after opening. Also, bring WATER SHOES! So many of my friends mentioned they were envious of mine cause it was good for walking on land and water. Prevented you from slipping unlike flip flops. Lots of rocks under water. Water shoes are 10-12 bucks at Walmart or Canadian Tire. Definitely worth the investment. read more

See all

As a U of Guelph Alumni, I may biased but I just really enjoy visiting the gorgeous areas of Guelph/Elora/Fergus. This means I'm constantly discovering new spots I hadn't been when I was at school there. The Elora Gorge Conservation Area is a beautiful spot with wooded trails throughout. There is plenty of parking lots available. Unfortunately, the actual Gorge part has been shut for a good portion of covid, but it's been on my list of 'to do's' for a long time. When I was here last, the line up to get in was long. Check-in staff were safe and helpful. We were lucky to find a small corner spot to park, and were on the hunt for awhile before landing an ideal spot at the head of one of the trails. My first recommendation is bring bug spray! The trails are wooded and a bit buggy. The trails are not paved nor do the have a clear path, so expect uneven ground and having to do a bit of climbing. The spot to view a small portion of the rapids is fairly small - thought it would be bigger! It was also pretty busy so we felt rushed to take a quick photo and leave. I would absolutely LOVE to float down the river rapids in a tube this summer - so if you're reading this and have done this activity here, please DM me here on Yelp so we can discuss the fun details! read more

Such a delight to drive into this quaint little town. All the little shops that line one street and the bars and restaurants that line another street. They have little signage as to where to go for a better view of the Almira Mill. However the signage for the conservation area gets confusing. They have some place called a hole in a passageway but it couldn't be found and since it was a closed area as it's not open for the season but people can walk in with pets to walk around. Just be careful as there still was a lot of ice o Lin the trails. Bring shoe clamps. read more

See all

I had so much fun in Elora Gorge. Check out this video to see more about my day at Elora Gorge: https://youtu.be/qDQvmk63Ga4 read more

We had a Sunday afternoon with not a ton on our plate, so Lee suggested that we go for a drive out to "somewhere near Guelph" to check this park out. He'd been there a number of years ago. It was a gorgeous, sunny, warm day at the very end of summer. The tubing was closed for the season, but the splashpad was still running, and this seemed to be a great place to go for a little hike. The park itself is out kind of in the middle of nowhere, at least from the direction we approached. We drove through acres of farmlands, and then we started to see a few trees, and found the entrance. The gorge is one of those typical gouged out rock valleys that seem to be the thing out here. Lots of steep canyon walls with interesting, brittle rock. It's a bit of a change from the types of river gorges where I grew up. The path was pretty short, I kind of wish it was organized and perhaps signed a bit better. There's a lot of erosion from people making their own trails. Perhaps having it hook up into a wider network of trails is something that the park org could do in the future.. The path down into the rock is very very cool, and definitely something that needs to be seen. There's camping here, and I definitely want to give it a try if the weather holds up this year, if not, I'm definitely going to try it out next year. read more

See all

What a gorge-ous place! See what I did there! Lol. All jokes aside, this was an awesome place to visit and this is coming from someone that isn't particularly into the nature things. For $6 entry per person, the conservation area provides hiking trails, picnic areas, and the opportunity to tube down the water in the gorge! The area was kept quite nice and clean, just some stray litter that some irresponsible people left around. The trails were pretty good, just gotta make sure you look where you're going. Lots of tree roots coming up from the ground and just stray branches laying around. The trails were pretty short and quite easy, so it is definitely suitable for everyone. Just know that there are a few sections of stair-like hiking, so you may need to beware if you have some knee problems. The best part was definitely walking to the tube launching area and just exploring around the gorge. You are able to explore as far as you can go on the rocks up and down the waterside and if the water is low enough I believe. It was both cool to see and fun to traverse! Gives you a sense of wonder and calm at the same time! If you're ever in the Guelph area and looking for a little nature in your life, worth checking out the Elora Gorge! read more

See all

Elora Gorge Conservation Area has been on our bucket list for a while. We decided to go near the tail of end of August and man was it bug city (by bugs I mean mosquitoes, there is alot of stagnant water there) I don't know if the bugs come out in these types of numbers throughout the summer but it was pretty bad. The number one tip for this place is BUG SPRAY. Entrance fee is $6 per person for the conservation area. The trails themselves are pretty good, they are easy going and you'll need a maximum of 20 minutes to walk through each one. There are some hills but nothing too difficult to get through. The red trail leads to the gorge itself where you can take in the view of the beautiful valley as well the bridge overlooking it. There is an option to go tubing which seems like alot of fun and the conservation provides a park area to chill, relax, BBQ and just have fun. All in all a good place to go hiking. read more

Elora Gorge Conservation Area - The tubing - Parks Near Me - Elora, Ontario

This turned out to be a long review, so I'll cut to the chase - highlight of the trip - one of our guys helmets made him look like a conehead and he didn't believe us until the end of the day when he saw what he looked like!! check out the photos and see if you can spot him....haha..... Went tubing with a group of friends since we were in the area. If you are looking for an extreme adventure, you won't find it here!! BUT...as long as you go with the idea of a nice 'lazy-river' style ride, you can still have fun admiring the neat rock formations in the gorge as you float along chatting with your friends. (Definitely suggest linking your tubes together!! It was way more fun when we did this and a lot easier to hold a conversation!!). We went on a Sunday, arrived at 9:30am (it's open at 9am-7pm) and the tube rental had a HUGE line up in the morning. They do have a ton of equipment, so I figure you won't be left tubeless unless you arrive late in the day. You can tell some of the older tubes were well worn as they were oddly shaped. We even saw some of the tubes blow up when someone sat on one after it had been sitting on the rocks in the sun... rather funny!!! After getting our rentals we waited for the "weekend" school bus shuttle that took us down to the launch site (seemed like it would be at least a 1/2 hour walk otherwise). The river itself is only really fast at the start of the course, so we did a few runs of the beginning over again before completing the full 2km stretch. At the end of the course there were a lot of people waiting for the bus so we decided to walk back to the start ~ 15 minutes. Even though I say it's like a lazy river ride, you'll have to be careful to keep an eye out for rocks as the water level was pretty shallow when we were there and a couple of us got some nice bruises on our backs from sitting in the tube too low. Cost: ~ 5$ entrance fee + $27.50 (full equipment fee - cheaper if you have your own helmet and life jacket). read more

Elora Gorge Conservation Area - Where's Waldo (Conehead Edition). - Parks Near Me - Elora, Ontario

See all

Just visited this place for a weekend and I have to say it was one of the most beautiful places I have seen. I would definitely come here again as the activities are fun and the place is nice. We stayed at the Grand River campground, and it was very nice. Tubing was amazing even though I did get thrown off my tube, and the hiking trail overlooking the gorge was beautiful. When selecting your campground make sure that you try to chose a good one as these sites are very much hit or miss, but they are mostly hits. Definitely would stay here again... BUT, my only problem with this place that swayed my decision of coming here again was that the campground authority was brutally awful. They felt as though a group of 10 young girls were a threat, as they circled around our campground at least 5 times an hour, and even accused us of bringing alcohol, ( it is a dry campground) which we did NOT. On the other hand, when our neighbours had gotten into a domestic disturbance for an hour, they were NOWHERE to be found. We had to call them about an hour after they were still fighting to ask them to come and stop them. I don't understand how the park's authority thought that us girls who were nothing but respectful and trying to have a nice weekend away were watched like dogs when there were situations like that that they are employed to stop. I suggest maybe the authority should learn how to do their jobs because the well being of hundreds of people on this campground is in their hands. read more

Beautiful for a fall walk. Unfortunately the gorge itself is fenced off to ensure that drunk idiots don't try to belly flop and kill themselves. Total alcohol ban seems like another result of losers getting drunk and doing stupid things. Picnic areas with fire pits look very cool. I'd love to plan a fall harvest cook out here. But they'd need to overlook my wine pairings. Apple trees were plentiful and we picked some to bring home and make a crisp. read more

View is nice, but he campsite is most terrible I have ever been. Campsites are very close to each other's (you can clearly hear personal conversation from other campsites in your tent. There is no single tree or bush between tent pads). You feel like camping with different strangers. And they can see you or walk over anytime! Park ranger is pretty rude and shows not caring. He likes saying he is the park ranger, and he can make the call here in his sole discretion... Will never go there again, and highly NOT recommend! read more

First time camping at Elora Gorge. Sites are pretty good. Not very private though. Great atmosphere. This park has people of all ages yetis very family friendly! Everyone is so friendly. So many kids around and every other camper has a dog my kids loved it here! We will be back! read more

Elora Gorge Conservation Area - Camping at the Gorge - Parks Near Me - Elora, Ontario

I will be honest this place is probably great for families with young children but that is not me. Went with a few friends and we noticed everyone around us was silent and in bed at 10pm. We were sitting around a fire chatting and at 11:30 security asked us to quiet down. It was a little confusing as we were not playing music, not drinking, not yelling. Just chatting around a fire. So be aware that they are very strict with quiet hours and will kick you out. Tubing looked very fun but unfortunately we did not get the chance to try as the line was 3 hours and we were not guaranteed a tube at the end of it. The quarry also was closed down so we had very little options on what to do on a hot day. The other reviews are correct that the sites are very close together with little trees, feels like you are all sharing one big site. Not all the fire pits have a rack to cook food, ours didn't which was a bit difficult cooking wise. Overall, I'm sure it is a great place for young families but if that isn't you I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

Super long lineup on a Sunday for the tubes. We waited hours then they ran out of tubes. Boo. I would suggest u buy your own tubes to bring or get there right at opening. Edit- came a second time right at opening on a weekday. Tubing is a far walk to get to launch pad river ride was fun. Husband flipped off his tube and cut his leg on a rock. Otherwise I enjoyed the tubing. Peaceful and serene. read more

As luxury car camping goes - I love Elora Gorge! If you're looking for real camping, this isn't the place for it. For an introduction into camp fires, marshmellows, mosquitoes, sleeping on the ground in tents, bonding with like-minded friends, this is it! Campsites are very close to each other and on a busy summer weekend, you'll be right up against other campers, but with enough space in between that it won't bother you. You'll see other campers and hear them, but with the muffling silence of trees, it really isn't so bad. The sites are very well maintained and clearly marked. Ah, the washrooms! As far as car camping facilities go, this is the best location that I've been to! The main washroom/changeroom/showers is by the river tubing registration area. The washrooms are big and very clean. I'm surprised at the lack of insects that usually populate camp washrooms. There are automatic showers for 25 cents a pop. The water is hot, and you get a long amount of time for the change. It was the best 25 cents that I've ever spent, and a shower is very well appreciated after an afternoon of river tubing. By the way, river tubing down the section of the Grand River at Elora Gorge is something that is so unique that one must absolutely partake in at some point. For ~$27, which includes an inner tube, life jacket and helmet rental, you get to river tube the whole day up to 7PM. The free shuttle bus takes you to the starting point for the trip down the river and takes you back to the pick up point after you're done. Another review on river tubing later. Reserve your camp site online here: http://www.grandriver.ca/index/document.cfm?Sec=27&Sub1=124&Sub2=0. Currently, it is ~$34/night of camping. You can also take your chances and just pick an available site when you arrive on the day of like we did (though its best to reserve ahead of time). Check out is a noon the next day. Get your firewood onsite for $8 a bag. Bringing your own firewood is discouraged as it can spread invasive species hiding in the wood into the forest. The conservation area is absolutely alcohol free, with quiet time after 11PM. Elora Gorge is close enough to Toronto to be away from the city, and yet a very very gentle introduction into camping and being with nature. There's even a hot dog cart by river tubing registration. read more

Camping here was decent. The campsite we had was quite large. The park was very clean for the most part. The bathrooms and shower building were a little bit nasty. Before you walk half way across the park to the showers make sure you bring some quarters as the showers are coin operated. The park has a total alcohol ban which was kinda stupid. Whats camping without a pile of beers and a BBQ? However we just kept our drinking on the down low and didn't have any problems. As long as your not all rowdy they don't bother you. Nobody asked to look in our coolers or said anything to us all weekend. Our site was very close to the river tubing launch which was convenient. The cliffs and scenery around the gorge is very nice. Just a quick walk and jump in. Overall not a bad weekend. read more

It was an awesome experience... my husband and I went there after a google search for a different place to walk/hike.. on a one sunny afternoon day and we both find it sooo awesome ... surely you can reconnect to nature and start loving them more read more

See all

We went on 12/5 and the park was closed. That didn't stop us, we parked across the street, hopped the gate and had the entire park to ourselves. I know what you are thinking, we snuck in there like a couple of ninjas... but the gate is only 3 or 4 feet tall with large gaps; it is meant to keep cars out in the off season would be my guess. I will give full disclosure that I hope to got back when they are open in an effort to have a better experience. On to our adventure! The park was big and had a lot of spots for camping... or glamping(glamour camping for those of you not in the know). The camping areas seemed spacious, well marked and all of the tent sites we saw were in a nice shady pine forest. There was a nice looking splash pad, play ground and multiple sports fields. We saw signs for tubing, which I am excited to go back and try. All in all it looks like it would be a great place for families in the warmer months. Unfortunately the reason we went was to hike, that is where I was let down. The trails were again nice for families and people that are new to the outdoors... well marked, very wide, so clear of vegetation and obstructions that it might as well be paved. There weren't a lot of great points to see the water and the gorge, even the designated viewpoints weren't great views. Mind you it's December, there are no leaves blocking your view. Fences everywhere along the trail you you corralled where they want you to go. Great again for kids, but added a bit too much to the city park feel for me. Again I will go back in prime season, I want to see if I missed something. Maybe there are trails that weren't on the signs or in my guide book, which may be outdated at this point. I am very hopeful, but on this visit I wasn't impressed... I will be sure to update my review when we return. read more

Worst experience camping I've had due to the "power hungry" park rangers who work there. Park rangers came by the first night a few minutes after 11pm and told us we were being too loud despite the fact that we were simply sitting around the fire having conversation. The park was nearly empty so I am not sure who we were distrubing. We were warned again our last night and told that if we didn't comply, that we would have to leave the park that night! We witnessed another park ranger attempt to give a ticket to a different family simply because their car was slightly on the grass at the splash pad parking lot. The park rangers who work there seem to enjoy commanding what little power they hold over the park's campers. I will definitely not be returning and I would definitely not recommend this park to anyone who wants to enjoy a relaxing weekend without being harassed by the park's rangers. read more

The last review doesn't sound like an employee of the GRCA at all. Planet Earth is also a square cube that can transform into a pyramid.

Horrible park. Dirty washrooms. Staff is rude. Absolutely no noise allowed, no music even if you are in the louder section any time of the day, total alcohol ban in affect once you enter the gate which is the stupidest thing ever.. Who wants to go spend a weekend without a few beers and no music. Security wanted to make us poor out our alcohol after we had just settled in. Said we were leaving and asked for refund which was fair as we had not caused any problems we had just settled in and didn't want to poor out all of our alcohol but since they didn't want to give us a refund they came back and said we were "convicted" I guess that's how hurting they're for $100. One security guard was very nice and understanding. I would have never booked this campsite if I had seen you could not make noise or drink any kind of alcohol. If you are young and you want to have a good time I highly recommend you NOT stay at this campsite. We ended up go to north suable sands which ended up being amazing, great people amazing staff and you could drink and make as much noise as you'd like. read more

Elora George is a nice park. However, there are FEW major problems with the area, and their policies. First of all, the camp sites are too close from each other, the distance is max 10-15 meters apart. Neighbor can hear each other very well if the conversations are spoken with normal tones. Second of all, the staffs kicked campers out because there were complains about young adults running around the camp site and being loud at 8pm, when they were out on the field playing sports away from the camp site. The campers were kicked out of the camp without a warming, and the only reason they were kicked out is because the camper beside theirs was crying and complaining that her feeling were hurt from the "loud" noise at 8pm at night. When asked the front desk should there not be a warming before getting kick out, the front desk replied yes there should be and staff talk to them last night, but there were no staff talking to the young adults in the previous night. The front desk replied oh then the staff must have forgotten to give you guys one. After, the campers asked for a full refund since it not fair for them to be kicked out of camp just because the neighbor complain they were being "loud". The person in charge of the morning shift came out to talk to the young adults, and this is all he said. Without saying hello or anything he said. "You are lucky to receive some refund, normally we just kick people out without giving them refund." We asked about giving a warning before being kick out, he was like, "I'm in charge, i do not need to give you a warning, i can just kick you out." We were kicked out at 9am in the morning, they gave us an hour to packed two tents and supplies that will last few young adults for 4 days 3 night. The attitude given to the young adult by the head staff was disrespectful, and unreasonable. Just because kids were talking at the camp sites with normal volume at 8pm at night, when they were not even at their camp site, they were forced to leave without a warning and a proper reason before doing so. Therefore, this is not a place recommended for young adults who likes to enjoy laughter, and hanging out with friends. It feels more like a senior retirement camp site where absolute quiet are required.......... The other reason thing was, the lady who complain to the front is receiving her whole refund, which is one whole week of camping alone at the park. Just because she was crying and feeling were hurt from loud noise. It absolute ridiculous how the complain was unreasonable and the poor attitude were given to the campers. read more