Cheltenham Badlands. This distinctive and seemingly dead landscape in Caledon badlands was formed at the bottom of an ancient sea more than 400 million years ago.
This landscape is a natural site and one of the most popular natural attractions in southern Ontario.
The Cheltenham Badlands Trail is a short 300-metre trail that connects the Bruce Trail to the viewing platform.
How were the Caledon Badlands created?
The rock in the area is made up of iron-rich shale. It is over 445 million years old. Intensive grazing has destroyed vegetation and eroded the soil. The shale has been exposed, creating a unique red landscape.
The red colour of the land is due to iron oxide.
The natural site is located on the southeast side of Old Base Line Road, between Creditview and Chinguacousy roads, west of Highway 10 in Caledon.
The formation is located along the Niagara Escarpment.
PARKING:
Attention! Roadside parking is NO LONGER permitted on the east side of Creditview Road.
The parking lot is only open during operating hours, and parking is limited to a maximum of 2 hours.
Parking rate: $6.50 per hour or $10 for two hours (cost per vehicle)
Please pay at the pay station.
The Ontario Heritage Trust owns Cheltenham Badlands in Caledon (near Terra Cotta) and is now accessible only under the rules applicable to reserves.
