Dufferin Quarry Bridge. Unique views of the Niagara Escarpment. This bridge, an engineering feature of the Bruce Trail, helps hikers cross a gap while avoiding steep climbs and provides scenic overlooks of the quarry, surrounding farmland, golf courses, and distant city skylines like Toronto and Mississauga.
The Restoration Side Trail is a side trail of the Bruce Trail accessed from Sixth Line in the Milton/Halton Hills area of Ontario, Canada.
It leads hikers to the former Milton Quarry site, where rehabilitation efforts have allowed the landscape to return to its natural state, showcasing ecological restoration processes like vegetation regrowth and habitat recovery.
From the trail’s starting point, continuing along the main Bruce Trail for about 2 km will take you to the nearby Dufferin Quarry Bridge, offering views of the active Dufferin Aggregates quarry operations below the Niagara Escarpment.
The area combines restored natural environments with ongoing industrial activity, making it a unique spot for observing environmental restoration alongside the 890+ km Bruce Trail network.
For navigation, follow blue blazes for side trails and white blazes for the main Bruce Trail; parking is limited near Sixth Line, so plan accordingly.
Original photos: Genuweb
Milton East Quarry Extension, Canada (Dufferin Aggregates)
In Halton Hills, Ontario, Dufferin Aggregates’ progressive rehabilitation integrates extraction with restoration, creating lakes, wetlands, forests, and cliff faces in a 30.2-hectare extension.
Techniques encompass native reforestation, habitat enhancements like rock piles and turtle nesting sites, wetland hydrology improvements, and conveyance of the site to Conservation Halton for public use. Monitoring via an Adaptive Environmental Management Plan tracks vegetation, wildlife, and water quality, aiming for net ecological gain and integration with the Niagara Escarpment.
Outcomes include expanded natural heritage systems for biodiversity, flood control, and recreation, linking to trails like the Bruce Trail.