Active Living in Niagara
Disconnect from daily life and reconnect with the beauty that surrounds one of the world’s most beloved natural wonders.
Reconnect with nature
Niagara is brimming with endless opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. Explore endless hiking trails, discover hundreds of wildlife species or take an unforgettable ride along some of Ontario’s most spectacular cycling routes. Disconnect from daily life and reconnect with the beauty that surrounds one of the world’s most beloved natural wonders. Here are some ideas to help you explore the Niagara River corridor.
Explore the River
Discover endless opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors along the Niagara River corridor.
Golf
Experience two of the most scenically situated golf courses in Southern Ontario. The dramatic landscapes of the Niagara Peninsula are brilliantly highlighted in the design of Niagara Parks’ championship courses at Whirlpool Golf Course and Legends on the Niagara. Get ready to get active and tee off next to the mighty Niagara Whirlpool or bordering the historic grounds of the 1814 Battle of Chippawa. No membership is required to play.
TaylorMade Performance Centre
The TaylorMade Niagara Performance Centre at Legends Golf Academy offers a full-scale club fitting experience unlike any other on the market. Work one-on-one with a TaylorMade Master Fitter to identify your optimal equipment using state-of-the-art launch monitor technology and discover an expansive selection of TaylorMade stock and custom clubs. Whether you need a specific club fitted or want an in-depth full-bag fitting analysis, the TaylorMade Niagara Performance Centre will help you take your game to the next level.
Whirlpool
The stunning Whirlpool Golf Course is one of Canada’s most celebrated public courses, boasting incredible scenery and challenges for golfers of every level.
Legends on the Niagara
The Legends on the Niagara facility is Canada’s premier public golf destination. The grounds feature two championship courses, a par-3 executive course, 360° driving range on 45 acres, state-of-the-art training academy and spectacular clubhouse facilities. With courses by renowned golf architects Douglas Carrick and Thomas McBroom, Legends on the Niagara offers something for every golfer.
Battlefield
The imposing Battlefield course is located on the north side of the Legends on the Niagara property. Golf Architect Douglas Carrick created a truly unique course that challenges every level of golfer. The Battlefield course features a nice mix of wide, links-style holes with generous undulating fairways and greens that are bound by dense forest and brush.
Chippawa
The Chippawa executive course is the perfect complement to the larger Battlefield and Ussher’s Creek courses. Although the term executive course brings the thought of an easy round, Chippawa should not be taken lightly. Each hole brings a different challenge, and scores worse than par can be made if you miss the green from the Tee.
Ussher’s Creek
One of Golf Architect Thomas McBroom’s finest masterpieces, this challenging and breathtaking course features thick stands of deciduous trees, wetland hazards, knee-high fescue rough, and impeccable conditioning from tee to green. These all combine to make Ussher’s Creek a classic parkland course.
Cycling
Find the right bike route for you throughout Fort Erie and the rest of Niagara!
Friendship Recreation Trail
Length: Approx. 16 kms
Once a rail line, the recreational trail parallels the north shore of Lake Erie. With virtually no elevation, the trail provides easy access to sandy beaches. It also passes through farmland, villages and quiet residential areas.
The Fort Erie Loop
Length: Approx. 60 kms
Minutes from busy Buffalo, New York, this loop heads west from the Niagara River through some quiet farmland and past the Willoughby Marsh before it reaches Lake Erie.
Niagara River Parkway Recreation Trail
Niagara River Recreation Trail, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
This 56-kilometre trail runs parallel to the Niagara River and is a part of Trans Canada Trail Link. The trail begins at Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake and ends at Anger Street in Fort Erie. Begin your route anywhere along this multi-use, paved trail to enjoy the natural features of Fort Erie.
Greater Niagara Circle
Length: Approx. 140 kms
This route features mostly off road, paved paths suitable for walking, cycling or rollerblading. The four routes (i.e. the Welland Canals Parkway Trail, the Friendship Recreation Trail, the Niagara River Recreational Trail and the Waterfront Trail) link to create a circle through the heart of Niagara and you are never far from water!
Waterfront Trail
Length: Approx. 15 kms
The Niagara portion of the trail courses alongside Lake Ontario from Hamilton to Niagara-on-the-Lake down to Fort Erie. Cyclists pass through vineyards and fruit stands and can stop in Niagara-on-the-Lake, then the route follows rural roads hugging the shores of Lake Erie. This completes the Greater Niagara Circle Route.
Shagbark Nature Park
North of the corner of Burleigh Road & Dominion Road, Ridgeway
Over four kilometres of nature trails lead through this 64-acre wooded and meadowed park that is popular among outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. Interpretive signage throughout the park highlights its diverse character, including its geology, the woodland, birds, butterflies and other natural life, as well as a chimney swift tower. Please note terrain is hilly in some locations.\
Walk The Waterfronts of Niagara
Riverwalk
Westward along Fort Erie’s Lake Erie shoreline
Riverwalk offers majestic views of the Peace Bridge and the Niagara River. Relax in a grassy park overlooking the river; enjoy lunch at one of the local outdoor patios; or attend community events on a summer evening.
White Water Walk
4330 River Rd, Niagara Falls, ON
The class 6 rapids at White Water Walk comprise North America’s largest series of standing waves, and visitors have the chance to get within a few feet of the water at several viewing platforms along the edge of the river. Looking upriver from the lower level of the first platform provides a great photo op with the Whirlpool Rapids Railroad Bridge framing your shot above the crashing waves.
Splash Pads
Cool off in one of these local splash pads:
- Centennial Sports Park: 1565 Four Mile Creek Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Bertie Centennial Park: 865 Ferndale Ave., Fort Erie
- Stevensville Memorial Park: 2596 Stevensville Rd., Stevensville
- Crystal Ridge Park: 109 Ridge Rd. South, Fort Erie
- The Ridgeway Village Square: 275 Ridge Rd. North, Ridgeway
On the Water
Canoeing on Black Creek
4301 Niagara River Parkway
Only a short drive from the Peace Bridge, Fort Erie’s Black Creek “feeds” into the Niagara River and is a popular location among kayakers and canoeists. The Creek offers tranquility, weeping willows, and a scenic view of the Niagara River. Complimentary parking is provided by the Niagara Parks Commission at several locations along the Parkway.
Fishing
Lake Erie and the Niagara River offer extensive boating and fishing opportunities in Fort Erie. With eight boat launches and 11 public access points, there is no shortage of water activities and entertainment. Anglers can delight in the abundance of fish. Set your hook for perch, walleye, bass and trout!