In search of hikes in a few hours of my house in the county of Simcoe, with views and a kind of interesting story, I came across the lateral path of the devil and the Caledon ring. Located next to the Belfountain Conservation Zone in Caledon hills, Devil’s Pulpit Trail is accessible at the end of Chisholm Street, off the Credit Road. The Devil’s Pulpit Trail is also part of the Bruce path – the oldest and the longest oldest path in Canada.
A friend and I left early to enjoy a full day of hiking in the Caledon area. We arrived at 9 a.m. and were delighted to see that we had the path for ourselves. The initial path is a mixture of rocky terrains and steps made from the forest floor and old wooden railway ties, and is on a daring slope. Then, the dense forest parts where a railway line crosses. After crossing the railroad tracks, you are again surrounded by a thick forest and the ascent becomes more steep. One has the impression of moving through an enchanted forest with large rocks covered with foam, and ferns extending to meet the delicate rays of the sun penetrating the canopy.
Finally, you will find yourself face to face with a massive cliff. Here you will find a steep and raw staircase in Janky rail ties and shredded rocks. Proceed with caution and do not be shy to use the cable to help you get up and stabilize on the narrow path. Once at the top of the escarpment, you are rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Credit valley through what looks like a forest window.
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You can continue and along the Bruce Trail, which I highly recommend. You will find a mixture of habitats, from meadows to marshy areas and what looks like a serene lake but is actually a peat bog. This section of Bruce Trail continues until you reach CreditView Road.
This is not a loop path, so you will have to return the way you have come. But rest assured that everything is especially downhill. In addition, there is a side path on the way back, just after the devil’s staircase and the face of the cliff. Here you can take the side path from the ring to ring to the ruins of the Hoffman lime oven. The path to the ruins is a steep descent on the rocks and it has a little drop to the right. Ruins come out directly from the forest as if they are Maya ruins. But Hoffman’s lime oven was in service over 100 years ago and was used to burn Dolostone, which is in the region, to create lime. Moss clings to the old stones creating a carpet -shaped wall. The path is a loop around and through the ruins. After putting back your steps on the path and returning to the devil’s path to continue and go out.
I was completely in love with this path! The path offered difficult ascents, rocks covered with foam that recall the enchanted fairy tales and a wealth of fauna to meet. We have seen a wide range of singing birds, a skipstick, a garter snake and even a fox. The Devil’s Pulpit Trail is certainly one of those trails that you can go on hiking again and again, because you will continue to discover new treasures and always be impressed.
Koffman in lime oven
Track specifications:
Difficulty – difficult
Time – Can be done within 1 to 2 hours depending on whether you continue beyond the point of view of the Devil’s Chair.
Have you traveled the Devil’s Pulpit Trail?
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