About DeCew Falls
DeCew Falls was a waterfall where we had quite a bit of trouble finding a way to get a good look at it.
It was one case where we wound up settling for subpar views of it without realizing that there was a longer path to get to a better view of it.
Instead, the photo you see above came from inside the historical Morningstar Mill, which happened to be open the morning of our visit (which also just so happened to be during the long weekend of Canada’s Thanksgiving holiday).
Our Waterfalls of Ontario book
Unfortunately, we didn’t count on the risks involved in trying to earn that view when we attempted to pursue it.
Settling and Regrets
Indeed, settling for the subpar views from inside the mill as well as from just outside the mill only allowed us to see a small fraction of the waterfall.
Given the unsatisfactory waterfalling experience, we had to give it a low score even though it would’ve scored much higher had we somehow gotten to view the waterfall from its base.
At least from the view inside the Morningstar Mill, we also noticed another waterfall spilling into the same gorge though it was mostly obscured by foliage.
But in hindsight, I had a feeling that we need to come back here and have a better experience.
Description of our Misadventure
From the car park for the Morningstar Mill (see directions below), we walked past the mill complex towards a narrow opening in the fence.
There was a lookout with a very partial view of the DeCew Falls from next to the mill, but this view left much to be desired.
Once we were past the opening in the fence, we then followed the Laura Secord Trail, which coincided with the Bruce Trail.
This trail continued to followed along the rim of the gorge with chain-linked fences put up to prevent people from getting too close to the gorge edge.
After a few minutes of walking this trail, the fence went away, and then we encountered a very steep “path” that led towards the base of the gorge.
It was definitely too difficult to do it with our daughter so I decided to go down partway to take a look at whether it would be doable.
But with the muddiness of the terrain, the steepness (despite the ropes put in to help with the descent), and potential nasty consequences of a fall here, I decided not to push my luck.
Heck, I didn’t even make it past half way point of the descent when I scrambled back up to the top of the gorge.
What We Should Have Done
Little did we know (until after the fact) that we would have had an easier time continuing to walk along the Bruce Trail until we would reach the Lower DeCew Falls.
Then, we would have to hike upstream from within the gorge to reach the view of DeCew Falls that was pictured in our Waterfalls of Ontario book.
I guess that’ll have to wait for a return visit.
It still sits on my mind as one of the regrets of our Autumn trip to New England and Canada in 2013.
The Morningstar Mill
Finally, the Morningstar Mill was a pretty interesting exhibit in and of itself.
We checked out the machinery involved to harness the power of moving water, which was on display there.
Apparently, the mill only opens from 10am to 3pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
We were surprised at how popular this place was despite the difficulties in getting a satisfactory view of DeCew Falls.
The price of admission was free though the staff here appreciated donations to keep this historical site preserved.
Authorities
DeCew Falls resides near St Catharines in the province of Ontario, Canada. I don’t know if it is administered by the local government or if it’s cared for by the Morningstar Mill. For information or inquiries as well as current conditions, you can try to visit the Morningstar Mill website.
To drive to DeCew Falls from Niagara Falls on the Canada side, we took Stanley Street north to Hwy 420.
Shortly after the Hwy 420 merged onto the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), we exited at the ramp for Thorold Stone Rd and turned left to go onto that road.
After about 5.3km, Thorold Stone Rd became Hwy 58.
Then, at a little less than 3.2km from the start of the Hwy, we took the off-ramp towards St Davis Rd in the town of St Catharines.
Once we were on the St Davis Rd, we took it for about 0.5km towards its intersection with Merritville Highway.
We turned left at this intersection, drove about 1km, then turned right onto DeCew Rd.
After a little over a mile on DeCew Rd, the car park for the Morningstar Mill was on our right.
This car park filled up fast so it was wise for us to get a relatively early start here.
For context, St Catharines was 21km (under 30 minutes drive) northwest of Niagara Falls, 57km (45 minutes drive) east of Hamilton, and 112km (over an hour drive) south of Toronto.
Find A Place To Stay
Checking out a partial view of the falls from near the mill
Checking out the views from inside the mill by the top of the falls
Related Trip Reports
Related Top 10 Lists
No Posts Found
Related Itineraries
Trip Planning Resources
Nearby Accommodations
Featured Images and Nearby Attractions
Visitor Comments:
Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...No users have replied to the content on this page
Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:
If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall
Nearest Waterfalls
