For whatever reason, the Province of Ontario and the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority don’t feel a 90 foot waterfall is worthy enough to advertise on the two nearby main highways. Therefore, most of the heavy tourist traffic running along highways 10 and 4 around Flesherton, Ontario, have no idea how close they are to this amazing natural wonder.

Eugenia Falls from the park side of Beaver River.

Eugenia Falls was discovered in 1852 and is named after Princess Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III. The waterfall is the result of the Beaver River meeting the Niagara Escarpment. Since its discovery, the river has been dammed again and again for one type of mill after another. Currently, the river is dammed further upstream, creating a decent amount of hydro-electricity and Lake Eugenia.

Eugenia Falls Conservation Area is part of the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority and is within the hamlet of Eugenia. Not far away is the slighter larger town of Flesherton where one can find restaurants, gas and groceries. (Anyone have a favourite restaurant in the Flesherton / Eugenia area? Let us know in the comment section below!)

The park consists of a parking lot, pavilion, war memorial and a small trail system leading to Eugenia Falls and the Bruce Trail. The park is FREE. There are washrooms on site, although as of the summer of 2011, they are closed off and porta-poddies are in place.

The waterfall drops dramatically 90 feet over the escarpment. The flow is regulated by the

Eugenia Falls from the north side of Beaver River.

dam at Lake Eugenia. In the spring the flow is quite heavy but by August, it has slowed to a trickle and the waterfall resembles more of a bridal veil.

The Bruce Trail runs south from Eugenia Falls and eventually meets up with Hoggs Falls (just over 6km down the trail). Hoggs Falls is not as tall but is just as dramatic. If you follow the Bruce Trail north from Eugenia Falls, it meanders along the Beaver River until it meets up with the bridge at County Road 13. It then backtracks down the opposite side banks of the River to get a different view of the waterfall.

Getting there (see maps below):

From the south (Toronto) – Take highway 10 north to Flesherton. Turn right (east) on highway 4. Just a few kilometers down the road, turn left onto county road 13. When you reach the town of Eugenia, turn left onto Pellisier Street (you will probably see the sign for Eugenia Falls Conservation Area before you see the sign for Pellisier Street) and you’re right there.

From the north (Owen Sound) – Take highway 6/10 south and turn left onto highway 10. Turn left at highway 4 (the main intersection in Flesherton) and turn left again at county road 13.

Our personal take:

In case you missed it above – visiting Eugenia Falls (and Hoggs Falls for that matter) is ABSOLUTELY FREE. This is a rarity. Typically, anything worth seeing in Ontario is going to cost you.

You will see other human beings but you will be surprised at how uncrowded this natural wonder is. Get on the Bruce Trail for awhile and fall into even more seclusion.

No trespassing sign on Beaver River just above Eugenia Falls.

You will see ‘No Trespassing’ signs along the river above the waterfall. This is to deter people from trying to cross, losing their footing and being swept over the falls. This is probably a good thing considering the water is not that deep at the bottom of the waterfall and there are more than a few rocks to fall on. However, come August, the river isn’t a whole lot more than a trickle. It’s a safe and easy shortcut to the other side of the waterfall.

Once on the other side of the river, check out the stone arch. This was once the end of a tunnel meant for water diversion. The tunnel was built in 1907 but didn’t ever really serve a purpose.

Just before the Bruce Trail turns away from the river and heads north, there are ‘renegade trails’ that go down the steep bank to the edge of the cliff just down from Eugenia Falls. This is a bit dangerous but an excellent place to get some great pictures.

Road map of the Eugenia Falls area – click to enlarge.

Satellite view of Eugenia Falls area – click to enlarge.

Road map excerpt from MTO on-line. Satellite view from Google Earth.