Felker's Falls – Winter Waterfalls

Hamilton, Ontario, is rightly known as the City of Waterfalls. Within the area of Hamilton is the largest collection of waterfalls in the world. Some of them are only after the spring thaw or after a rainfall, but then some of them are just breathtaking.

Charlene heard that Felker's Falls can be walked behind in the winter when it is frozen. Our region had gone through the most extended cold snap in recent memory, and so many of the waterfalls were a block of ice. We had to go and check this out.

We were lucky to find parking at the best entrance to this location. Searching for Felker's Falls will get you to the conservation area with an excellent playground for kids and a view from the top, but we wanted to see it from the base. We had parked at the intersection of Hildegard Drive and Quigley Road in Hamilton. Despite being winter, there was street parking available.

The path was easy to find because this location drew many people. We would wind through the forest for about 10 minutes, and when we rounded the bend, the falls came into view. It was completely frozen! We got closer and noticed a small crowd gathered at the base. A couple had even brought chairs and beer and picnicked with these falls as their foreground. Another couple struggled to get into the icy tunnel to see behind the falls.

I would stand at the base of the falls and admire the unique ice formations—long icicles to odd jellyfish-looking blobs and even sections with the nicest blue hue. 

Charlene was already waiting her turn to enter the tunnel. The one couple was slipping on the wet ice and took their time getting into position. We came prepared. We always come prepared. Our crampons were on our feet and were designed specifically for walking on ice. We climbed the icy mound and entered the tunnel with little trouble. It was abundantly apparent that the information that Charlene found was accurate; it was possible to get behind.

I stood in the cramped area. I assessed the situation. Looked at the rock cliff and saw the fragile nature of the stone. Observed a chunk of rock on the tunnel floor. The quiet sound of water still flowing through the frozen ice display. Dripping water. And an increasingly feeling of dread!

Charlene stood in the cramped area. She assessed the situation. Looked at the rock cliff and saw the fragile nature of the stone. Observed a chunk of rock on the tunnel floor. The quiet sound of water still flowing through the frozen ice display. Dripping water. And an increasingly feeling of excitement!

I made excuses that I needed pictures and videos and planted myself firmly at the entrance. The first couple that had struggled so much to get to this spot became inspired by my cowardice and proceeded to walk through the tunnel, only to return halfway. Maybe they, too, felt the unease I had. 

Charlene felt no unease at all.

This has been something she has always wanted to do was get behind a falls and see it from an angle that so few will ever witness. 

She ventured forward. She stayed in the middle for a bit and gazed at the dangerous beauty that was inches from her face. 

I understood the massive danger we were in. I understood why there was a rock on top of the tunnel's floor and the unstable cliff-face and that we were at a location that was melting. The cold snap was ending on this day, and even though it was still well below freezing, the ice insisted on becoming water and wanting to flow again. I feared a massive and sudden collapse of the ice. 

I also feared missing out on this experience. I was now inside the tunnel, and I could return back or go through. I chose to go through.

Heart was pounding. 

Legs were shaking.

Sweat formed on my forehead.

Or was that the melting ice?

I got to the other side, and I was still alive. It was a rather steep slide of a few metres, and I was relieved to be on the proper side of a waterfall. 

And I felt exhilarated. 

It was intense. I understood the danger, and as Charlene asked me if I would do it again, I found my feet were firmly frozen to the ground and could not move at all. She went in with glee and did it again. My wife was having the time of her life. She loves waterfalls. She loves ice. She loves icicles. 

She stopped at the tunnel's exit to pose for a picture, grabbed a hanging icicle and held it like a javelin. There is another story, a rather huge story about why she loves icicles that someday I will tell. I had grabbed a bit of the hanging ice and felt it easily break into my hand. I pondered that if all the ice was like the piece I grabbed, this whole falls was really unstable.

But we did it. And we are glad about it. This day was the beginning of the warming, and we knew that today would be the last day we could safely view these frozen wonders. We saw pictures on Facebook from others that had gone here the next day, and the entire ice-face collapsed, and the river was flowing freely. It is incredible how quickly things can change.

If this is something you are going to do, this had to be the riskiest adventure we had done. It took no more than 30 seconds to go through, but the chance of failure was present the whole time. Be careful.

Little Davis Falls is in this area and is a tiny detour on the way to and from Felker's Falls. It was totally frozen, and since it is little, the snow had drifted in, covering much of its features. 

Google Map search: Felker's Falls Conservation Area.

A large parking lot at the top of the falls. Bottom of the falls parking is on the street at the intersection of Quigley and Hildegard.

A map of the frozen falls that I have visited can be found HERE.