Rattlesnake Point is an eco-tourism area located in

Milton, Ontario Milton (Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census population 132,979) is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Between 2001 and 2011, Milton was the fastest growing m ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and is owned and operated by Conservation Halton. Spanning roughly one hundred square kilometres across and near the

Niagara Escarpment The Niagara Escarpment is an approximately discontinuous, arc-shaped but generally northward-facing escarpment, or cuesta, in Canada and the United States. The escarpment begins south of Lake Ontario and circumscribes the top of the Great Lake ...

in Halton Region, the Rattlesnake Point area is home to many golf courses, country markets and

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

training and boarding facilities. It is a popular scouting area. As

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city". Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted ...

continues to increase in

Southern Ontario Southern Ontario is a Region, primary region of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada, with approximately 13.5 million people, approximately 36% o ...

, new housing developments in Milton have begun to encroach upon Rattlesnake Point. Land once deemed off-limits because of its relatively difficult accessibility and seemingly untouchable status as a

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

Biosphere The biosphere (), also called the ecosphere (), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be termed the zone of life on the Earth. The biosphere (which is technically a spherical shell) is virtually a closed system with regard to mat ...

-protected area is being sought after for its prime real estate value as an underdeveloped and environmentally pristine region near the core of one of Canada's most dense urban areas. Rattlesnake Point is often visited by cyclists, hikers and climbers due to the array of beautiful caves and cliffs. Rattlesnake Point receives its name from the snake-like path cut by glaciers along the edges of the Niagara Escarpment, rather than from the Massassauga Rattlesnake.

History and etymology

Although the Conservation Area was established in 1961, the name ''Rattlesnake's Point'' in describing the areas has been used as far back as 1857, with long recognition of its scenic potential. Despite the name, there are no actual rattlesnakes native to the area. The name is suggested to have come from the rattlesnake fern that grow in the area.

Conservation area

The Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area was established as a

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

in 1961 by the Halton Region Conservation Authority. It is a popular destination for hikers, backpackers, cyclists,

rock climber Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in guidebooks, and ...

s and nature-lovers in the

Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the Toronto, City of Toronto and the regional municipality, regional municipalities of Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham, Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton, Regional ...

along with Mount Nemo Conservation Area. The park's ten kilometres of

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff or rock face is an area of Rock (geology), rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. ...

edge and

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

trails connect with the

Bruce Trail The Bruce Trail is a hiking trail in southern Ontario, Canada, from the Niagara River to the tip of Tobermory, Ontario. The main trail is more than long and there are over of associated side trails. The trail mostly follows the edge of the Nia ...

and Crawford Lake. The conservation area also has facilities for organized and family

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

with 18 group campsites. Certain campsites and facilities are closed during the winter from November to April.

Trails and access

Access to the

at Rattlesnake Point is available at several locations, including Mount Nemo. Other hiking and biking launch spots include Lowville, Kelso and Kilbride. Outdoor enthusiasts can connect to the long Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail. Rattlesnake Point was the location of the 2011 Canadian National Road Race Championships.

Rock climbing

The limestone cliffs are popular with rock climbers and are fitted with bolts for top-rope anchors.

Sport climbing Sport climbing (or bolted climbing) is a type of free climbing in the sport of rock climbing where the Lead climbing, lead climber clips their climbing rope, rope — via a quickdraw — into pre-drilled in-situ bolt (climbing), bolts for their ...

routes are available towards the western edge of the cliffs, having been developed in 2018 as part of the Rattlesnake Bolting Project by members of the Ontario Alliance of Climbers. To protect the ancient cedars that dot the area, there is a ban on slinging trees.

References

External links

Conservation Halton: Rattlesnake Point
{{coord, 43.4676, N, 79.9127, W, display=title Niagara Escarpment Conservation areas in Ontario Protected areas of the Regional Municipality of Halton Climbing areas of Canada