Rattlesnake Point

Went: Sunday, September 6, 2015, 10:45 a.m. (⁹⁰⁄₁₀₀)
This review concerns only hiking.
To enter Rattlesnake Point, it is $ 6.75 per person, but that allows you to go to other Halton Region destinations like Kelso, Hilton Falls and Mount Nemo. It does not let you into nearby Lake Crawford, but you can hike from Rattlesnake to get there and enjoy that area for free.
Ratllesnake has high picturesque views of the area below, challenging up and down hills, and craggy rocks. There is a lot of rock climbing going on as well, but we did not participate in that. That are a lot of native looking wooden statues near the end of the trail to Crawford Lake and they are definitely worth checking out.
I am rating this a 4.6, so rounding up to 5.0. My future-​life-​partner-​until-​the-​end-​of-​time liked this one more than Mount Nemo, but I do not think it has anything that Mount Nemo does not besides being longer.
Note: This is not really a hike for beginners.

One of our best camping experiences by far has been at Rattlesnake point.
It’s $ 50 per night and considering that you get a large campsite a nice size firepit, at least 2 picnic tables, hot showers at the comfort station and a separate area from the day visitors, I’d say it’s a pretty good deal. You’ll have to buy firewood from the park to ensure that you’re not brining in any unwanted pests, last year it was $ 8 a bag, this year, it’s $ 9.
Each of the campsites are a fair bit away from the others, so if you go during the summer and the trees and the brush have grown in you’ll get plenty of privacy. Park staff do regular checks throughout the day and night by driving by in their marked cars– mostly just to make sure that no unauthorized or non-​permited people are visiting or spending the night.
There a list of rules, including no-​alcohol, but in the 6 times we’ve camped there so far, none of the staff have checked our vehicles or entered our campsite to check. Also, quiet hours are from 11pm-​8am, and pets must be on a 2meter leash at all times. Which is not unreasonable if you think of the campers next door trying to enjoy the wide-​open space as much as you.
When you check in, you’ll be given a brochure, list of camp rules with contact details should there be an emergency, and a key so you can exit and enter the camp after hours.
There are at least 3 well kept and well-​visited trails that give you great views, and if you’re looking for that quiet place, then take one of the longer trails or go during off-​peak times (evenings and weekends).
Staff are wonderfully helpful, and we’ll always go back– hope to see you there!

Rip off alert. $ 7 per person just to get in to for a walk. Camping here is $ 50 a night for up to 5 people and $ 115 a night for groups 5 or more but hey I guess the Conservation authority has to pay all those executives and board members some way.
You also cannot bring in your own wood for your campfire and must buy the wood from them. $ 12 for a skimpy bag that will burn away in an hour. Also don’t even think about quietly enjoying a glass of wine here with dinner by the fire. They will kick you out and call the police. Park staff constantly eyeballs you while in the campsites looking for violations. Dont even think about taking a stroll at night as you cannot leave your campsite after sunset. Over regulated to say the least and it felt like camping in a parking lot.
The vistas from the escarpment are very nice but the trails were quite busy and it was difficult to get into nature or find solitude here. An awesome place if you are into rock climbing though.

I sort of get lost in the forest greens now. It’s such a blissful place to get away from the hustle and bustle!
I planned my hike around attending the free outdoor yoga they offer on Thursdays nights from Moksha Yoga. It is free to attend with park admission of $ 6.75
There are two parking lots there. The upper level has an rest house while the lower one has a stinky conservation. The smell was so bad that I couldn’t bare to use the washroom again from the lower level. You would think they would put some windows to air out that beast.
The lookout point is breathtaking. I didn’t complete any of the trails. Sidenote — this place is a little more difficult than the other ones I’ve been to. The paths have more rocks and I almost slipped and DIED. Be careful out there! Better safe than sorry! :)
Hope this helps,
–jT

This place has several great spots for a picnic and pits for fires and great lawns to kick around a ball and it’s very family oriented, but what I am really there for is the great rock-​climbing routes. (on the south side of the park at the and of a trail leading to a large steel staircase which brings you to the faces.
Beautiful sunny routes set up for top-​roping and lead climbing, with a great variety of difficulty levels.
Highly recommended.

A great conservation area if you’re looking for a nice outdoor afternoon get-​away to do some walking amongst mother nature.
The place hasn’t changed in all the years I’ve been coming here, but in this case that’s a good thing as it means that things are being conserved effectively, right?
Upon arrival, there are various areas you can park in with a few gazebos and bathrooms in the area, and then paths leading you to hit the hiking trails. I like this place because there are various paths, ranging from 1 km to 7 km long. Along the way you’ll find lots of forested greenery, some fun caves and crevasses that you can work in and out of, and a few really great places with limestone cliffs that provide spectacular views of the surrounding areas.
I love packing a lunch, hiking til we find a great view, and having a bit of a picnic while overlooking all the forest and farm land below and watching the turkey vultures fly above it all. Very serene, very calming, very enjoyable.