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Upcoming Closure: the Arboretum will be closed to the public Monday May 29. All other garden areas remain open.

Trail Maps

RBG’s nature sanctuaries stretch across Hamilton and Burlington and feature more than 27 km of nature trails with four main trailheads and two canoe launch sites. The trails traverse challenging landscapes and as such are classed as wilderness trails with most trails containing hill sections with steep grades.

Royal Botanical Gardens acknowledges the long history of First Nations and Métis People in the Province of Ontario, and pays respect to the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the holder of the Treaty with the Crown for these lands. The land we steward is within the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Huron-Wendat Nations.

Before joining us, be sure to check out the Trail User Notes at rbg.ca/onthetrails for the lastest safety tips, and individual trail interruptions / closures.

Cootes Paradise Trails

Established in 1927 for its significance as a migratory bird stopover, Cootes Paradise is RBG’s largest and most diverse sanctuary at over 600 hectares. The area features a 320-hectare river-mouth marsh, 16 creeks and 25 kilometres of shoreline.

Cootes Paradise Trail Map (PDF)

About Cootes Paradise Trails

Hendrie Valley Trails

This 100-hectare sanctuary is centred on the Grindstone Creek Valley. The area features forested slopes with towering trees, a 60-hectare river-mouth marsh complex and four creeks.

Hendrie Valley Trails Map (PDF)

About Hendrie Valley Trails

Escarpment Property Trails

Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve is represented here by several properties forming a 110-hectare, three-kilometre ribbon along the Escarpment edge.

Escarpment Property Trail Map (PDF)

About Escarpment Trails

Hiking the trails is free, but maintaining them isn’t

Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) is the largest botanical garden in Canada, a National Historic Site, and registered charitable organization with a mandate to bring together people, plants and nature.