McGowan Falls
With just a three metre drop, McGowan Falls in the town of Durham is not as dramatic as some of the other Grey County waterfalls, but its location on a picturesque stretch of the Saugeen River makes McGowan Falls well worth a visit. There is a bridge across the crest of the falls but it is closed during the winter months for safety reasons. During the summer the bridge will connect you to the 60 hectare Durham Conservation Area. The main gate to the Conservation Area remains closed for the winter but locals and visitors are allowed to use the area to snowshoe, cross country ski and toboggan. You can access it by leaving the falls, heading back west on George Street to Highway 6. Make a right on Highway 6 and when you get to Old Durham Road at the top of the hill, turn right and follow it 1.6km to the main conservation area entrance.
Details
Class: Cascade
Level of Difficulty (to access in winter): Easy
Parking Lot: Plowed in winter
Walking Time (from parking lot to falls): 5 minutes
River: Saugeen River
Directions: From Highway 6 in the Village of Durham, turn east onto George Street and take the first right to follow George Street along the river. You will see the parking lot and falls on the left hand side of the road. You can also access it from Grey Road 4 coming into Durham from the east and making a right onto George Street, the parking lot & falls will be on the right.
Download our printable Winter Waterfall Guide. (851 KB)
Restaurants:
Rowan Moon Bistro (lunch only on Wednesday & Sunday, dinner Thursday - Saturday, closed Monday & Tuesday)
109 Garafraxa St., Durham
226-432-3017
Chicory Common Natural Foods & Cafe (lunch only, closed Sunday & Monday)
110 Garafraxa Rd. N (Highway 6), Durham
519-369-2046
Accommodations:
Search our database for nearby accommodations
Nearby Attractions:
The Durham Art Gallery
251 George Street, Durham
519-369-3692
Located just down the street from the falls. You could walk down, take a look at the gallery and continue on across the footbridge into downtown and loop back. Please note that the gallery is open Wednesday - Sunday.
*Safety Disclaimer:
This Winter Waterfall guide has been developed to assist in planning your visit to waterfalls throughout Grey County. Users of this guide are responsible for their own safety and use these routes and trails at their own risk. Users should consider not only road and trail conditions but also their level of fitness and experience. Grey County Tourism and others involved in developing this guide are not responsible for any loss or damage users may suffer as a result of using this Guide. The County of Grey, and their directors, officers, employees, owners, volunteers and staff do not warrant the safety of any route, highway, road, street, trail or designated waterfall area shown in this guide.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this guide, inaccuracies or changes may occur and the County of Grey is not responsible for any variations from the above information.
