Westover

The Westover property is located on the west side of Isthmus Bay in the community of Lions Head on the northern Bruce Peninsula. The 7.6-hectare (18-acre) property hosts 300 metres (nearly 1,000 feet) of Bruce Trail main trail, which passes through a treed talus forest community along a cobble beach shoreline of Georgian Bay and a 950-metre (3,100-foot) Bannisters Hills side trail loop that makes its way up the escarpment through mixed and deciduous forest. This property also features four ancient caves created by ancient sea wave action.

Public access

The volunteer Peninsula Club of the Bruce Trail Conservancy maintains the 1,250 metres (4,100 feet) of hiking trails on this property. When visiting this site, please stay on the trails and behind the fences when viewing the caves area. Learn more about the peninsula section of the Bruce Trail.

Map

This property was protected in 2008 by the Bruce Trail Conservancy and the Ontario Heritage Trust through the Natural Spaces Land Acquisition and Stewardship Program. This acquisition was part of a long-standing relationship between both organizations aimed at creating a permanent conservation corridor along the Niagara Escarpment.

Heritage value

This property is part of the Lion’s Head Earth Science Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI) due to its provincially significant geological features. The most significant features on the Westover property are four distinct sea caves created by wave action that extend into the main escarpment bluff among massive blocks of dolostone. The main cave is considered a tourist attraction and is eight metres (26 feet) high, seven metres (22 feet) wide and 14 metres (45 feet) deep, with a prominent natural stone pillar rising along the back wall of the cave.