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Protected area in Ontario, Canada
Photo: Francine Pallister, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Rockwood Park is a conservation area in Rockwood, Ontario, near Guelph, operated by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA). It has a varied karst landscape, of rocky cliffs, natural potholes, caves and a lake. The Rockwood Mill is a stone mill in the park that was built in 1885. The park receives over 65,000 visitors a year, and is popular for hiking, weddings, and watersports. In summer, car camping is a popular way to get out of the city for a weekend while enjoying the park at a more relaxed pace.
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Not the kind that flatten your tires in the spring, these potholes are of glacial origin. In the vicinity of the Eramosa River, there are over 200 potholes that vary in size and diameter. They were created by hard debris like pebbles and boulders that were left by the Wisconsin glacier and caught in eddies in rapidly flowing melt water, making holes in the bedrock (some several metres deep) over the course of thousands of years.
Explore the limestone ruins of a small woolen mill that operated from the 1880s until the 1930s. The stone structure replaced a wooden mill that burned down in the early 1880s. Today's ruins have been preserved since most of the structure was destroyed by arson in 1967.
The caves include stalactites, columns and flowstone. Long pants and long sleeves, a flashlight and helmet are suggested. The caves are only accessible in spring and summer; the caves are occupied by hibernating bats in autumn and winter.
A sandy beach on the Eramosa River is located within the park. No lifeguards are on duty.
Rockwood has 46 serviced campsites (electricity and water), 16 full-service (water, electricity and septic) and 43 unserviced sites. Up to six people are permitted per campsite. Check-in is after 2PM and checkout is before noon.
By bus
By car
From Toronto, it's an easy 84 km west via Highway 401, north on Guelph Line (County Road 1), and finally east on Highway 7 until Fall St S.
The campgrounds, canoe launch and mill ruins are accessible by car, with parking lots nearby. The beach, caves, and the rest of the park are accessed on foot.
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