Elora Gorge
Encyclopedia
The Elora Gorge is a popular tourist attraction located at the western edge of Elora
, Ontario
, Canada
, which is 25 km from the city of Guelph
through highway 6.
As the Elora Gorge Conservation Area, it is one of many conservation areas maintained by the Grand River Conservation Authority
.
flows through the bottom of the gorge, approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long, with limestone cliffs reaching 22 metres (72.2 ft) high. It was formed from glacial meltwaters from the previous ice age
. The area includes a park with camping sites, hiking trails, and is also popular for kayaking
and tubing
. The cliffs themselves attract many divers despite cliff diving being strictly prohibited at the site.
Located near by is the "old swimming hole
", at the Elora Quarry Conservation Area, a 0.8 hectare (two acre) former limestone quarry encircled by sheer cliffs up to 12 metres (39.4 ft) high. Elora Quarry did not become a conservation area until 1976, but it was a popular swimming area long before that.
Popular activities at the site include: camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking, cycling, swimming, picnicking, and tubing.
Elora, Ontario
Elora is a community in the township of Centre Wellington, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. It is well known for its 19th-century limestone architecture, its artistic community and the geographically significant Elora Gorge.-History:...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, which is 25 km from the city of Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
through highway 6.
As the Elora Gorge Conservation Area, it is one of many conservation areas maintained by the Grand River Conservation Authority
Grand River Conservation Authority
The Grand River Conservation Authority is a conservation authority in Ontario, Canada. It operates under the Conservation Authorities Act of Ontario...
.
About
The Grand RiverGrand River (Ontario)
The Grand River is a large river in southwestern Ontario, Canada. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus, Elora, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Caledonia, and Cayuga before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie south of Dunnville at Port Maitland...
flows through the bottom of the gorge, approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long, with limestone cliffs reaching 22 metres (72.2 ft) high. It was formed from glacial meltwaters from the previous ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. The area includes a park with camping sites, hiking trails, and is also popular for kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
and tubing
Tubing (recreation)
Tubing is a recreational activity where an individual rides on top of an inner tube, either on water, snow, or through the air. The tubes themselves are also known as "donuts" or "biscuits" due to their shape.-Water:Tubing on water generally consists of two forms: towed and free-floating, also...
. The cliffs themselves attract many divers despite cliff diving being strictly prohibited at the site.
Located near by is the "old swimming hole
Swimming hole
A swimming hole is a place in a river, stream, creek, spring, or similar natural body of water, which is large enough and deep enough for a person to swim in...
", at the Elora Quarry Conservation Area, a 0.8 hectare (two acre) former limestone quarry encircled by sheer cliffs up to 12 metres (39.4 ft) high. Elora Quarry did not become a conservation area until 1976, but it was a popular swimming area long before that.
Popular activities at the site include: camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking, cycling, swimming, picnicking, and tubing.