Beaver Valley & Kimberley Guide: The Valley Next Door

Twenty-five minutes southwest of the chalets, the escarpment folds into the Beaver Valley — a deep, green trench of orchards, cliffs, and backroads that Grey County locals consider the most beautiful ground in the region. The hamlet of Kimberley sits at its heart, and a loop through the valley makes one of the best half-days available from Blue Mountain in any season.

Old Baldy: the valley's grandstand

Start with the view. Old Baldy Conservation Area, on the cliffs above Kimberley, serves the signature panorama of the entire valley from its limestone lookout — one of Grey County's most iconic viewpoints. The trails are short and manageable (the main routes run roughly 0.6 to 1.4 km, moderate underfoot), which means the payoff-to-effort ratio is spectacular. In leaf season it is essential; our answer on when the colours peak helps you time it.

Eugenia Falls and the lake

Ten minutes south, the Beaver River pours 30 metres over the escarpment rim at Eugenia Falls Conservation Area, beside the village of Eugenia — a short, easy walk from the parking area to the gorge-edge viewpoints, with Bruce Trail sections continuing along the rim. Nearby Lake Eugenia adds a beach, fishing, and boating in summer. Pair the two with Old Baldy and you have the valley's greatest hits in a single unhurried afternoon.

Kimberley and the 1905 store

The village of Kimberley itself is tiny and perfect: a cluster of homes in the valley bottom anchored by the Kimberley General Store, operating out of its original 1905 building — the classic stop for provisions, treats, and the particular pleasure of a rural store that has been feeding travellers for over a century. The valley is also cider country: orchards climb the slopes, and a local orchard-and-cidery operation near Kimberley makes the area a natural extension of the wineries-and-cideries circuit.

On and in the river

The Beaver River winds down the valley floor gently enough for relaxed paddling, and local outfitters run canoe and kayak trips on it in season — a softer, greener alternative to open Georgian Bay water, covered alongside the bay options in our paddling guide. Hikers can chase the Bruce Trail's valley-rim sections past landmarks like the Duncan crevices; the hiking guide sets expectations.

When to go

Fall is the headline act — the valley's maple slopes are among the best colour terrain in the region, and the colour-drives guide routes straight through it. Summer brings the lake and the river; winter turns the backroads into ski country. Whatever the season, the loop from the chalets — down through the valley, up past the falls, home along the plateau — rarely takes more than half a day and never feels like it was enough.