Caledon
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Caledon is a town of 76,600 people (2021), large in size and mostly rural, in the Peel region of the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario. The Niagara Escarpment and the Credit River run through the town, and there are many areas of natural beauty. Within Caledon is found the village of Bolton, whose historic centre stretches a few blocks on King Road and Queen Street. The village of Belfountain is quite pretty, with older-style wood buildings all around.
Understand
Caledon is the rural, northern part of Peel Region, consisting of an amalgamation of small urban areas, villages, and hamlets. Its major suburban centre is Bolton on its eastern side adjacent to York Region. These areas were settled in the early 1800s to take advantage of the area's two rivers (The Credit and the Humber) and fertile farming land. Today, while Bolton experiences some development pressure similar to the newer parts of Brampton, most of the land in Caledon is protected as either provincial greenbelt, conservation land, parkland, river valley or escarpment, and so it maintains much of the same character as it did a century ago - rolling countryside, with farms, fields, small waterfalls, and tiny villages.
History
By 1869, Belfountain was a village with a population of 100 in the Township of Caledon County Peel. It was established on the Credit River. There were stagecoaches to Erin and Georgetown.
Caledon was likely named by settlers who came from the area around Caledon, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.
Get in
- GO Transit bus route 37 from Brampton Bus Terminal, about 30 min, $8.10 e-ticket fare ($6.82 with a Presto card). Monday through Friday only. Most departures are timed to connect with trains arriving from Toronto (approximately 1.5 hours, fares from $10, Toronto to Caledon).
- TOK Coachlines. Service from Vaughan and Toronto Pearson International Airport to Orangeville, on Caledon's northern border with Dufferin County, three times weekly.
- By car, it is about 60 km from downtown Toronto.
Get around
The town is rural and has no transit system, though the Bolton area has a small local bus line running M-F.
Taxi service is available in the Bolton area.
See
Caledon does not have any municipally-owned heritage attractions; its stories are told and its records are stored by the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives in downtown Brampton.
Do
- 1 Forks of the Credit Provincial Park. Encompassing a gorge along a swiftly-flowing stretch of the Credit River, the park is on the Bruce Trail and Trans-Canada Trail, and is part of the Niagara Escarpment biosphere. Other notable features include a kettle lake and talus slope. Several trails provide good routes for hiking, biking, or snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in winter (note that trails are not maintained in winter, and there are no warming facilities). Ruins of an abandoned mill and dam are visible from a lookout toward the north part of the park.
- 2 Cheltenham Badlands (The Erosion), 1739 Old Baseline Rd (north of Cheltenham on the Bruce Trail), toll-free: +1 800-367-0890. Accessible boardwalks talk you through an amazing red rolling rocky landscape. Open seasonally from May. M-Th $11.30/ booking F-Su and holidays $22.60/ booking.
- 3 Belfountain Conservation Area, 10 Credit St. Open daily Apr to late-Oct: 8AM-7PM, with later hours in summer (open until 9PM). An excellent nature area that was converted from an old property that was developed at the turn of the century. There are hiking trails that can get quite rugged for the unprepared, although most of the area has easy trails. The conservation area has a number of natural features, such as rapids, the river, and man-made features including the eponymous Bell Fountain and a cave carved into the rock. $7/3.25 (adult/child).
- 4 Albion Hills Conservation Park, 16500 Regional Road 50, ☏ +1 416-667-6295. The conservation area includes a large aquatic area, campground, and network of hiking and biking trails. In winter, 27 km (17 mi) of trails are groomed for cross-country skiing. Equipment (skies, poles, and boots) available for rent on-site. The 234-site campground accommodates tent, trailer, and RV camping; many sites are serviced with water and electrical connections. Admission adults $7.30, children $4.85; skiing, camping or equipment rentals not included.
- 5 Caledon Equestrian Park, 200 Pine Ave (Palgrave), office@angelstone.ca. Built for the 2015 Pan Am Games, and now hosts competitions and events April through October. Some Saturdays feature free admission for hill-side picnic-style viewing with family-friendly entertainment, live music, and food and drink for purchase. Seating and VIP spectator areas are available by reservation.
- 6 Caledon Country Club, 2121 Olde Baseline Rd (Inglewood), ☏ +1 905-838-0200, info@golfcaledon.com. An 18-hole golf course that takes advantage of the picturesque Credit River valley and surrounding hills and forest. High definition simulators are available all year long.
Buy
Eat
- 1 Villa Caledon Inn, 16626 Airport Rd (Caledon East), ☏ +1 905 584-0033, villacaledoninn@gmail.com. Tu-Sa noon-9PM, Su noon-8PM. Cosy inn with pub and dining room. Great patio dining area in green surroundings. Mains from $22.
- 2 The Belfountain Village Store and Higher Ground Coffee. M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su 8AM-6PM. A nice atmosphere of wooden-building charm. They have standard coffee shop offerings, including lattes, Italian sodas, and baked goods.
- 3 Symposium Cafe Restaurant Bolton, 192 McEwan Dr E (Bolton), ☏ +1 905-857-8818, symposium.bolton@symposiumcafe.com. 8AM-midnight. Casual family restaurant with breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, and lounge.
Drink
- 1 Spirit Tree, 1137 Boston Mills Road, ☏ +1 905-838-2530. W-Su 10AM-5PM. Cider house, with a bakery and a good bistro menu. $15 for a one-hour tour and guided cider tasting Sa Su 2PM. Open from spring until early January.
- 2 The Toby Jug, 15 Allan Dr (Bolton), ☏ +1 905-857-7494, info@tobyjug.ca. Sa-Th noon-9PM; F noon-10PM. Traditional pub, the village's place to get a good pint.
- 3 Caledon Hills Brewing Co., 17219 Hwy 50 (Palgrave), ☏ +1 416-988-2003. Tu-W noon-8PM, Th-Sa noon-9PM, Su noon-4PM. Brew pub featuring German style beers and seasonal comfort foods and snacks, including pretzels, sausages, and schnitzel.
Sleep
- 1 Hampton Inn & Suites Bolton, 12700 Hwy 50, Bolton, ☏ +1 905-857-9990. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. The only large (and chain) hotel in Caledon. Indoor pool, fitness center, free Wi-fi and free hot breakfast. $160-205 in summer.
- 2 Millcroft Inn & Spa, 55 John St, Alton, ☏ +1 519-941-8111, toll-free: +1-800-383-3976. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Boutique hotel in a renovated textile mill with extensive grounds that include the old millpond and Shaws Creek Falls. Rooms are furnished with antique decor and include a sitting area and flat screen TV. There is also a spa (with outdoor hot springs pool), restaurant, fitness centre, bike rentals and other activities on the grounds including bocce ball, walking trails and volleyball. From $200.
Go next
| Routes through Caledon |
| END ← | N  S |
→ Brampton → Mississauga → to  Hamilton |
| Owen Sound ← Orangeville ← | N  S |
→ END |