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Ball’s Falls

Canada· Inspirations· Mysterious Places

I do love to hike and have always had a fascination with waterfalls. There’s just something about a body of swift rushing water tumbling down over the rocky edges of the earth, on a steady course to a predetermined destination. Combine that with a ghost town as is the case here at Ball’s Falls and I’m like a kid in a candy shop.

Wide waterfall plunging over a circular shaped cliff into the river below with lots of trees all around at Balls Falls
Lower Ball’s Falls

History of Ball’s Falls Mills

Twenty Mile Creek has two waterfalls plunging over the Niagara Escarpment. So when brothers John and George Ball acquired the land in 1807, they saw a great opportunity and built a grist-mill and a sawmill at the lower falls along with a home. 

Large three story wooden mill with a tall tree just infant of it with the forest in the background at Balls Falls
The mill
Underneath the mill shows part of a water wheel in the very neat basement covered with a fine layer of gravel at Balls Falls
Alternate view of the three story mill behind some trees in the foreground at Balls Falls
The mill

Ball’s Grist-Mill dates back to 1809 and provided flour for the British troops during the war of 1812.

Two large circular mill grinding stones lying on the grass at Balls Falls
Old mill stones

the ghost town

The original Ball family home is still standing and is open to the public, for an entrance fee of $7.00 for adults. The Centre for Conservation, where the car park is located, is open Monday to Friday 9 am to 4 pm, and throughout the year they hold festivals.

Balls original family home is a two story brick house with a large tree and a white arbour and pathway leading to the door at Balls Falls
The family home

Soon the brothers built a copper shop and a general store, and more homesteaders came building a blacksmith, tailors, butchers, weavers and a Church. John and George renamed ‘their’ village Glen Elgin.

Two women are bent down looking inside the old brick smoke oven on the house property at Balls Falls
Marion and me looking at the old smoke oven

Wedding ceremonies still occur at the quaint little church due to its picturesque setting. Then the reception takes place in the great barn just opposite, because of proximity and has plenty of room.

Amongst tall trees a small church and Ball family home can be seen in the background
The small church is still used for weddings

upper falls

In the 1830s a five-story woollen mill was constructed at the upper falls, which is just a short walk upstream along an easy trail.

Dirt pathway covered with fallen leaves leading through the forest with large trees lining both sides at Balls Falls
Trail to Upper Ball’s Falls

The mill did have eight looms to produce woollen cloth and yarn for the locals and export market but has fallen into disarray, succumbing to the elements..

Stone wall stands on the side of a small cliff in a gully as the only remains of the wool mill near the upper falls at Balls Falls
Remains of the old wooden mill
Wide water fall rushing over the rocks and moving swiftly down river towards another waterfall
The Upper Falls
Upper escarpment water rocks and trees at the edge of the waterfall at Balls Falls

By the year 1852, the town had 19 locals, but when the Great Western Railroad was built bypassing the village in the mid-1850s, the businesses moved closer to the railway. So this quaint little hamlet became obsolete.

The remnants of a kiln can just be made out through the menagerie of tree limbs and forest foliage
Kiln ruins

You get the sensation that only moments before your arrival, this small settlement’s occupants shut their doors and walked away, forever. Time has ceased to venture forward until they return, so in the meantime, it remains a ghost town.

In 1962 Manley Ball sold the land to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Area. The actual gorge has become an area of scientific significance due to archaeological finds.

ball’s falls – In a nutshell

  • Location: – 3292 Sixth Avenue, ON
  • Opening hours: – Every Day 8.00 am – 8.00 pm
  • The Center is open Monday to Friday 9 am to 4 pm, and throughout the year they hold festivals
  • Admission: – Adult CA $5.00 – $7.00 
  • Max Car CA $21.00
  • It is an excellent spot for a picnic on the grass any weekend, and there are several hikes for all fitness levels
  • For more information on Ball’s Falls click HERE
Colourful artistic map of the Balls Falls park area

Location Map

Screen shot from google maps showing roads and location of Balls Falls area
Location Map
  • If you’ve enjoyed exploring Ball’s Falls, you may like our blog about Grimsby Beach, the “Gingerbread Town”.
GRIMSBY BEACH


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