Water Falls of Grey County, Hoggs Falls, Flesherton Ontario

Within the Beaver Valley area of Grey County is one of its best kept secrets. Located just east of the village of Flesherton Ontario is Hoggs Falls. Located on the Boyne River, Hoggs Falls plunges over 7 meters, or 22 feet, to the river basin below. Quietly located in a beautiful wooded area, Hoggs Falls provides wonderful photographic opportunities for those that are so inclined.

Hoggs Falls is named after William Hogg. It was at this site that he built a sawmill during the late 1870s. The remnants of this sawmill can still be seen at the site. William Hogg himself referred to these falls as Little Falls in a newspaper advertisement in 1882. The sawmill itself burnt down in 1888. Upon this event, William Hogg then turned his attention to the much bigger falls in the area, Eugenia Falls, for another development project.

Since the burning down of the sawmill much of the land has since been reclaimed by the forest with only pieces of the concrete foundation still remaining visible today. The site is now protected as a forest reserve managed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. The waters of the river abound with speckled trout and other species and fishing is permitted, in season, within the 83 hectares of posted public lands.

To get to Hoggs Falls take Highway 4 east from Flesherton to East Back Line, north to Lower Valley Road and turn east. Watch for a sign indicating the parking area on the north side of the road. A short walk into the woods takes you to the falls' edge, where you can listen to the rushing water plunging over the rocks into the basin below. The water flow over the falls is reasonable during most times of the year.

As a photographer this is one of my favorite waterfalls to photograph. As you approach the falls from the parking area you will first notice the remnants of the old sawmill. A few meters further down is the falls themselves. The top of the falls provides a very pleasant view, a view from which I love to photograph from. To best photograph from this vantage point a wide angle lens is required.

For those who are a bit more adventurous, are not afraid of doing a little climbing and are wearing the proper footwear, there is a way down to the basin below. The last couple of times that I have been there someone has left a securely fastened rope to a tree which greatly assists with the repel down into the basin below. Once down, you need to watch your footing as it can be damp and slippery. Shooting the falls from the basin below provides a very unique perspective.

The best time to photograph Hoggs Falls is in the morning or later in the afternoon or evening. Photographs taken during midday could experience harsh lighting conditions as the falls will tend to be backlit.

In order to properly photograph Hoggs Falls the following equipment is required: footwear suitable for hiking, a small umbrella to protect your equipment from the potential spray, a digital SLR with a wide angle lens, a polarizing filter, neutral density filters for longer exposures, a sturdy tripod that can handle getting wet, a remote release cable and a lens cleaning cloth.

This is a wonderful place and visit and I plan upon returning soon.

Happy snapping.