The Morningstar Mine

UPDATE: JUNE 24, 2012

Entrance to the mine has been gated by the City of Thorold after numerous rescues in the gorge. This notification will be removed when (and if) the gate is once again compromised.

There aren(a)t many places in the Niagara region to enjoy underground exploration, but this is a good one! It is located at the Morningstar Mill (an open-access historic site) in Saint Catharines / Thorold. The mine entrance itself is, surprisingly, wide-open. However, a slightly dangerous descent down into a gorge via a knotted rope (permanently left behind) is required. This is not a sheer cliff-face descent, but angled enough to bother anyone with a fear of heights.

The mine itself is a single tunnel extending 100 m or so into the bedrock. It was an access tunnel used to mine zinc ore from the area when surface access to the ore became problematic.

The tunnel is right beside a gorgeous waterfall, making this a prime and picturesque area for exploration - where else are you going to find an accessible tunnel and waterfall right next to one another in Southern Ontario?

There are some old (a)relics(a) left over inside the tunnel which I will not feature in the gallery. There must be some surprises!

Directions:

Exit Highway 406 South at St. David(a)s Road. Head west on St. David(a)s Road to Merittville Highway (the stoplights in front of Brock University). Turn south and the first intersection is Decew Road. Turn west on Decew Road and drive 1.7 km to the parking lot for the Morningstar Mill on the right-hand side (2401 Decew Road - check it out on Streetview). Tunnel entrance is just north of the mill itself but you will have to walk along a path following the gorge a ways until you come to a blue rope. Descend and backtrack toward the falls once you get to the bottom of the gorge.

Expect to get dirty!