Old Baldy Parking and Trail Closure
The recent closure of the traditional cliff top parking area and entry point to Old Baldy will severely impact access to this climbing area.
Old Baldy Climbing Area
From initial reports, it appears that the landowner near the parking area initiated the closure after becoming frustrated with the large number of cars spilling from the parking lot onto the road.
Original (closed) parking area in red. The new parking area and trail (black) are located on Highway 13.
The new parking lot and access trail will now start from Highway 13 and follow a long steep trail to the base of the cliff. It is also likely that similar parking issues will arise at this new parking location as the lot is smaller than the now-closed cliff top parking area.
The original (closed) parking area is visible at the centre bottom of the picture. Old Baldy Access road is a private road where the overflow cars were parking.
It is worth noting that while climbers may be responsible for some of these parking issues, an even more significant number of day hikers also use the area.
The Ontario Access Coalition is working with the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority to address the situation.
The Ontario Access Coalition is working with the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority to address the situation.
