Kimberley is a hamlet in the Beaver Valley, a broad, steep-sided trench cut through the Niagara Escarpment by meltwater at the end of the Ice Age. The valley is the finest piece of country in this part of Ontario, with a flat, farmed floor, a slow river and walls of hardwood forest rising on either side. Orchards and sheep farms fill the bottom, and the ridges above are laced with the Bruce Trail, so walkers are a regular feature of the car parks. It is a place that rewards a slow pace, and it has attracted artists, potters and weekend escapers for decades.
The road along the valley is the draw. It follows the river and the base of the escarpment, with a succession of easy bends and gentle rises, and then climbs out onto the plateau in a few tight pitches where the ridge forces it. There are good views from the lookouts along the rim, particularly in autumn, when the maples colour and the valley turns red, orange and gold. The surface is generally good, though there are patches of frost damage in spring, and farm machinery and slow tourists are the main hazards on weekends. A midweek ride in the first half of October is probably as good as southern Ontario gets.
The valley feels like a place with a long memory. First Nations people lived and travelled through it for thousands of years, and the Neutral and Petun peoples farmed the surrounding country before European contact. The first settlers cleared the forest for farms in the nineteenth century, and the old stone and brick farmhouses along the road are the legacy. It is also ski country, with a few small hills that are popular for family skiing.
Fuel needs planning. There is none in Kimberley itself, so fill up in Collingwood, or in Markdale, sixteen kilometres to the south, which is a small town with the basics. Meaford, on the bay to the north, is the other option and is a pleasant harbour town with a good waterfront. If you want food, the valley has a handful of cafes, bakeries and farm stands, but many close early or only open at weekends, so do not leave lunch until late afternoon.