I had heard rumours, seen pictures floating around Facebook of a strange, bizarre place in Southern Ontario that looked straight out of an old country western movie: crumbling, rolling red hills, windswept and barren; a slice of Arizona right here in our own backyard.

For years I had it in my head that this geologic spectacle was called ‘The Scarborough Badlands’ and thus located in Scarborough: why I thought this is beyond me? As it turns out, it’s nowhere near Scarborough.

The Scarborough Cheltenham Badlands are actually hidden in the hills of Caledon Ontario, just a 45-minute drive west of Toronto, right along the Niagara Escarpment.

Go check out this place! It’s a quick and easy weekend road trip, well worth the travel time if you live in Toronto; especially if you love love the desert (as we do). We spent about an hour here, snapping pictures, exploring the trails, and just hanging out.

More info on Cheltenham Badlands here.