Ontario's surreal Cheltenham Badlands reopens for the season this month

One of southern Ontario's most otherworldly landscapes is officially reopening to visitors this month.

Located in Caledon at 1739 Olde Base Line Road, the Cheltenham Badlands is widely considered one of the province's most unique geological treasures. Formed roughly 450 million years ago at the base of an ancient sea and uncovered through poor farming practices, the site feels almost extraterrestrial, thanks to its striking red and grey ridges. 

Spanning 36 hectares, the Badlands is now one of the most visited natural heritage landmarks in the GTA and southern Ontario.

According to the site's website, the Badlands will be reopening for the 2026 season on May 8, with reservations available to book online on Friday, May 1.

If you're planning on visiting the geological site, you'll need to book your parking in advance through the ParkPass system. All transactions must be completed online, as no payments are accepted on-site.

Most reservations are for 90-minute visits, although a limited number of three-hour time slots are also available. Entrance fees are charged per vehicle and run for $10 + HST (90 minutes) or $18 + HST (three hours) from Monday to Friday. Weekends and holidays cost $20 + HST for 90-minute bookings and $35 + HST for three-hour bookings.

To help preserve the fragile landscape, walking on the Badlands is strictly prohibited, and you must remain on the accessible viewing platform, which extends across a portion of the site.

Long before European settlement, the land was used by the ancestors of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, who arrived in the 1700s to hunt, fish, and forage. They established small, temporary villages along nearby river flats and practiced seasonal migration, living lightly on the land.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, European settlers cleared the area for farming, with crops like winter wheat, oats, potatoes, and peas cultivated, while cattle grazed on the land.

"The removal of trees and early farming practices caused the shallow topsoil to erode away, in turn exposing the underlying Queenston shale," the site's website reads. "Rain, snowmelt and freeze-thaw conditions accelerated the erosion of the shale, resulting in the unique ridge and gully landscape that you see today — known as the Cheltenham Badlands."

Since its exposure in the early 1900s, the landscape has continued to evolve. About 20 per cent of the site now consists of Badlands topography, while the rest includes mature forests, wetlands, and regenerating cultural woodland.

In June 2015, the land was closed to the public due to increasing erosion caused by growing visitor numbers. Since then, the Ontario Heritage Trust has been conducting research to better conserve the site over time and protect it from further erosion.