While many of the province's finest waterfalls arewithin an hour's drive of Toronto, they tend to be overrun with crowds out to soak up their natural beauty. Those in search of a more intimate and secluded experience will have to lookbeyond Hamiltonand Niagara.

Fortunately there are some hidden gems out there that offer amazing scenery without the need to battle other people for interesting camera angles or spots to set up a picnic. TheGut Conservation Areais one such place.

The picturesque trail that leads to the waterfall. Photo by Derek Flack.

这个名字并不完全让beautif的图像ul scenery, but the Gut refers to the30 metre deep gorge that cuts across the area and leads the Crowe River to cascade rapidly through a narrow chute as a surprisingly powerful waterfall.

The top portion of the Gut waterfall, which drops off into a 30 metre gorge. Photo byColin J. McMechan(cropped).

It's not a terribly tall, but the speed of the water and the ability to get right next to it (please be careful!) makes it a thrilling attraction. When hiking in from the parking lot, the urgent sound of the rapids guides you to the falls.

Precambrian basalt lava formations. Photo byDan Delong.

The less adventurous can head a bit up stream and set up a picnic beside the other fascinating geological feature here: an exposed basalt lava ridge, which dates back to the Precambrian period. Here you can wade in the still pools of water outside the rapids.

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This is Ontario's rugged landscape at its finest, and the best part is you're unlikely to see more than a handful of people as you explore the area, which also features hiking trails and a lookout.

Crowe River rapids below the falls. Photo by Derek Flack.

At one point this section of the Crowe River was referred to by locals as Buttermilk Falls, but when theCrowe Valley Conservation Authorityacquired the land a few decades ago, the entire 400 acre area took the name of the Gut.

The somewhat hard-to-spot sign for the Gut. Photo by Derek Flack.

Toget here, take Highway 46 north from Havelock to Lasswade Rd. (which heads northeast at the 504 junction). Follow the road for about five kilometres until you see the sign on the left (here you turn right). Park somewhere before the final hill, which isn't friendly to cars.