The Bruce Trail follows the Niagara Escarpment - a ridge carved out of the earth by glacial movement during the recession of the last ice age. There are visible glacial potholes, as well as the Devil's Monument, which at 14 meters high is the largest flowerpot formation on the Bruce Peninsula, formed 5,500 years ago by the wave action of Glacial Lake Nipissing. Because of its uniqueness, the Niagara Escarpment has been recognized as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, and is known as a masterpiece of living art.

This magnificent trail follows part of the Old Mail Road, established in 1840 as the first road in Grey County. The Corran, near Wiarton, was a mansion built in 1882 and the Bruce Trail passed near its remains. The Bruce Trail also passes through a 'dump' area that was the hub of the 19th century timber trade - where logs were dumped over the escarpment to be taken by log booms to the sawmills.

Several Robert Bateman Paintings were inspired by settings along the Bruce Trail, which crosses Cape Croker Indian Reserve for a distance of some 20 kilometers. This land is owned by the Nawash Band of the Chippewa Nation.