Top five favourite rail trails in Southern Ontario
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- Опубликовано: 2 июн 2024
- Having ridden on numerous rail trails throughout Southern Ontario, I thought I would see if I could decide which were my favourites. I realized after a while that I was not basing my decision on empirical, practical considerations, but rather on how each trail made me feel. It was also clear that the more tranquil I could feel, the more I appreciated the trail.
For more in depth videos on each trail:
CALEDON TRAILWAY:
• Cycling Southern Ontar...
• Cycling Southern Ontar...
HAMILTON TO BRANTFORD RAIL TRAIL:
• Hamilton to Brantford ...
HALIBURTON COUNTY RAIL TRAIL:
• Cycling Southern Ontar...
CAMBRIDGE TO PARIS RAIL TRAIL:
• Cambridge to Paris Rai...
UXBRIDGE TO LINDSAY RAIL TRAIL:
• Uxbridge to Lindsay Ra... 
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Brantford to Waterford is now fully paved and quite lovely this time of season
I am really looking forward to checking out this trail again!!
nice video- come on Spring!
It can't come soon enough Gus!!
Thanks for sharing! The Niagara River Recreational Trail is a paved cycling path spanning 56 km from Old Fort Erie to Fort George. We rent ebike for those looking to explore this trail in comfort and style.
I shall have to check it out, I will probably stick to 100% leg power, but I must admit, I've often think I should give an e-bike a try.
Thank you for a great video. I am 71 and just purchased my first bike. I am in the Brantford area and will be I hope starting the rail trails and thanks to you I'll understand what this will mean for me. Thanks again. 😊
You are very welcome Ron.
Agree with your assessment of the rail trails and your sentiment about Uxbridge to Lindsay trail. Let's keep it serene and peaceful as it is now.
These are some nice trails. I rode the Paris trail to SJ Johnson then took the L.E. &N trail down to port Dover. Took a bit of navigating to get through Branford but I was amazed I could do a 80km ride and maybe only spend 10 minutes on the road. Was a beautiful ride and finished with some fish and chips by the lighthouse. I’d definitely suggest this route to anyone.
My next trip will definitely be the Guelph to Goodrich!
The Cambridge to Paris is a great trail and you can actually connect it down to Brantford. Nice places in Paris for lunch. From there you can hit Hamilton or head towards Lake Erie. Simcoe County Loop was also one of our favourites. There were so many beautiful places on it. I'll have to try the Uxbridge one.
I still have not connected them together yet, but it is definitely in my plans
Surprised that Goderich to Guelph didn’t crack the top 5, but you given me some to seek out.
Ahh now I thought you might think that John. To be honest, I think if I based my list purely on the quality and attributes of the trail, it would definitely be on there. The problem was that I left my brain at home when I rode it, didn't plan very well and rode several of the detours not knowing if I was on route or not. It is not the fault of the trail, so I think I need to do it again, maybe do both directions this time with an overnight stop, because I am sure if I get it right, the trail will definitely make my list next year. Happy New Year!!!
@@cardiaccyclist7477 if you do, ride it again let me know!
@@teeterboy3 Absolutely!!
I grew up about a mile and a half from where that trail crosses Floradale Road, and I'm old enough to remember the whistle of the steam train as it rolled through. It's a shame that CP yanked all the bridges out almost immediately after decommissioning the line, but I guess they were all about the liability then. It has left lots of gaps that have to be detoured.
@@cardiaccyclist7477 Thanks for the thoughtful reviews. If you had included the G2G the video would probably look like this ;) ruclips.net/video/SYT0wn39Rt0/видео.html
If you’re in the Ottawa area check out the Ottawa Valley rail trial running from smiths falls up to arnprior and on to petawawa.
Thank you for the tip Steve.
Good video..my favourite rail trails are the Friendship trail, that we take from Port Colborne. All paved, well signed and thre is a washroom at Waverly Beach. The best desgned trail I ahve been on. My first favourite trail is the Heritage Trail that we ride from Waterford to {ort Dover..almost all under shade. Stunning when the many crops on teh trail are in season..tobacco, sweet potatoes and thousands of pumpkins. Thanks from a fellow heart attack survivor, who lives for cycling!!
I shall have to check those trails out John. When the weather is a bit better of course!!
You have me pinning for spring--can't wait. The Uxbridge-to-Lindsay trail is definitely in the queue for this year. The Caledon Trailway will follow. BTW: if you haven't yet, you have to ride the Algonquin Rail Tail someday to Rock Lake and back. It's not that long but, boy, I was the only one riding the trail in July a few years ago (and no cellphone service anywhere in the Park). Bring your binoculars and fishing rod, too.
Thanks for that recommendation William. I did manage to catch a video on it not too long ago and it looked like an adventure. A mountain bike may be the right choice. Happy New Year
@@cardiaccyclist7477, I rented a fat-tire bike at the Lake-of-Two-Rivers store and rode the trail in about 2.5 hours (down to Rock Lake and back). Just watch out for the fresh bear poop. 😉
Happy New Year👍🚵♂️🎉💪
Happy New Year Hector!!!
Great video and a great list. I've done them all except for your number one pick.
One thing worth mentioning is that the Hamilton Brantford trail and the Paris Cambridge are linked from Brantford to Paris, so if you're up for it, you can make it a truly epic ride.
I found the Haliburton trail a complete disappointment exactly because of the reasons you mentioned. The ATVs turn the surface into powder and unless you are on a fat bike, you can pretty much forget about it as a cycling trail.
Haliburton was definitely a challenging ride, but I quite enjoyed that. If it were much longer I do not think that would be the case!!
@@cardiaccyclist7477 In fairness, it has been nearly 10 years since I was there, so things may have improved. I made this video after attempting to ride the trail.
ruclips.net/video/uc1ze9xSrIA/видео.html
Excellent! Thank you! As a model railroader and cyclist, I have always wanted to combine cycling with railway history. I can drone on for hours about the construction and operation of each abandoned line. You may see me on one of these trails. I'll be the old guy who stopped his bike at the side of the trail to pick up an old railway spike or to take pictures of old bridges, abutments and anything else the railway demolition crews may have forgotten to pull up.
I hope I see you out there!!
I was surprised the G2G did not make your list. We rode it last summer and found it to be an amazing adventure! We also rode the since county loop and very much enjoyed it the Tiny section of the loop I would agree is very cool! We will check out a couple of your other top five this summer. thanks for your review and your take on the trails. Glad to hear you’re healing up okay brother! Keep behind the bars and JCI!!
G2G is amazing and I think if I based my list purely on the quality and attributes of the trail, it would definitely be on there. The problem was that the day I rode it I left my brain at home, didn't plan very well and rode several of the detours not knowing if I was on route or not. So although I enjoyed it, I kept getting frustrated, it was my fault, not the fault of the trail, so I think I need to do it again. My list was based on my emotional connection to the various trails and how much I enjoyed the ride. On the right day, I think the G2G could top the list.
Great videos keep up the good work. I’d also recommend the Millennium Trail in Prince Edward County. Lots of beer stops, coffee, cider, wine, and nice scenery. Cheers
It's on my list Derek. I used to live there and I would run small sections of the trail, but I definitely want to ride the whole thing.
Great list, I recently picked up a gravel bike and this is exactly the sort of riding I've been looking for. Thanks
Really glad that you found it useful Thomas. Happy trails!!!
great video and UXBRIDGE TO LINDSAY RAIL TRAIL was the most visited by me last year, but ORO MEDONTE is my favorite. A little too short by my taste, about 35 km one way, but really quiet, great maintenance, and very similar to UXBRIDGE RAIL TRAIL. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
You are right Sergei, I have ridden the Oro Medonte twice and there are definitely some similarities with the Uxbridge to Lindsay Rail Trail, what with the mix of farmland and marshland.
Bancroft to maynooth and back is a beautiful ride. South of Bancroft is nice too but very sandy.
I am going to have to add that to my list of trails to check out. Thank you
great. keep riding keep having fun.
Thank you very much, yep it's always good to keep fun in focus!!
Good job in 2021 and nice to see you on the mend. I'll be out on the trails again in 2022 after a catastrophic incident just before Labour Day with an off-leash standard poodle 🐩 on the trail behind Sunnybrook Hospital 🏥. Total L hip replacement! Good Riddance 2021!
Wow Kevin that sounds like quite the incident!!! Certainly sounds like 2022 will be a much better year for you. Happy New Year
happy new year...brantford to port dover is a nice ride also
Yes I was doing that trail recently when I had a crash after 18km and had to cut the ride short and go to hospital. I will do it in the spring and I am sure it will make my next list. You can check out the video on my channel: ruclips.net/video/mpaEKPPe9bU/видео.html
Is it paved from Waterford to Port Dover? I was curious as I just did Brantford to Waterford last weekend
Great review of your 5 favourite trails. I just recently did the Waterfront trail around Port Elgin/Southhampton and was just blown away on how beautiful the trail is. I makes me think I am missing more trails than I know! Do you have a preferred source of trail maps that provide summary of most of the trails in SW Ontario, or better yet, all of Ontario? Thanks for posting, great videos!
Thank you Gareth. At the the moment I use OntarioBikeTrails.com, but I am sure there is an even more complete resource that I haven't found yet!!
My home trail took your #1 spot! Nice! Totally agree about that section being low traffic. It's the direction I go when I need to get away from it ALL! 😉 I plan to step up my cycling in 2022 so we might run into each other at some point. Looking to get to Southern Ontario finally (trying for years now)... Have a great new year! 🚴
Happy New Year Monte!!
Andrew, fantastic summary of your adventures. I have not been on any of them yet, but you have inspired me to take the plunge. Wishing you all the very best in 2022. Cheers.
Have a great New Year Ian, See you on the trails!!!
Very nice video and has definitely given me some ideas for cycling adventures next year … and it’s taken my mind off shovelling snow.
Happy New Year to you!
Happy New Year Katherine. The snow will melt all by itself!!!!
Thanks for another great video on such a winter's day Andrew. I'm definitely rail trail dreaming come April! Glad you're healing up fast! Happy New Year! 🥳🍻🚴🏿♂️
Happy New Year Alex. See you on the trails in the spring!!
Happy New Year Andrew. So glad you are healing up . Another great video as always. I agree with your choice on the Uxbridge to Lindsay trail as it’s our favourite also. I did enjoy your Oro Medonte trail video earlier this year, and it’s on my list for trails this year. Cheers 🍻
Oro Medonte is a great trail Kevin and I certainly enjoyed riding it, but when it came to picking this five, I didn't quite have the same emotional attachment to it. Happy New Year.
Here's one for you that i discovered this fall: the Algonquin trail. It runs from Smith falls to Mattawa (spell check me). The total distance is 296 km. During the trip I took (Montreal to Deep River) i could count the number of people I encountered on one hand. Another interesting trail i took was the Presoct Russel trail. I will include a few links below to give you the general vibe of both of these trails.
Here is part 1, the outbound trip: ruclips.net/video/SvhVssQFeDY/видео.html
Here is part 3. the return trip: ruclips.net/video/Lfosv0gaLrw/видео.html
PS, a road bike might not have what it takes for these two trails. They are beautiful, but very rough in certain sections.
I look forward to checking these out.
Enjoyed your videos. We've done 3 of 5 of these on our tandem. Where do you rank the Elora-Cateract trail? We think it's a good one.
I saw a tandem on the Uxbridge to Lindsay trail, wonder if it was you!! I liked the Elora cataract trail, my only frustration was finding parking at the Cataract end. Also it was just one of those days when I was exhausted and so it was a bit of a struggle for the last 15 to 20 K. I shall definitely return though. Happy new year.
I cycle around southern Ontario and you’ve just piqued my interest on my next rides. I will definitely be doing these trails. Have you done the Hamilton rail trail all the way to port Dover? I’m hoping to record that whole ride….with my roadbike of course ahaha.
I make cycling video in southern Ontario too!
Glad you're healing well, Good Sir. Would you cover Wellington county someday?
Absolutely. Especially if someone had some route suggestions!
@@cardiaccyclist7477 elora gorge cataract trail perhaps
Hello and Happy new year to you. I just retired recently and thinking of getting back into biking to keep myself in shape. I was looking for trails in my area and that's how I came across your channel. I'll definitely consider trying these trails. Great video thanks for sharing. I'll check out your other videos and subscribed to your channel.
Thanks Laszlo, I am glad you found the channel.
Happy New Year 2023 Andrew! I'm hoping to get the Uxbridge to Peterborough railtrail done this summer (hoping for no unforseen injuries). I just bought new Zipp rims, 35mm Schwalbes, new brakes and new seat. Can't wait to get the Defy out that way. Thanks again for the great videos! Alex 🍻
I don't know how I missed this comment Alex!! You will love the entire stretch from Uxbridge to Peterborough. It is pretty easy too.
Way to go we are very proud of our KTCT try the ride from Lindsay to Peterborough
Thank you Ellen. Yes the trail from Lindsay to Peterborough is awesome, especially Doube's Bridge.
Check out the cataraqui trail. Near Kingston. I suspect it will rank high on a future list
I will set myself a challenge of visiting that trail this year. Thank you Kevin, watch out for the video!!
Oh also check out the Friendship trail in Niagara. 2 day ride.
That sounds like a wonderful challenge
Hey Andrew, nice video and glad to see you’re healing up well. If I can help it I avoid riding any rail trail on weekends - way too many off leash dogs and oblivious pedestrians. I’ve added Uxbridge to my 2022 ride list. Ride safe!
You are right, they can get incredibly busy. I think the Tiny Rail Trail, North Simcoe Rail Trail and Uxbridge to Lindsay would all be pretty quiet once you get away from the towns.
Great review. Does your comments regarding how busy the trails are apply to weekdays as well as weekends?
Great video and Happy New Year! Hamilton-Brantford is one of my faves and Caledon (because of its proximity) is my most travelled trail. I have done the Simcoe County Loop trail, but always in out and back segments (Barrie-Orillia, Orillia - Midland, etc). I am trying to decide if it is realistic for me to attempt it all in one go (~160km) as others have and posted to RUclips. My current one day record is 96Km and I was completely exhausted after that (Uxbridge-Lindsay). What are your cycling plans for 2022?
I am sure you could do it all in one day Don, but I would be asking myself whether I would enjoy doing it that way, rather than building in a stop and doing it in a more leisurely way.
In 2022, i would like to take on a couple of gravel races, but before I get to that point I would need to put in some proper training, get in better physical shape, drop an lb or two..... hey it's sounding like a series of videos could be in order!!
Let me know how you get on with the SCLT.
@@cardiaccyclist7477, _"...couple of gravel races,"_ The Paris to Ancaster (P2A) race has a world following apparently and gets pretty busy with a thousand or so riders.
@@MrJx4000 yes I have been waiting for them to open the registration for that. I am also looking at the Reggie Ramble and the Hell of the North.
Just wondering can you post some of the other routes you mentioned, I love the Uxbridge Rail Trail too . Also do you know if a gravel bike this time of year would be ok? Thanks 😊
I have put links to the other videos in the extended description below the video. I think that there will be a good layer of ice on the trails at the moment, so being really cautious (perhaps because of my recent crash) I would steer clear of the trails for a while. Maybe its time for me to see if I can borrow a fat bike!!!
@@cardiaccyclist7477 wouldn’t that be cool to try I agree thanks again I’ll look for those 😀 links
Great work Thank You. Uxbridge is Great. My Question for you is have you made a list of trails to ride in 2022
So far I want to ride the Lake Erie and Northern Rail Trail. I am open to suggestions for other trails to explore.
what about the simcoe county loop? looking at doing that in the spring after watching your video
It's great I loved it. I consider it a series of trails though, Oro Medonte, North Simcoe etc. and one of those trails, the Tiny Rail Trail got an honourable mention.
Of the 5 rail trails can our defy with 32mm tire handle it with ease?
I had no problems when I was running the 32mm Gavia Fondo. The roughest of those trails is probably Haliburton, and even that gave the tires no issues. I now run WTB Byway 34mm and these have even fewer issues.
Good list. Check out Ontario By Bike. Their site has good info. How do you get to trail head, and back home?
I will definitely give it a look
Hi...what bike and what tire do you use ? :)
Giant Defy Advanced 2 with Vittoria Terreno Dry