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Easy Rider – Relaxed Cycling in Ontario’s Highlands
Not every bike ride needs to involve grueling hours spent on the road or trail. Sometimes the best rides are the ones where you take it easy, slow it down and see new communities, and maybe even stop for a bite to eat. If you’re not into wearing padded bike shorts and setting a challenging pace, plan your next ride in Ontario’s Highlands where your cycling adventure can match your mood, abilities, and bike.
Cycling in Stratford: An Intersection of Culture and Nature
Nestled in the heart of Perth County and best known as the home of the Stratford Festival, Stratford is quickly becoming a destination for cycling, boasting routes from easy in-town loops to back-country gravel adventures. With a growing number of bicycle friendly businesses, the city offers a variety of unique accommodations, restaurants ranging from fine dining to quick eats, and services to support every cyclist’s needs.
Exploring Huron County on the G2G Rail Trail
The Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail (known as the G2G) has been steadily growing in popularity since the entire length of the trail opened in 2015. The full 132km trail from Goderich to Guelph is well-signed from end to end and in good condition with a hard-packed limestone surface. While the whole trail is worth exploring, one of the most scenic sections is through Huron County, known as ‘Ontario’s West Coast’.
Hidden Gems of Kawarthas Northumberland
Most regions have their marquee trails—the ones you see on every tourism site, every biking pamphlet you pick up. Quite often they’re popular for a reason, but what’s a cyclist to do once you’ve ridden those routes, or when you’re looking to get off the beaten track? Having featured some of Kawarthas Northumberland’s best-known routes in previous posts, we thought we’d take a moment to reveal some of the area’s hidden gems.
Pick Your Ride – 10 Trail & Road Rides Across South Eastern Ontario
With ten suggested cycling itineraries and 30 plus routes to choose from, it’s easy to plan a short getaway or better yet, a week-long holiday cycling as much or as little as wanted in south eastern Ontario.
Durham’s Trails: A Path For Everyone
Stretching from the shores of Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe, the diversity of terrain in Durham is exceptional, from the paved waterfront trails in Pickering through to Bowmanville, to the smooth rail trails of Uxbridge, to the extensive mountain bike trails of the Durham’s conservation forests along and the rolling Oak Ridges Moraine.
A Perfect Weekend Getaway: Ride the Riverside Trail in Cornwall
Roll along traffic-free waterfront trails while enjoying amazing scenery, unique attractions and cozy restaurants and shops along the way. You can find all of that and more with a cycling adventure on Cornwall’s Riverside Trail.
Apple Treats & Bike Adventures in Durham Region
Find all the ingredients for a delightful ride, apple adventure and farm fresh experience in Durham Region. Sample some tasty treats at unique ride destinations following one of the region's cycling routes, or creating your own, and enjoy biking from urban centres to the many countryside settings and stops nearby.
Explore Guelph by Bike!
If you’re planning a cycling day trip, look no further! Guelph is home to an extensive and well-maintained Trail System that is perfect for cyclists. Whether you’re looking for Mountain Biking Trails at Guelph Lake, cross-regional trail systems including the Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail (G2G) and the Trans Canada Trail (TCT), or simply a family trail ride, you’ll find it in Guelph.
Escape the Usual in Ontario’s Near North
You’ve toured Ontario’s ‘wine country’ and ‘cottage country’ by bike, but now you’re in the mood for something different – the Near North. Discovery Routes, a local trail and cycling advocacy organization has developed a series of rides with just the right amount of rustic and urban for cyclists of all abilities, from roadie day-trippers to bikepackers to gravel grinders.
Spend Your Weekend in the Hills of Caledon
Whether you have a penchant for hills, undiscovered gravel backroads, a smooth rail trail or thrilling MTB trails, Caledon has it all – and it's just minutes from Toronto. Take a day or a weekend to unplug and get immersed in scenic Escarpment country – visit Caledon’s historic hamlets and villages, fuel up on local coffees, beer, baked treats and more as you explore their cycling loops designed for every type of rider.
E-Biking in Kawarthas Northumberland
The reasons people choose e-bikes are as diverse as the riders themselves, whether it’s a matter of age, ability, or simply preference. Getting on a e-bike can vastly expand the possibilities available, and for seasoned and new riders alike, Kawarthas Northumberland’s selection of routes is hard to beat.
Great Places to Cycle
Kawartha Lakes
The Kawartha Lakes. Peterborough & the Kawarthas and Northumberland County have an attractive array of on-road cycling routes that can take cyclists from vibrant waterfront communities to more rural and naturalized settings, lakes and cottage country. Stop to explore small towns and cities en route and enjoy a full range of services catering to visitors year round. Beyond which, a mix of forest and rail trails beckon, offering off-road cycling adventures to recreational riders and mountain bikers.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas
Peterborough & the Kawarthas is a cyclists' playground with an enticing collection of on-road cycling routes taking cyclists from the vibrant and historic urban core of Peterborough to the rolling hills, scenic farmland and cottage country lakes of the Kawarthas. Peterborough is nestled along the banks of the Otonabee River, part of the Trent Severn Waterway, with smooth off-road trails leading away from downtown in three directions, making for easy adventures out the city. Cycle on the Trans Canada Trail east and west from the city on a multi-day rail trail adventure, explore excellent mountain biking at Harold Town Conservation Area, or ride the many scenic and signed cycling routes around the region.
Guelph & Wellington County
Throughout Guelph & Wellington County, cyclists will find extensive well-maintained trails passing through historic and culturally-rich communities. Connections can easily be made to longer cross-regional trail systems including the Guelph to Goderich Trail (G2G) and the Trans Canada Trail (TCT). Find a variety of options for family trail rides along beautiful rivers and farmland, while more experienced road cyclists looking for a challenge will find their fill with the Guelph Cycling Club’s extensive road route library.
South Eastern Ontario
South Eastern Ontario has a wide range of bicycle routes that take cyclists across the region through vibrant communities, alongside scenic waterways and to quiet rural and naturalized settings. Explore from Quinte West, Belleville and Prince Edward County, continue eastward via Kingston and Gananoque, the 1000 Islands and the Waterfront Trail, Brockville, the St. Lawrence Seaway to Cornwall and the Quebec border.
Northwest Ontario
Cyclists in Northwest Ontario will find themselves immersed in a rugged and untouched environment, with many great trails and road routes to discover. Tear down the hills and mountainsides of the Canadian Shield, perfectly suited for mountain biking in the summer and fat biking in the wintertime. Head out on your road bike for long stretches of country roads through beautiful landscapes and small communities. A perfect destination for an off the beaten track cycling adventure.
Northeast Ontario
From the paved pathways through the city of North Bay and along its waterfront, to the quieter rural roads and trails that wind through dense forests, wetlands and the Canadian Shield; the region offers cyclists an array of experiences that are suitable for all styles and skill levels. The region features two designated Canadian Heritage Rivers; the Mattawa and French rivers, as well as the Ottawa River and Lake Nipissing.
Algoma Country – North Central
Cycling in North Central Ontario presents fantastic day trips and training options for road cyclists travelling through welcoming communities, beautiful forested areas and past sparkling waterways. Recreational cyclists will be thrilled with the shorter distance and urban cycling opportunities along established trails and quieter roads with plenty to do and see along the way. Long distance cyclists will find an epic overnight touring route stretching across the region, perfect for a bucket-list cycling experience.
Manitoulin Island & LaCloche Foothills
Manitoulin Island & the LaCloche Foothills are attractive destinations for both recreational and touring cyclists. On the island, quiet roadways take cyclists past scenic vistas, 108 inland lakes and lush forested areas allowing cyclists to experience unique attractions enroute and connect with the area's rich cultural heritage and First Nations communities.
Muskoka and Algonquin
Cyclists visiting Muskoka and Algonquin Provincial Park will enjoy a destination with a remarkably diverse range of cycling experiences. From trails to mountain biking to the fantastic road riding across the region, cycling in Muskoka and Algonquin connect the spectacularly scenic landscapes of dense mixed forests rich with wildlife, picturesque lakes and meandering rivers and rocky Canadian Shield outcrops.
Parry Sound & Almaguin Highlands
From excellent trails and mountain biking to fantastic road riding, cyclists in the Parry Sound District will enjoy the spectacularly scenic landscapes through lush boreal forests with frequent glimpses of picturesque lakes, meandering rivers, the rocky Canadian Shield and the UNESCO designated Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve. Road riding in the Parry Sound District offers quieter roads criss-crossing through the rural landscape with opportunities to stop at quaint general stores, interesting cultural heritage sites, and welcoming communities along the way.
North – Hastings, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington
Stretching from the southern border of Algonquin Park to the northern shore of Lake Ontario, the counties of Hastings, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington offer a wide variety of road cycling experiences and number excellent regional and cross-regional trail systems and routes. The region's on-road cycling network and suggested routes incorporate a mix of landscapes from the flatter Lake Ontario basin north to the rugged Canadian Shield in the heart of Ontario's Highlands.
Ottawa Valley
The Ottawa Valley has a number of rivers and valleys interconnected throughout Ontario's Highlands. Criss-crossing the Ottawa River, Bonnechere and Madawaska Rivers, and skirting many lakes, the area has a number of mapped road riding routes. These routes include many options for stops at interesting heritage sites, artists' studios, swimming areas and communities while cycling quiet country roads and enjoying spectacularly scenic forested and often hilly landscape.