Bruce County – Southwest

Cyclists overlooking Lake Huron, Port Elgin

North Shore Trail, Port Elgin. Photo Credit: VisitPortElgin.ca

Stretching from Point Clark to the southern portions of the Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County – Southwest offers cyclists frequent water views along low traffic volume, flat roads across a region defined by the coastlines of Lake Huron on the west and Georgian Bay in the east, with agricultural lands as one travels inland.

A wide-range of cycling experiences includes a number excellent regional trail systems, road routes and mountain bike facilities. The stunning road riding in Bruce County – Southwest features quieter and lake-side county roads and rural riding in the County’s hinterlands, perfect for more experienced cyclists.

A well-developed network of mountain bike locations continues to put Bruce County – Southwest on the map for mountain bike enthusiasts in Ontario and beyond. These, as well as the extensive off-road bicycle trails, including regionally significant rail trails, are attracting a variety of cyclists, including mountain bikers and recreational cyclists.

Regional Trails

Interactive Cycling Map (Saugeen Shores) – Visit the new interactive cycling map for Saugeen Shores, which includes the entire trail network as well as locations of amenities such as bike racks, washrooms, water fountains and icons for the certified bicycle friendly businesses in the communities of Port Elgin and Southampton.

  • Town of Saugeen Shores Trails:
    • Saugeen Rail Trail – Approximately 11km in length, this trail features a combination of surfaces including, stone dust, asphalt and woodchip. The trail connects Southampton, Saugeen Township and Port Elgin. Options to loop back along the scenic North Shore Road creates a loop with lake views. Trail connects to the 80km Bruce County Rail Trail (see info below).
    • North Shore Trail – Approximately 6km in length, this separated paved trail connects the communities of Port Elgin and Southampton along the Lake Huron coastline. This waterfront trail offers stunning lake vistas and views of Chantry Island. This is a multi-use accessible trail and part of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail route through Bruce County.
    • Gore Drain Trail – Approximately 3km in length, the Gore Drain Trail connects the MacGregor Provincial Park trails to the Saugeen Rail Trail. The trail is a stone dust surface, and takes cyclists past the Port Elgin Airport.
    • Woodland & Biener’s Bush Trails – These trails are approximately 4.5km combined and connect the communities Port Elgin and Southampton through a forest trail. The trail surface is wood chips and best suited for mountain bikes. Pedestrians and horseback riders are permitted.
    • Shipley Trail – Approximately 2km in length, the Shipley Trail is an ideal connection for cyclists riding south from Port Elgin to Gobles Grove beach, or onto the trails at MacGregor Provincial Park. The trail has a wood chip surface, and runs through a natural forested area. Part of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail route through Bruce County.
    • Captain Spence Path – A short 0.8km path that takes riders from the Southampton Main Beach to the Southampton harbour and Pioneer Park with views over Lake Huron.
  • Macgregor Provincial Park – This provincial park has approximately 14km of trails suitable for hybrid or mountain bikes. Some trails get rough in areas, including the Lake Ridge Trail. Trails feature campgrounds lake views, cedar groves and opportunities for wildlife and waterfowl viewing. Cycling along trails is recommended over cycling on park roads, which can get very busy.
    • A highlight is the 6km Old Shore Road Trail – This trail follows the Lake Huron shoreline and offers excellent views of the shore and beach areas. In pioneer days it was part of the route that provided land transportation between Goderich and Southampton. This trail was formerly a roadway and has a firm base for cycling. It serves as an excellent link to various areas in the park.
  • Saugeen River Trail – This trail is approximately 5.5km and runs along the Saugeen River into the town of Walkerton. This trail is primarily hard-packed gravel with multiple parking locations and 8 access points and loops.
  • Bruce County Rail Trail – This trail is approximately 80km through the towns of Mildmay, Walkerton, Paisley to Port Elgin, southerly to Bruce Power from Port Elgin. The Rail Trail is a multi-use trail resource that includes a variety of permitted motorized and non-motorized use. Motorized uses include snowmobiles, ATVs, and Dual Sport Motorcycles with a valid permit. Over the past five years, surface improvements have been completed to cover the old ballast stone with finer aggregate, enhancing accessibility for walking and cycling. These improvements are now complete. The county will continue to perform routine maintenance annually to ensure the trails remain safe and enjoyable for the public.
  • Paisley Trail – A 6km linear trail travels through fields and forests to downtown Paisley passing the historical Hose Tower and Town Hall. The trail continues across the Teeswater River Bridge to the flood dykes along the Saugeen River.
  • Kincardine Trails – The town of Kindcardine boasts a network of interconnected trails. Totalling approximately 30km, the network brings cyclists along the shores of Lake Huron and north and south of the Penetangore River. An interactive map that lets you filter by individual trail can be found HERE
    • Blue Trail – This 9 km trail now connects to the Red Trail in the east and the Pink Trail in the west and traverses both natural settings and parklands.
    • Red Trail – At 6 km, this trail allows cyclists to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Penetangore River as it meanders along the river and through parklands.
    • Green Trail – Cyclists will enjoy this 6 km trail as it explores the eastern portions of Kincardine south of the harbour.
    • Yellow Trail – This 5 km trail features cycling along marshes and wetlands with excellent opportunities for bird watching. The trail also connects to both the Green Trail at Kincardine Ave and the Pink Trail at Goderich Street.
    • Pink Trail – At 4 km this linear trail stretches along the waterfront from the southern municipal boundary and features a scenic ride with access to the beach, board walk and other paved path connections.

Ontario By Bike Ride – Huron Coast Explorer – Ontario By Bike hosted a small group tour in September, 2024 called the Huron Coast Explorer, a three-day, two-night cycling trip based from the Saugeen Shores and Kincardine areas. Day 1 explores the countryside of Huron-Kinloss near Kincardine, with a stop at the Point Clark National Historic Site. Day 2 based from Port Elgin rides the North Shore Trail and Great Lakes Waterfront Trail north to Southampton and Sauble Beach and back. Day 3 rides east to the Saugeen River valley, visiting the charming town of Paisley.  Ontario By Bike made available both digital and pdf mapping, as well as a self-guided itineraries to share with individuals and groups that may be interested in riding the same route.

The following routes are found on the Explore the Bruce – Cycling webpage and the Bruce County Cycling Routes print and PDF map. See the Published Maps section for more information.

  • Saugeen First Nation #29 – This 62km looped route takes cyclists from Sauble Beach south to Southampton and includes 17 km of gravel roads.
  • Beach Hop – From Southampton to Port Elgin this route features a 17km loop on rail trail or a longer 22 km loop incorporating more road riding. Both routes include paved road and hard packed rail trail surfaces.
  • Beaches South – From Port Elgin to Kincardine, this 110km linear (out-and-back) route features 2 provincial parks and conservation areas. 3 km is unpaved in Brucedale Conservation Area.
  • Saugeen River – A 45km paved loop from Port Elgin to Paisley with a 6 km unpaved section. The route circles the Saugeen River between the two communities.
  • Lighthouses South – A 55km loop entirely on paved roads, this route explores the southern reaches of Bruce County between Kincardine and Point Clark.
  • Beaches North – Either 70km out-and-back, or a 91 km loop from Wiarton to Lion’s Head and back. Shorter version entirely on paved surface, while longer route has 4 km of gravel.
  • Best of the Bays – This 74km loops starts and ends in Wiarton and extends north east out to the tip of Cape Croker and lighthouse. The final 9 km of this route are unpaved.
  • Escarpment – 60km loop, fully paved and with views of Georgian Bay and Niagara Escarpment. Services, amenities and scenic lookouts along route.
  • Coast 2 Coast – This 47km (or expanded 65km) loop is fully paved with options to start at either Wiarton, Hepworth, Sauble Beach or Oliphant.
  • Eight Mills – A metric century, this 100km ride features a tour of century-old mills in Mennonite County. Starting in Paisley, this route features mostly paved roads with short gravel areas.
  • Greenock Swamp – A 63km loop with shorter options, this route runs south from Paisley to the Greenock Swamp Complex with views of forested wetlands and the Teeswater River.
  • River Valley – Cyclists will enjoy small town Ontario on this 60km, paved loop. Starting and ending in Walkerton taking in the communities of Hanover, Neustadt and others.

Part of the tourism initiative Secrets of the Back Forty, the Township of Huron-Kinloss, including the towns of Ripley, Lucknow and the community of Point-Clark have developed new cycling routes and itineraries, including the following:

  • Back Forty Roadie Ramble – Connecting Huron Kinloss’s quiet rural landscapes with the dramatic Lake Huron shoreline, and some tasty restaurants is what the Back Forty Roadie Ramble is all about. This relaxed 58km ride begins and ends in the village of Ripley with lots of parking, and a clean washroom at Lewis Park.
  • Back Forty Gravel Grind –  Starting and ending in the ‘quintessential rural Canadian town’ of Lucknow, this 65km itinerary, or alternate 55km loop will take riders past scenic farms, through tree-covered canopies, and enjoy stops along the way to fuel up on delicious treats. This route travels through all kinds of hidden detours and showcases the heartbeat of ‘the Back Forty’, aka the Township of Huron-Kinloss.

Southampton Gravel – This website includes gravel cycling routes for Saugeen Shores and Bruce County curated by local cycling club Southampton Handlebar Club, with the website sponsored by Southampton’s Martin’s Bicycle Shop. This website and resource includes gravel road routes and routes incorporating portions of local rail trails. Routes range from 10 to 200km, and include beginner rides and more advanced rides exploring the broader county and neighbouring regions. The website also includes information about types of gravel roads found in the area and links to rent traditional and e-bikes from Martin’s Bicycle Shop.

For additional information and resources for mountain biking in Bruce County, visit Explore The Bruce Website

  • Mountain Bike Adventure Park, Wiarton – Well known for its technical riding, this park has approximately 20km of trail in addition to a pump track. This track is a continuous loop of compact soil. Features include rollers and berms and both easy and difficult, single and double track mountain biking.
  • Brant Tract, Paisley – This trail network contains 20km of single track ranging from easy to difficult with all trail intersections marked.
  • Carrick Tract, Mildmay – The riding season on these trails are long and include an 8km network mostly of single track. The terrain offers some great climbs and spectacular views.
  • Lindsay Tract, Miller Lake – This property has roughly 15km of single track, with a growing number of experiences for all riders!
  • Stoney Island Conservation Area – Approximately 8km of trails, developed by the Kincardine cross-country ski club, include, combination ridge climbs, hill climbs, curved and banked downhill runs, pretty rough terrain and bridge crossings.
  • Inverhuron Bike Park – Located adjacent to the Inverhuron Provincial Park, north of Kincardine, the bike park offers a cross country course with climbing and hills.
  • Hepworth Sawmill Trails – Located just east of Hepworth, these trails offer a network of forested singletrack and sandy trails for mountain biking in a scenic conservation area.

great lakes waterfront trail

The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail – Stretching over 3600km, the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail is a route connecting over 151 communities and First Nations along the Canadian shores of the Great Lakes: Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, Lake Erie, Detroit River and Lake St Clair, Lake Huron, Georgian Bay and the North Channel. The fully signed Trail uses the safest infrastructure possible, a mix of both on-road and off-road facilities, and is primarily paved, with sections of unpaved path and gravel roads. It can be enjoyed for as part of a day trip or on a multi-day long distance cycling adventure.

The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail traverses the entire Bruce County and the south west, starting south of Kincardine to Southampton and all the way to Tobermory.

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