Photo Credit: Peterborough & The Kawarthas Tourism
Peterborough & the Kawarthas is a cyclists’ playground with an extensive network of paved and gravel cycling routes and off-road trails, all meandering through rolling hills, scenic farmland, cottage country lakes, and along the Trent-Severn Waterway.
In Peterborough & the Kawarthas:
- Cycle on the Trans Canada Trail east and west from the city on a multi-day rail trail adventure, connecting to Lindsay and Uxbridge in the west, and Hastings and Campbellford to the east.
- Explore the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Classics, 3 signed, signature paved road cycling routes ranging from 45 to 100km beginning on the banks of the Otonabee River in Peterborough.
- Discover exhilarating mountain biking at Harold Town Conservation Area
- Rent a bike and discover local curated paved and gravel cycling routes from local shop Wild Rock Outfitters.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Road Routes
Known as ‘The Peterborough & the Kawarthas Classics’, they make up 3 signed road cycling routes in Peterborough & the Kawarthas. Each route has a long and short loop ranging from 45 to 100 km and all start and end in the City of Peterborough at the picturesque Millennium Park overlooking Little Lake. Detailed route info and downloadable maps are 
available from the Peterborough & the Kawathas’ website: www.thekawarthas.ca/experience/cycling
- Route 1: Lakes, Rivers & Cafes (60 km) – An ideal 60 km route for training or casual rides, with stunning views of Chemong Lake and long stretches of riding alongside the Otonabee River. Surfaces include bike paths and cycling lanes and quieter county roads. Shorter Route Option – Route 1a: Lakes, Rivers & Cafes (45 km).
- Route 2: The Cottage Country (100 km) – Cycle alongside the Otonabee River north to Lakefield before exploring cottage country and the farming communities east of Peterborough. Surfaces include bike paths, cycling lanes and quiet back roads with minimal traffic. Shorter Route – Route 2a: The Cottage County (80 km)
- Route 3: Hills, Views & Pastries (80 km) – This route has challenging uphill climbs, but with these, also comes breathtaking scenic vistas, including views of Rice Lake. Surfaces include bike paths, cycling lanes and quieter county roads with minimal traffic. Shorter Route – Route 3a: Hills, Views & Pastries (65 km).
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Cycling Video
Additional Routes in Peterborough & the Kawarthas
The Bike to the Borough Project – Routes
A website that has unofficial local cycling routes and mapped suggested connections into and out of Peterborough from the Greenbelt Route that runs south of Rice Lake along the Oak Ridges Moraine all the way into Toronto.
- Bike to the Borough Short (City) Routes – For more casual recreational riders there are 8 routes mapped out for shorter rides in and near city of Peterborough and into the County. Travelling the Trails – 17 km; Otonabee River Cruise – 34 km; A Taste of Drumlins – 35 km; Cottage Country Cruise – 28 km; The Dirty Concessions – 26 km; The Wallace Point Loop – 26 km; Keene About BBQ – 38 km; The Tour du Tarts – 23 km. Check out their website for longer routes around the County and further afield.
- Bike to the Borough – Longer Rides – a compilation of longer favourite local cycling routes, including a variety of mixed terrain (gravel and pavement) rides and exclusively paved road rides. Routes range from 50 to 140 km.
Wild Rock Outfitters – Route Library
Wild Rock, a local outdoors store and bike shop in Peterborough, hosts an extensive cycling route collection on their website, where users can sort by route type, length and terrain, including a number of gravel or mixed terrain rides.
In addition to a wealth of day rides, they have also developed two weekend-oriented overnight bikepacking routes that traverse unpaved roads and trails through Peterborough County. A third longer bikepacking route, the North of Seven 770 can be found in the Cross-Regional Trails & Routes section of this page.
- A Great Daycation or Introduction to Bikepacking – 94 km – either a long scenic day out on the bike or a great two day introduction to bikepacking with quiet gravel roads and smooth rail trails, historic sites at Hope Mill, Lang Village and Hastings, and views of beautiful Rice Lake.
- The Northern Way – 217 km – Nestled in the heart of the Kawarthas, this route heads north of Peterborough for a loop around the Canadian Shield. Riders will follow a line in the dirt, heading north from Peterborough, over rocks and through rivers, bisecting the Kawartha Highlands down the middle before making their way back down through the fertile farmlands we all know.
- Rotary Greenway Trail – This multi-use rail trail will take cyclists from Little Lake in downtown Peterborough along the Otonabee River to Trent University and on to
Lakefield. The off-road trail is 15 km in length. It is paved in the city limits and limestone surface north of Trent University. - Jackson Creek Trail – Running from Jackson Park in Peterborough and connecting to the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail to Omemee, this 4.5 km off-road trail is flat and has a smooth crushed limestone surface. The trail follows the Jackson Creek, forests and farmland. From Peterborough to Omemee is 20 km one-way, with the scenic Doube’s Trestle Bridge 12 km west of Peteborough.
- Part of the Trans Canada Trail, the trail continues west to Lindsay and Uxbridge, and connections can be made east through the City of Peterborough to Hastings and Campbellford.
- Lang-Hastings Trail – This 33 km rail trail runs from Peterborough southeast to Hastings through scenic farmland, woodlots, wetlands, and alongside the Trent River/Trent Severn Waterway with views of the rolling Trent Hills. The trail crosses the Indian River and passes close to Lang Pioneer Village.
- Part of the Trans Canada Trail, trail connections can be made further east to Campellford, or west through the city of Peterborough to the Jackson Creek trail and to Omemee and Lindsay.
- Parkway Trail -This 4.2 km paved off-road trail through the City of Peterborough can connect cyclists to the downtown area, Trans Canada Trail and the Riverview Park and Zoo (free admission).
- B.E.L. Rotary Bridgenorth Trail – The 2.3 km trail runs from the Peterborough city limits to the Town of Bridgenorth, and is lined with native trees, and boasts a peaceful and tranquil setting amidst the Miller Creek Wetlands.
Harold Town Conservation Area – With over 10 km of trails with scenic views atop a glacial drumlin, Harold Town Conservation Area trails are ideal for both quick spins and combined laps for epic adventures. The trail network consists of a double track loop trail, with connecting single-track trails, berms, technical rock gardens, switch-back climbs, rock pile features, log hops, bridges, small rock drops and tight turns.
The Harold Town Conservation Area trails have been constructed and are maintained in accordance with the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) guidelines and standards. Upkeep and maintenance of the trail network is coordinated through the Peterborough Trailbuilders Association (PTA). Otonabee Conservation established an agreement with the PTA which allows for the maintenance, improvement and construction of trails and trail infrastructure within designated portions of the property.
Trans Canada Trail (TCT) – The TCT is a four-season, multi-use trail system with various surface types and users. A number of the region’s trails are incorporated within this larger, national trail including:
- Jackson Creek Trail – heads west from Peterborough connecting to the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail leading to Omemee and Lindsay
- Rotary and City of Peterborough Trails
- Lang-Hastings Trail – heads southeast from Peterborough towards Hastings
- Greenbelt Route –
The Greenbelt route is 475 km on-road cross-provincial signed cycling route through the beautiful, protected countryside of Ontario’s Greenbelt from Niagara Region to Northumberland County. It is routed south of Peterborough through Durham Region and Northumberland County but connects to Peterborough via the 200 km Oak Ridges to Lake Loop, a Greenbelt Route Cycling Itinerary. - Enjoy lush forests, winding rivers, welcoming communities, and family farms as you pedal through some of southern Ontario’s diverse and stunning landscapes.
-
- For more information visit: www.greenbelt.ca/explore to view an online interactive map with digital route maps, and visit www.ontariobybike.ca/greenbelt for links to cycling itineraries and printable PDF maps of: the entire route; 7 day trip itinerary sheets; 13 Great Lakes to Greenbelt cycling itineraries, plus the larger 1000km Grand Greenbelt and Great Lakes Route.
- Ontario By Bike Ride (Uxbridge-Kawarthas-Trent Severn) – For a number of years, Ontario By Bike has hosted a small group tour on two-day cycling trips along portions of the Trans Canada and other trails (total distance between 84 and 119 km, depending on finish location). One route itinerary starts in Uxbridge and takes riders through Lindsay to Peterborough/Lakefield. Another starts in Campbellford, continuing to Peterborough, Lindsay and Fenelon Falls. 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.
- North of Seven 770 – developed by the folks at Wildrock Outfitters, this route is a 770 km bikepacking route starting and ending in Peterborough traversing gravels roads, old logging roads and rough ATV tracks north of Highway 7, through the Kawartha Highlands and along the Canadian Shield east to the Ottawa Valley. Though much of route is quite remote, there are plenty of food sources along the way with a mix of restaurants, general stores and breweries scattered across the length of the route, plus camping options at provincial parks, private campgrounds, inns and on crown land. Ideal time to ride is August to October due to the risk of flooding enroute.
- Peterborough Cycling and Trails Map. Map. City of Peterborough. 2022. The 5th Edition of this popular map includes information on the new Peterborough & the Kawarthas Classic Road Cycling Routes, as well as Rotary Greenway Trail, Parkway Trail, Trans Canada Trail to Omemee and the Stewart Hall Loop.
- You can pick up maps at Peterborough City Hall and local cycling shops, with more information about local cycling routes and services.
- Bike to the Borough – Digital route maps for suggested connections into and out of Peterborough from the Greenbelt Route that runs south of Rice Lake along the Oak Ridges Moraine all the way into Toronto. Website also includes short routes for cycling around Peterborough.
- Wild Rock Cycling Routes – Wild Rock, a local outdoors store and bike shop in Peterborough, hosts an extensive cycling route collection on their website, where users can view route maps and sort by route type, length and terrain, including paved road routes, gravel and mixed terrain rides, and multi-day bikepacking routes.
- More city cycling information and maps available here: City of Peterborough Transportation Demand Management
*Please note there are many additional map guides for the region that cyclists may find interesting or useful. New maps and guides are produced yearly, and the information listed here may change.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas – Related Blogs
Ontario’s Best Cycling Loops: Full Circle Adventures
Out-and-back or a loop? Find a collection of diverse must-ride best road and gravel loops in Ontario to help plan a two-wheel adventure.
Locks, Rivers & Discovery Ride in Peterborough & the Kawarthas
One of the allures of committing to a ride with a group of friends or a cycling club is that it often takes you to new places, roads, and trails, and motivates you to get going. So that’s why when the Peterborough, Trent-Severn and Lilac Ride date was set earlier this year, I was quick to sign up with my club friends for what I knew would be a good one.
Winter Cycling & Fat Biking in Ontario
While many Canadian cyclists may be fair weather riders, there is a large and growing contingent of cyclists that actively bike 12 months a year. Whether it is for transportation or recreation, getting outside and being physically active, in a safe manner, is more important than ever. Here are some top tips for winter cycling plus info on fat biking in the snow, rentals and trail destinations.
Waterways & Wheels – Cycling Through Ontario’s Heritage
What is one of Ontario's best assets? Water, of course! Ontario is home to the Great Lakes (a mammoth 20% of the earth's fresh surface water) and thousands of inland lakes. It's also known as the province with the most canals and waterways, built originally for shipping and military reasons. So, it's no surprise Ontario has a rich maritime history just waiting to be explored.
Destination & Regional Partners
