Lime Kiln Trail System

This is the trail system that includes the trail I put off riding for over a season due to it's reputation as the most technical trail in the Greenbelt. Indeed the first four or five time I rode it I endoed or crashed at least once. Finally I can ride the whole trail, though not without dabbing or stopping and restarting a few times.


The Lime Kiln Trail System can be accessed from the other side of P6 on Richmond Road or from P8 and P10 on Moodie Drive or from a gravel trail on Richmond Road south of the McDonald's. Please do not park in the Wild Bird Care Centre parking lot on Moodie Drive.

My usual starting point is across from P6 as that goes from “my neighbourhood trails”. This first section of trail is quite rocky till you make a 90 degree turn south where the trail is usually very muddy for much of the season. There is an alternative trail alongside that is/was dry and walkable but riders have decided that one muddy trail is not enough and decided to ride it till it turned into a mud hole. In places there are three muddy sections beside each other because of this. Please do not contribute to this problem. You can read my thoughts on riding in the mud in my post in The Fifth Column.

This trail will continue all the way to the wide gravel trail that leads from Richmond Road to the Lime Kiln, meandering through fields and forests and eventually dividing into three sections, two of which go to the gravel trail, one of which goes to the Lime Kiln Bridge. None of these sections are very technical.

However if you take the first left you head directly to the Lime Kiln Bridge over a twisty, rocky and rooty technical trail.

At the bridge you will find the one kilometre technical Lime Kiln Trail. Take the trail on the left on the other side of the bridge. This trail is very technical and also features some very interesting geology. It leads right to the actual Lime Kiln. You can see photos of the Lime Kiln here and read more about lime kilns here.

At the Lime Kiln Bridge, coming from P6, the other trail on the same side goes towards the Wild Bird Care Centre. At the bottom of a hill you will find another chronic wet section that you should walk around. Riding around it just creates another mud hole. Please ride responsibly. This is a moderately technical trail until it comes to a large bridge over a swamp with a lookout onto open water. There is some really lovely scenery here.

On the other side of the bride are some easy NCC trails including the Chipmunk and Beaver Trails. At the end of these trails is P8. Across from P8 is a trail that goes into the Jack Pine Trail System. Similarly, almost but not quite across from P10 is another trail that goes into the Jack Pine Trail System.


This is another trail system that includes many intersecting trails and many unofficial trails that are not on the official NCC map. As well some of these trails are part of the Rideau Trail. Remember these are shared trail so please respect other trail users.

GPS gpx Files

The gpx file for this trail system (and other trail systems) can be downloaded by clicking the link below:

GPX files - Google Docs

If you do download the gpx file please email me at richardw.woodley@gmail.com and let me know so that I have an idea of how many people are downloading and using the files.

Photos From Lime Kiln Trail System
























Posted 2009-06-09
Updated 2011-10-04