This is not a "blog" in the sense of a daily journal but a place for me to post GPS trail maps of mountain biking and hiking trails, particularly but not exclusively, in the western Greenbelt in Ottawa, Ontario.
Hybrid & E-Bikeable Routes and National Capital Region Cycling Routes and Resources are also included on this site,
Date codes do not reflect actual posting dates but are manipulated to allow me to order the posts in a thematic order.
This is the last trail system in the western Greenbelt that was left for me to map and surprisingly I was able to do it in one session with one track. Thanks to the high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver there is not much variance in the overlap where I rode some sections several times as I connected up all the trail sections.
I knew there were some trails in this system not on the official NCC Map but it wasn't until I went looking for all of them to map that I realized how many there were in the eastern portion of the system. However many of these are very narrow through tall grass or with bushes tight to the trail, quite interesting to ride.
This trail system is not very technical but fun to ride anyway with some side trails providing great views of the Ottawa River.
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
These are a few photos taken with my GPS the day I tracked (mapped) these trails.
This is somewhat different than most trail maps posted so far, in that these paths and trails are all easily rideable on a hybrid and were mapped while riding my hybrid.
This pathway trail system is 12 km in total distance (one way, all sections). These paths and trails are across Carling Avenue from Trail 10 (NCC Parking Lot P2) and the pathway to Shirley's Bay. They are between the Watts Creek Pathway and Carling Place, the former Nortel Networks Campus which will be taken over by the Department of National Defence (DND). I usually ride through sections of it on my rides from Bridlewood to Britannia.
Please note that some of these trails have been closed off, but are now easily accessible and no attempt seems to have been made to re-close them. They are noted on the map as "unauthorized trails" and I believe they are on public lands (NCC and/or City of Ottawa).
GPS gpx Files
The gpx file for this trail system (and other trail systems) can be downloaded by clicking the link below:
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.
This section of the website differs from the rest as it does not involve comprehensive maps of pathway systems, like my trail system maps, as they already exist and will be linked to below.
Since I ride my E-Bike (previously my hybrid) on the local roads and paths, as well as my mountain bike on the trails I thought I would post some of my favourite routes for people that are looking for paved, or easy gravel or sand-dust, routes to ride. Since I ride both throughout the season I will not wait till I finish mapping all the trails to start posting these maps.
For specific hybrid & e-bikeable routes go back to the Jump Links. More routes and maps will come later but below see existing maps of the local pathway systems and cycling routes.
National Capital Region Cycling Routes and Resources
If you do not have a GPS unit you can still use the gpx files by loading them onto software that has background maps such as TopoFusion, or Google Earth, and see the detailed routes over the maps or satellite image.
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.
This is an enjoyable 38 kilometre route that is almost entirely on paths (or easy gravel/dirt trails) with only a few blocks of connecting roads in a couple of places. Much of it is through forested land in the Greenbelt.
The Maps
(Double Click to Enlarge Full Size)
The Route
PRELIMINARY NOTE: This reads more complicated than it is. Once you are on the route it is quite intuitive.
The route starts in Bridlewood along Equestrian Drive (not far from the Real Canadian Superstore parking lot on Eagleson Road) where the large hydro line crosses the street.
You start by going up the hill that comes out at the the sidewalk and along a paved path that becomes gravel. It follows the large hydro line east, crossing a couple of streets, until it reaches the entrance to NCC Trail 24 to the left heading north.
This is a wide gravel and dirt forest access road, Turn left and follow it north (passing another wide access road to the right) until you intersect with the old railway right of way (now the Ottawa-Carleton Trailway and part of the Trans-Canada Trail), a wide gravel and stone dust path.
Turn right heading northeast on the Trans-Canada trail and cross the trestle over Robertson Road, then go the left and then west for a short distance before heading north on the Greenbelt Pathway. There will be a gate blocking motorized traffic and a farm field along both sides.
The gravel Greenbelt Pathway travels through wooded areas and crosses Timm Drive before going underneath the Queensway and crossing Corkstown Road. It continues until it intersects the paved Watts Creek Pathway at the bottom of a hill.
At this point you can choose to take a shorter 22 kilometre route if you wish by turning left and heading north on the Watts Creek Pathway until you come to an intersection and the path goes left, west under the rail line. If you wish to do that skip ahead to (Shorter Route Continues Here).
To continue to Britannia turn right heading east on the Watts Creek Pathway and continue to Moodie Drive.
Cross Moodie Drive and follow the path alongside a field and across Corkstown Road. The path then stays near the Queensway going east until it veers away and comes out at Holly Acres Road.
At Holly Acres Road use a dedicated cycling crossing and continue to Carling Avenue where you cross at another dedicated cycling crossing. At that point go right following the Ottawa River Pathway northeast along the Ottawa River until you reach Britannia Beach.
At this point I usually ride around the pier and along the edge of the grassy area by the river before rejoining the Watts Creel Pathway heading back southwest towards Moodie Drive.
After you cross Moodie Drive divert from the original route by going right, north on the paved path and take the first left, west on a gravel path. Follow the gravel path, staying left at intersections till you come to an open area where you can see the Watts Creek Pathway ahead and a partially open gate to the right. At this point we go off “official” paths for a short distance.
If you do not want to leave the official paths, skip the next paragraph and continue straight to the Watts Creek Pathway and turn right heading west. Continue on the paved path until you come to an intersection and the path goes left, southwest under the rail line.
To continue on the planned route go right through the gate heading west and follow the trail through grassy and wooded areas till you come to a fence, Go left along the fence a very short distance until you can access the wide gravel path, Go left on the wide gravel path until you come to the paved Watts Creek Pathway and go right heading northeast until you come to an intersection and the path goes left, southwest under the rail line.
(Shorter Route Continues Here)
At this point you go under the rail line and continue to follow the Watts Creek Pathway over a creek and rail line till it ends at the top of a hill looking down where the paved path continues under March Road. Follow the path under the road and between houses and alongside a field till you get to Teron Road, At this point we are on a short road ride, Go left, south on Teron Road and cross Campeau Drive and continue till you have to turn right going southwest. Along this stretch that parallels the Queensway you will alternate between short local roads and paths through little parks till you get to a storm-water management pond.
You can leave the planned route here if you wish and ride around the pond.
On your left (from the original approach) will be a pedestrian/cycle overpass across the Queensway. Cross over that and continue southeast along Whitney Drive to Katimavik Road.
Cross Katimavik Road and take the middle pathway that runs southeast along a parkland corridor. You will cross a street and go up a hill to an intersection in the path. Go left and then right and right again around the schoolyard and come out on Chimo Drive.
Now we are on the road again for a couple of blocks. Go right, southwest uphill on Chimo Drive then go left on Anik Way which becomes Pickford Drive, Follow Pickford Drive for about two blocks southeast till you come to the parkland corridor again and take the path southeast along the parkland corridor, You will cross several streets until you reach Pickford Drive again. Go left on Pickford Drive and then right on Irwin Gate and continue till you get to Hazeldean Road.
Cross Hazeldean Road onto Carbrooke Street and turn left into the Hazeldean Mall parking lot. Drive through the parking lot till you come out at Abbeyhill Drive. (The reason to go through the parking lot is to get a 4-Way Stop at Abbeyhill Drive.) Turn left on Abbeyhill Drive and proceed to Eagleson Road.
It is best to dismount at Eagleson and cross the road via the pedestrian crosswalk.
On the other side of Hazeldean Road is a dirt/gravel path. Take it and turn right at the intersection. Continue until you reach Shetland Park where the path becomes paved and continues southeast alongside the small Bridlewood hydro line crossing the Trans-Canada Trail (old railway right of way). You will intersect with the large Bridlewood hydro line you started on. Turn right and go southwest until you reach the beginning of the route.
Hopefully you will have had an enjoyable ride.
Altitude Profile
Slide Show
Viewing Slide Show Full Screen Recommended
GPS gpx Files
The gpx file for this route (and other routes and trail systems) can be downloaded by clicking the link below:
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.
When I fist started mountain biking one of the first things I noticed
was the number of unofficial trails in the Greenbelt not on the NCC
maps, or other maps that I was aware of. So I decided to make it a
project to map all of the NCC trails in the Greenbelt, including
those not on the NCC maps. I never did get beyond the western
Greenbelt because there were enough places there to ride without
heading to the far east of the city. However I did end up adding some
trail systems not part of NCC lands. One commercial map source even
requested to use my maps in their products, to which I agreed in
exchange for a copy of the map my trail maps were included in.
Now that I have
retired from mountain biking I will not be updating these maps
anymore (although I intend to expand on the E-Bikeable routes section
of this site). I hope people will still find value in the trail
descriptions and slide shows that are not available elsewhere.
Fortunately
there are now many free options for trail maps of the Greenbelt and
other areas. One of the best is the “community driven” Open Street Map project. Despite it’s name
it has excellent trail coverage. Their
coverage of the Old Quarry Trail System, which I am most familiar
with, is excellent.
There
are a number of sites where
one can download maps based
on Open Street Map data. The one I find the most convenient and
easiest to use to download maps to load on my Garmin GPS and to
install on my computer for
use with BaseCamp or MapSource is Open Map Chest.
You
can download the Open Map Chest Canada map here.
I
also discovered another map site, 4Umaps,
that looks like it may be interesting, but more complicated. It
may be worth examining further.
For
those that like to create maps of the tracks of
their rides or
hikes to share, using
the gpx or gdb files, there is an excellent web site, GPS Visualizer,
that allows you to do this. It
uses a number of different
background maps, some based on Open Street Map, and includes
topographical
and relief maps and satellite imagery. I usually go directly here
to create my GPS visualizer maps and then take a screenshot of the
results.
Open Map Chest Canada
Sample Map Showing Track of a Ride
GPS Visualizer Sample
Maps (not all options are shown) Showing Track of a Ride
Richard W. Woodley was born in Sudbury, Ontario in 1950. He earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Laurentian University where he was the News Editor of the student newspaper Lambda and active in student politics. He was active in the New Democratic Party and Waffle in Sudbury and Kanata, as well as Kanata municipal politics. He was a member of the Bridlewood Residents Hydro Line Committee (BRHLC) and creator of the now archived Bridlewood Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) Information Service. He worked on Parliament Hill for 33 years indexing the Debates of the House of Commons (Hansard) and it's committees.
Richard has been an outdoorsperson and environmentalist for most of his life and a life long cyclist who also mountain bikes.
