Western Greenbelt Trails

Most of the trails that I have mapped have been in the Western Greenbelt between Nepean and Kanata in the zone designated as Core Natural Area, and in particular the Stony Swamp area, as I can ride from home to all of these trails. These trails include the Old Quarry and Jack Pine trail networks, the Lime Kiln Trail and parts of the Rideau Trail. The NCC does publish an official map of these trails but it does not include the large number of unofficial undocumented trails that interconnect with the official trails. My projects sets out to map all of the trails in the Western Greenbelt.

Background on the National Capital Greenbelt (from the NCC)

The Greenbelt is a 20,350 hectare band of open lands and forests surrounding the nation's Capital on the Ontario side of the Ottawa River. It was first proposed in 1950 by French planner Jacques Gréber as part of an overall plan to create a beautiful and distinctive setting for the national Capital. The Greenbelt was intended to protect the rural land bordering the Capital from the haphazard urban sprawl typical of so many other cities.

Acting on Gréber's plan, the federal government began acquiring land in 1956. Today, the Greenbelt encircles the Capital from Shirleys Bay on the west to Green's Creek on the east. Most of the total area, or 14,950 hectares, is owned and managed by the National Capital Commission. The rest is held by other federal departments and private interests.

In the Greenbelt, the nation's Capital has on its doorstep a rural environment rich in natural and historic resources. It offers a mix of sights and sounds from rolling farmlands to peaceful forests and wetlands that shelter a wide variety of plant and animal life. We hope you'll be inspired to head out and explore the Greenbelt for yourself!


For the official NCC Greenbelt Trail Maps see here.

For more information on the National Capital Greenbelt see the National Capital Commission (NCC) Greenbelt website.

Mountain Biking on the Trails

The Greenbelt trails vary from some very easy trails in parts of Old Quarry and Jack Pine to moderately technical sections of the Rideau Trail to the more advanced Lime Kiln Trail.

While mountain biking is officially prohibited on the Greenbelt Trails, it is tolerated. In the words of an from an email from an NCC representative, dated May 12, 2006

We know that there is a lot of interest in off-road riding on Greenbelt hiking trails. On the other hand, section (16) of the NCC Traffic & Property Regulations states..."No person shall ride a bicycle on property of the Commission other than a driveway or on a bicycle path set aside by the Commission for the purpose...". While we have not actively tried to enforce this particular regulation, we do not condone the practice. There are long-term impacts on the trails and surrounding area, particularly rutting, trail erosion, trail widening as users veer off the designated route to avoid ruts and muddy surface, and destruction of adjacent vegetation. In the winter, we want to discourage bike riders who may travel across groomed ski tracks.

To read why I believe mountain biking should be officially allowed on the Greenbelt Trails read my submissions to the NCC Why Mountain Biking Should Be Allowed on the Greenbelt Trails and Winter Trail Conflicts on the Greenbelt Trails on my blog The Fifth Column

Posted 2009-05-30
Updated 2015-08-25

Stony Swamp Conservation Area Trails

More detailed maps of the trail systems within the Stony Swamp Conservation Area can be found following this posting.

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

GPX files - Google Docs

Background Information From the National Capital Commission (NCC)

Stony Swamp Conservation Area comprises almost 2000 hectares of woodland, wetland and regenerating old field, and has the largest forested area in the Greenbelt. The upland and wetland habitats found in the area include examples of most of the types of natural habitats that can be found in Ontario south of the Ottawa River.

Over 700 species of plants are known from Stony Swamp. Many interesting plant communities can be found here including a sugar maple forest, small alvar clearings, marsh wetlands and beaver ponds, and regenerating pastures. Stony Swamp Conservation Area also supports a large variety of wildlife such as Canada geese and other waterfowl, beaver, woodland birds and northern flying squirrel.

The Stony Swamp Conservation Area offers the greatest diversity of trails and activities, including: interpretive exhibits on geology and natural history; wetland boardwalks; a winter bird-feeding station; historic sites such as the Lime Kiln; and portions of the Rideau and Trans Canada trails.

The area itself is bordered to the north by Robertson Road; to the east by Highway 416; to the south by Fallowfield Road and to the west by Eagleson Road.

Trails in this area include:

-Jack Pine Trail (includes boardwalk, accessible via parking lot P9, trail length: 3,1 km)
-Old Quarry Trail (includes boardwalk, accessible via parking lot P5, trail length: 3,1 km)
-Beaver Trail and Chipmunk Trail (includes boardwalk, accessible via parking lot P8, trail lengths: 1,2 km and 0,7 km)
-Sarsaparilla Trail (Parking lot P7, trail length: 0,9 km)
-Lime Kiln Trail (Parking lot P10, trail length: 2,1 km)
-Trail #23 (Parking lot P5, trail length: 2,6 km)
-Trail #24 (Parking lot P5 or P6, trail length: 3,4 km)
-Trail #25 (Parking lot P6, trail length: 3,5 km)
-Trail #26 (Parking lot P8, P9 or P11, trail length: 3,8 km)
-Trail #27 (Parking lot P11 or P13, trail length: 3 km)
-Trail #28 (Parking lot P13, trail length: 2,3 km)

To view these and other trails within the Greenbelt, please consult the our official NCC maps available here.

More information on Stony Swamp Conservation Area can be found on our Web site.

Posted 2011-10-11
Updated 2016-07-02

Monaghan Forest Trails

The Monaghan Forest Trails are almost in my back yard yet I was unaware of them for years. This is likely because they are not on any of the National Capital Commission (NCC) maps nor on the list of City of Ottawa conservation areas, although an after the fact search discovered mentions on several bird watching sites. I have a fellow mountain biker to thank for suggesting I check them out.

 

The Monaghan Forest Trails cover a variety of terrain from bush to grassy areas and includes forest roads, double track trails and even some technical single track.

The trails are located in a corner between Old Richmond Road, Fallowfield Road and Moodie Drive, north of Steeple Hill Crescent and south of a working quarry. You can access the trails from a parking lot on Fallowfield Road across from the Valleyview Little Animal Farm. There is also a parking lot on Alti Place, off of Moodie Drive.

Interestingly I did notice a few trees with what looked like NCC trail markers on them that the trees had grown over. They were also higher up the tree than normal suggesting they moved up with the trees growth. So if they were once NCC trails that was quite a few years ago.

Rideau Trail

The Rideau Trail runs through this area and interestingly the other maps I looked at do not agree on exactly where it goes. Even the official Rideau Trail map does not match where the trail goes according to the signage. The map on this website reflects the signage, the orange triangles used along the rest of the Rideau Trail.

Warning

At the end of Kyhmer Court where the Rideau Trail enters the Monaghan Forest Trails there is a trail going northeast in a loop with a spur off of it. That spur ends at a gravel road that goes around a working quarry. For some reason there is no fence at that point but the road clearly is on private property and should be avoided. I understand the road around the quarry goes dangerously close to the edge of the pit cliffs in places.

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

I hope to add photos or slide shows to each of the specific trail sections above in the future.

Posted 2016-09-03

Richard's Hybrid & E-Bikeable Routes - Introduction

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

Routes and Maps, including Official Cycling Map for Ottawa-Gatineau and the Outaouais Region

Capital Pathway Network and Cycling - NCC (including closures)

NOKIA Sunday Bikedays - NCC  

Cycling in the Greenbelt - NCC

Cycling in Gatineau Park - NCC

Winter Cycling Pilot Project - NCC

"Cycling" search - NCC website

Cycling (City of Ottawa)

Bike Ottawa Maps

 

Ottawa by Bike 

 

Hans on the Bike Ottawa Cycling in Ottawa (including Ottawa Cycling Maps) 

City of Ottawa Self Guided Cycling Tours of Rural Cycling Routes: CBC Article;  Maps

"Cycling" - search on City of Ottawa website

Kanata North Cycling Map

Kanata South Cycling Map 

Cycling in Ottawa (Ottawa Tourism)

Google Maps - Cycling Ottawa

Ottawa OpenStreetMap

Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail (Rail Trail)

Log Driver's Waltz Bikepacking Route - Ottawa Valley and Outaouais regions:  

Canadian Cycling Magazine Article & Website

 

OttawaVeloOutaouais – Biking around Ottawa and the Outaouais

GoBiking.ca (bike routes and rides in Ontario & Quebec, with emphasis on Ottawa-Gatineau area)
 
Ontario By Bike - Ottawa

GPS gpx Files

The gpx files for my hybrid routes can be downloaded by clicking this link:

GPX files - Google Docs

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.

Posted 2012-04-02
Updated 2024-07-27