South March Highlands Conservation Forest Intermediate Mountain Biking Trails

The South March Highlands is home to the most natural and technical mountain biking trails within the City of Ottawa, that are considered to be amongst the ten best mountain biking trails in Canada. The extensive trail network includes trails on city-owned land as well as trails on private land slated for development. The Ottawa Mountain Bike Association (OMBA) maintains a sustainable trail network within the City-owned South March Highlands Conservation Forest for which the City is now developing a management plan.

(click on all maps to enlarge images)
Although this trail network is a favourite amongst advanced and elite mountain bikers it does include trails that less experienced riders can enjoy. The map above shows the trails that are rode by the Group D beginner group during OMBA group rides. However, in the broader context of mountain biking trails in the Ottawa area, including the Greenbelt trails, these are better described as intermediate level trails.

This map includes some new trail names, as some trails have been renamed as OMBA prepares to publish a new map in co-operation with the City, along with providing signage within the trail system.

The "FB" trail, with it's rather infamous history that I will not go into here, is being renamed. A request was made that the trail be named to honour the woman, Sharon, who built the trail for her sled dogs and it was decided to rename the trail Dog Sled Trail.

The Rockhopper Extension has been renamed Porcupine Trail to eliminate confusion with the main Rockhopper Trail.

The trail sometimes referred to as Bear Tree and sometimes Bearclaw will be known as Bear Tree Trail.

As the Rockhopper Junior Trail is slated to be closed By the City, I have not included it's name on the map, although the trail is still indicated, as it is still open.

The most recent OMBA map is shown below.

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.

Posted 2011-09-02
Updated 2011-10-04

South March Highlands Kanata Lakes Trails

These are the trails that I first tried serious mountain biking on. Indeed the first time I tried them on my old CCM I turned around and rode the gravel paths on the parking lot side of the road. But that did inspire me to invest in a proper entry level full suspension mountain bike and venture to join an MTB Kanata group ride. But after being left in the dust I turned around and rode the easy trails again, only to find out later that the other riders had been waiting for me further up the trail. After a few MTB Kanata group rides in the Greenbelt I ventured out with the group again on the KL trails and have been riding them and the trails in the SMH Conservation Forest ever since.

Please click on the maps posted below to enlarge the images

The trails referred to as the Kanata Lakes Trails are the trails in the South March Highlands that are southeast of the Conservation Forest Trails that the Ottawa Mountain Bike Association group rides are held on (between Goulbourn Forced Road and the new Terry Fox Drive Extension). These are primarily on the KNL Urbandale lands (Phase 7) that are slated for destruction. The trails mapped also include some trails in what was called the "dark side" where the landowners had posted No Trespassing signs and fenced off the land. These trails now seem to all be accessible again, at least some of the land having been purchased by the City, the rest owned by developers and slated for destruction.

I started mapping these trails in May this year and wrote about it on my blog The Fifth Column.

Most of these trails were originally nature trails and cross-country ski trails as the old City of Kanata Map below (date unknown) indicates.


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.

Posted 2011-08-16
Updated 2011-10-04