Old Quarry Trail System Remapped 2015 Updated 2020 & 2023

This trail system was the first one I mapped in 2005 using my first less accurate GPS and untried methodology. Since then I have acquired a newer more accurate GPS and refined my methodology. As well since then many trails have become grown over or abandoned and new ones have been created and discovered. Therefore I have completely remapped this trail system during July and August 2015. Some new trail sections have been added in July 2020.

These are my neighbourhood trails, less than a kilometre from home to the paths leading to the trails and under two kilometres to the actual dirt trails. That being said, It was not until I undertook this mapping project that I actually managed to ride all of the trails. As you can see from the map there is a complex network of inter-connected trails, more than half of which are unofficial and not on the NCC map.

The trails lie between Bridlewood and Bells Corners and are accessible from NCC parking lots P5 on Eagleson Road across from the Hazeldean Mall, and NCC parking lot P6 on Old Richmond Road, as well as from numerous trail entrances within the two communities.

These are great trails for someone starting out in mountain biking because they provide a wide range of difficulty from easy flat gravel trails to intermediate level rooty and rocky trails.

The Maps

 

Official NCC Map with Trail Numbers  

Official NCC Map with Intersection Numbers  

Official Rideau Trail Map  

Topographical Map  

Google Earth View Annotated Map with Trail Names  

Larger full size map may be downloaded here

The Trails  

I have found it almost impossible to list these trails geographically in any systematic way so please accept this listing as it is and refer to the annotated map for more definite locations.

Trans-Canada Trail (TCT)

 

The portion of the Trans-Canada Trail that passes through the Old Quarry Trail System is a wide gravel stone dust trail that follows a former rail line right-of-way. To the south it continues to follow the old rail line to Carleton Place and to the north it leaves the rail line route and continues to the Ottawa River. It acts as a separator and connector of the different sections of the trail system, as well as providing access to the trails from the rest of Ottawa.

Rideau Trail 

 

The Rideau Trail is a “footpath” between Ottawa and Kingston. Within the Old Quarry Trail System it starts at the trestle over Robertson Road and ends at NCC Parking Lot P6. The portion that goes through the Old Quarry Trail System serves as an intermediate level mountain biking trail with rocky and rooty sections. It has some of the most technical sections of the Old Quarry Trail System.

Hydro Line Trail

The trail labelled Hydro Line on the map simply acts as a connector between the Old Quarry Trail System dirt trails and the paved urban pathways within the Bridlewood Community. As it's name suggests it follows along a hydro line (the small one).

Trail 23

 

At NCC Parking Lot P5 we have the main Old Quarry Trail, Trail 23. Within it are two easy gravel loops that are great to start the young ones out on and great for riding in the spring when the dirt trails are muddy. Connected to these is a slightly harder dirt loop leading to Trail 24 at the back of Old Quarry and an intermediate level rocky and rooty trail near the centre that connects to the Trans-Canada Trail. Also connected to Trail 23 are unofficial trails that are not on the official NCC maps, like many of the trails mapped in this project.

Deer Feeder Trail

The Deer Feeder Trail is sometimes known as the Deer George Trail because of the plaques at the unofficial deer feeding stations honouring George who used to feed the deer that inhabit the Old Quarry Trail System. It is a narrow twisty single-track trail that has several small re-routes due to trees falling in the relatively dense bush it goes through. One end of the trail features an open area with small cliffs great for playing around in on a mountain bike. It would make an excellent site for a Beginner Mountain Biking Park, as I have written in this blog posting: THE FIFTH COLUMN: Old Quarry Youth Mountain Bike Skills Park.

Inside Trail

 

This was called Hidden Trail on the previous version of this map, but because it really is not hidden I have changed the name. It runs inside sections of the official Trail 23, thus the name. It is also a narrow single-track trail, with a couple of spur lines, but not quite as twisty as the Deer Feeder Trail.

ANT and Bed Pan Trail

 

These two trails are northeast of the Robertson Road end of Trail 24, They provide a narrow single-track route to the trails on the other side of Robertson Road as a more interesting ride or hike than following the wider official trails.

Trail 24

 

Trail 24 has dual characteristics as it is a merger of the original Trails 24 and 25 after the NCC decided to use the Trail 25 designation on the other side of Old Richmond Road for the Lime Kiln area trails.

The original Trail 24 consisted of wide trails that acted as fire roads, one running from the large Bridlewood Hydro Line near Scissons Road to Robertson Road. The other running off of that towards Bells Corners.

The other major part of Trail 24 are the sections that go up and down to NCC parking Lot P6, which were formerly designated as Trail 25. These were probably the most technical sections of trail in the system, especially climbing up through the rooty and rocky sections, before the new MNT Trail was discovered. The Rideau Trail follows part of this section of Trail 24.

Parallel Trail

To the west of Trail 24 south of the Trans-Canada Trail is a trail that runs parallel to Trail 24 and the subdivision to the west of it, known as the Parallel Trail. This is a narrow single-track trail that is not overly technical but is more enjoyable than riding or hiking the wide Fire Road that is Trail 24. Part of that trail had become part of the lost overgrown trails in the system but was recently recovered. There are a number of links from Trail 24 to the Parallel Trail, including one across from the famous Roller Coaster Trail. In places these trails really have the feeling of being deep in the bush.

Roller Coaster Trail

Across from the Parallel Trail along Trail 24 between the Trans-Canada Trail and the section of Trail 24 that heads towards Bells Corners is the famous Roller Coaster Trail. It gets it's name from the dips (or Whoop-De-Dos) along the trail. It also has the famous almost ninety degree about two metre drop just before it joins up with the Anti-Logger Trail (which is also part of the Rideau Trail), but there is a ride-around.

Not all trail braids on the Roller Coaster Trail (and some others) are shown on the map. Trail braids are trail sections running closely alongside the main trail to avoid technical sections, obstacles, or muddy sections.

MNT and Extension Trails

 

The newly discovered MNT and Extension Trails are single-track trails that start along the Trans-Canada Trail, at the end of Bed Pan, and go to the wide section of Trail 24 that goes towards Bells Corners. They cross the Roller Coaster Trail. MNT, north of Roller Coaster, may be the most technical and difficult of the Old Quarry Trail System Trails, requiring me to walk parts of it. Extension, south of Roller Coaster, is easier and more flowy.

Anti-Logger Trail

 

Anti-Logger goes along the south side of the pond near Bells Corners. Before the Roller Coaster intersection are some of the most technical rooty sections of trail in the Old Quarry Trail System, as well as some of the most chronically muddy sections. After that the trail becomes more flowy. The Rideau Trail follows Anti-Logger.

Logger Trail

 

Logger Trail goes along the north side of the pond near Bells Corners. A short cut from one part of Trail 24 to another it provides a relatively flowy single-track alternative to the wide Trail 24.

Subdivision Trail

Subdivision Trail is a very flowy single-track trail that runs behind the subdivision in Bells Corners.

Ridge Line/Chapel Trail

This is a fun short section of flowy trail that, as it's name suggests, follows the ridge line from the wide section of Trail 24 to the single-track section of Trail 24 that goes down to NCC parking lot P6. The Chapel portion of the name comes from a chapel-like rock structure built along the trail that has been demolished by trail vandals.

Rock Garden Trail

The Rock Garden Trail is a short very rocky single-track trail that goes from Trail 24 near the big hydro line and connects to the Scissons Trails under the hydro line

Scissons Trails

This is the part of the Old Quarry Trail System that is the furthest from NCC parking lot P5. Adjacent to Scissons Road, it is in the far southeast corner of the trail system closer to NCC parking lot P6 on Old Richmond Road than to P5.

I first discovered these trails a few years ago, although like any place discovered (think America) I am sure they were there for quite awhile before I stumbled onto them. Last season during a night group ride I discovered that there was more than I thought and when I set about mapping them this season I discovered even more trails.

There are only about 5 km of distinct trails here but with doing loops and overlaps you could do a 10 km ride just in that section but you will usually do parts of it as part of a larger ride of the Old Quarry Trails.

These trails are of intermediate technical difficulty with many easy flowy sections and some twisty and rocky sections.

Middle Earth

 

Middle Earth was on the original map and we used to ride it during group rides several years ago. It is/was a somewhat hidden and very interesting trail, very technical in places, that reminds me of Middle Earth, hence the name.

Middle Earth is one of those trails that I was not sure still existed, having not rode or hiked it for several seasons. I expected there would be lots of fallen trees over the trail from storms over the last few years and it might be overgrown in sections. So I set out to see if I could still follow the trail or open it up. It turned out to be quite a challenge and I lost the trail numerous times, even with the GPS track to follow and red markings on trees for part of it. I roughly followed 75 percent of the trail, having to climb through heavy bush in some cases, before losing it completely. Probably about 80% of the 75% of trail I followed is decent trail but in somewhat unconnected sections. Since having known the trail fairly well, having a map and GPS track, I still kept getting lost I decided it was best to remove it from the Old Quarry Trail System Map and GPS tracks as I do not want to encourage people to get lost in the bush.

Map of My Attempt to Follow the Middle Earth Trail  

With a lot of work the Middle Earth Trail might be able to be re-established, but until then I will leave it off the map and GPS tracks.

The area where Middle Earth is located is indicated in small white type on the Annotated Map.

Concluding Words on The Trails

 

The descriptions above do not really do justice to just how enjoyable it is to ride these trails. Although relatively close to roads and civilization many of the trail sections make you feel like you are in the wilderness because the bush is so dense. There are portions that are technically challenging and portions you can just race around in. You can literally spend a whole day in here just tooling around on your bike. But remember to always be respectful of other trail users.

 

Hybrid Rideable and E-Bikeable Trail Sections (Updated 2023)

Well, at 73, I have finally given up my mountain bike but that does not mean I am staying away from my favourite forest trails. Luckily my local trail system (Old Quarry) has quite a few trails rideable on our e-bikes or a hybrid. Indeed, for some people probably more than I include on this map if you are a really hard core rigid bike rider. The trails I have included are ones that will appeal to the more casual rider. They are relatively smooth and non-technical though there may be a few short sections some people might want to walk their bikes through. I have also only included trail sections that provide interconnecting loops, so no dead ends.

In particular notice the X, Y, & Z intersection markings. They delineate a section of trail that includes a flooded and closed section, Y to Z. This section has been closed for two seasons. If the NCC ever solves the flooding problem that could potentially become part of an e-bikeable loop.

E-Bikeable Trails Map  

 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.

Slide Show of A Typical Old Quarry Trails Ride

Viewing Slide Show Full Screen Recommended  

Posted 2015-08-25
Updated 2023-10-05

Jack Pine & Trail 26 Trail System

Much of my introduction to mountain biking was at the MTB Kanata group rides at Jack Pine. During its time, which seems to have passed, MTB Kanata was the place for all things mountain biking in Kanata and Ottawa. MTB Kanata held regular group rides at the Kanata Lakes trails (which includes the trail area now known as the South March Highlands) on the weekends and regular weekly night rides at Jack Pine, usually including a run through the Lime Kiln Trail. These rides were very informal reflecting the great sense of community that was MTB Kanata in its heyday.

(Map Updated May 2016 to include NCC Intersection Waypoints)

The Jack Pine Trail System is accessible from parking lot P11 on West Hunt Club Road, as well as parking lot P9 on Moodie Drive, and from entrances across from parking lots P8 and P10 on Moodie Drive.

Most of the trails in the system are relatively easy non-technical trails, particularly the trails starting from P9. The start of the trails from P11 include some rocky sections. The trail system also includes a number of board walks that can be treacherous when wet.

Most of the trails are official trails, including a section of the Rideau Trail, and are on the NCC map. However there are two unofficial trails that go off from the main trails that tend to be narrower and more isolated than the main trails. One of these goes to the Log Farm and the other to a working quarry.


The Jack Pine Trail System is great for family rides or for introducing beginners to mountain biking. They are also a really great place to go for a fun flowing ride, However, be aware that these trails are very popular with walkers, especially during the fall when the leaves are changing colour. Remember the IMBA Rule of The Trail No 4. - ”bicyclists should yield to all other trail users”. These are shared trails so always 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.

Slide Show of A Typical Jack Pine Trail 26 Ride

Viewing Slide Show Full Screen Recommended

Posted 2009-06-11
Updated 2017-10-22

Trail 27 Trail System

These trails used to be designated as Trails 27 & 28 but the NCC has renumbered some trail systems and combined Trails 27 and 28 as Trail 27, and used Trail 28 as the designation for the trails near the Wild Bird Care Centre.

These are the trails that I got an MTB Kanata group ride lost on, Luckily we ran into Duncan who knew the trails and managed to lead us back to the other group. I wonder where Duncan, The Spaceman, and The Dish are now.

 (Map Updated May 2016 to Include NCC Intersection Waypoints)

These trails are accessible from across from parking lot P11 on West Hunt Club Road and from parking lot P13 beside Bell High School on Bruin Lane, which is off Cassidy Road and Cedarview Road. They are also accessible from a trail beside D. Aubrey Moodie School that has no parking but is not far from the back end of the Old Quarry Trails adjacent to Bells Corners. I am usually riding these trails after doing Jack Pine and accessing them from across from P11.

This trail system also includes more unofficial trails than official ones and includes quite a few interconnecting loops. Most of these trails, particularly the official ones, are easy and non-technical.

However you will notice some narrow interior trails that are more difficult to navigate because they are narrow and twisty. As well, the trail that goes south along West Hunt Club Road includes some rocky and rooty sections, as well as a section that can get very muddy during the spring and after extensive rainfalls. Some of the unofficial trails closer to Bell High School are also somewhat more difficult.


It was not till I walked the trails taking photos that I realized just how much there is in there, particularly the twisty inside trails. There really are two trail systems, an outside easy system and an inside intermediate level system. There certainly are enough trails for anyone to tool around on for quite a few hours doing different loops in different directions. These are also shared trails but not nearly as heavily used by pedestrians as Jack Pine, except when you get close to Bell High School.

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.

Slideshow of a Typical Trail 27 Ride

 

Viewing Slide Show Full Screen Recommended

Posted 2009-06-22
Updated 2018-06-04

Trails 20, 21 & Untrails Trail System

Dedicated to the memory of Andy (FaustCan) who introduced me to The Untrails

These trails are accessible from Parking Lot P4 on Haanel Drive, although I usually ride to them on the Trans-Canada Trail (TCT). I would describe these trails as being at the low end of intermediate level trails, except for portions of the The Untrails that are more technical. The terrain is varied including a climb from the TCT up to P4. Trail 21 includes board walks over wet areas and forested areas, as well as sections over grassy areas.

Trail 21 used to be divided into Trails 21 (west of Haanel Drive) and Trail 22 (east of Haanel Drive) but they were combined into one trail a few years ago when the NCC consolidated trail numbers and transferred some to trails without numbers. Trail 22 does not seem to have been used anywhere else.

Trail 20 is very wet and not rideable for most of the riding season. It normally does not dry out until late July or August and then does not recover well from rainfalls during the fall. I usually avoid it.

A loop of Trails 20 and 21 is one of our favourite winter cross-country skiing routes, starting at P4 and going down the south side of 21, taking the Trans-Canada Trail (TCT) to Trail 20 and along it, then looping back along the TCT to the north side of Trail 21, and then adding in a loop of the upper portion of Trail 21.

The Untrails

The Untrails are a group of unofficial trails west of Trail 20 and north of Trail 21. A wide section of trail connects Trail 20 to Trail 21 after which you can go straight across and connect to the Old Quarry Trail system across Robertson Road.

However the most interesting part of The Untrails are the single track trails west and north of the wide trail section. These trails were referred to as The Untrails because originally they were very rough and, to me at the time at least, not particularly fun to ride. The trails have now become worn in and were actually quite enjoyable to ride when I rode them to track and add to the trail system map. The portion closer to 28C at the southern end is more technical.

An interesting feature along the wide portion of The Untrails are the ruins of an old homestead (see map), While this does not seem to be preserved in any official way please be respectful of it and other such ruins that are located along the trails in the Greenbelt.

Untrails Updated Summer 2020

I have been aware of trails in the northwest corner of Haanel and Timm Drive for quite awhile but have not been able to find them till I saw them recently on another map. This 2020 update includes those trails. There are some very technical sections on these trails, including one along a cliff. Unfortunately I neglected to take photos for the slide show of this technical section as I was distracted by concentrating on the trail.

Also note that the last portion of this section that leads to the parking lot at Timm Drive “peters out” near the end and you lose the visible trail as Timm drive comes into view and you have to ride “cross-country” across the field to get to the parking lot. 

Postscript 2023

Over the last few years while hiking the Untrails I have noticed quite a few new offshoots from the trails that I never had the chance to check out or map. Now that I have retired from mountain biking I will no longer be updating the trail system maps (but I do plan to continue adding E-Bikeable routes to this site). However I have noticed that Open Street Map based maps, despite their name, have excellent trail coverage. While I cannot personally verify the accuracy of their Untrails maps their coverage of the Old Quarry Trail System, which I am most familiar with, is excellent. Therefore I am including my latest (2020) map of the Untrails with the current (2023) OSM Topo (4UMaps) map as the background.

 

I will be soon adding a separate section to this site on Open Street Map and GPS Visualizer.

 

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.

Slide Show of Trails 20, 21 and Untrails Trail System

 Posted 2016-08-27
Updated 2023-10-06

Trails 11 & 12 Trail System

Trail 11 is the only Greenbelt trail that I cannot ride all of, due to a rocky uphill section known as the “creek bed”. This puts this trail system in competition with the Lime Kiln Trail for the most difficult and technical Greenbelt trail.


This trail system is accessible from NCC parking lot P3 on Corkstown Road. It is also accessible via a very short ride on the road from the adjacent Trans-Canada Trail, as well as from the municipal camp ground on Corkstown Road.

This system starts with Trail 11 which involves a lot of climbing, with quite a few up hills and down hills, including the infamous very rocky and technically difficult ”creek bed” section.

Trail 11 Altitude Profile

At the top Trail 11 joins Trail 12 which is a simple loop on the official map. However there are a large number of interconnecting and criss-crossing unofficial trails as well, including a few that go down the hill and reconnect with Trail 11. The trails at the top are probably best described as intermediate level as far as technical difficulty is concerned.


This trail system is unique in the Greenbelt for its climbs and is an enjoyable challenge to ride.

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 Trails 11 and 12 Trail System



























Posted 2009-08-29
Updated 2011-10-04

Trail 10 Trail System

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.

Posted 2013-07-29