Your Guide to Cycling in Ontario on the Trans Canada Trail

The Trans Canada Trail runs coast to coast, and it reaches every province and territory, but some of the finest riding to be had is here in Ontario. The Trans Canada Trail is worth protecting and supporting, but it’s also worth enjoying and appreciating on your preferred saddle.

---

It’s safe to say that it would be hard for us to be bigger fans of the Trans Canada Trail if we tried. It’s the longest multi-use trail system in the world, after all, and the trail system is both intimately connected to and supported by the communities that surround it.

Perhaps the best part is that, however you want to take advantage of the offerings of the Trans Canada Trail, you can.

It operates year-round, which means you can dust off your fat bike, snowshoes, or cross-country skis if you’re keen to be active in winter on the Trans Canada Trail, but your hiking shoes, paddle, mountain bike and gravel bike can shine in the warmer months.

Cycling, in particular, is something we’re immensely passionate about, so today we’re going to break down some of your best options for cycling in Ontario on the Trans Canada Trail.

Hint — there’s a lot to choose from, regardless of where you can home in this province.

5 of Our Favourite Trans Canada Trails to Cycle On in Ontario

We’re nothing short of blessed in this province with the recreation the TCT provides, but we want to highlight some of the trails that we’ve ridden, and that have stayed with us every since.

The Capital Pathway (Ottawa/Capital Region)

Many people may not know this, but the Capital Pathway is one of the largest cycling networks on the planet. In and around Ottawa, there are more than 600 kilometres of multi-use paths, and they’re not just an ideal way to get to and from work, for example, but also link to natural areas, parks, gardens, museums and some major attractions in Canada’s capital.

Now, this isn’t technically in Ontario, but taking the Capital Pathway over to Gatineau Park on the Québec side is a fantastic idea, especially if you’re into mountain biking. I’ve actually got a full article on my sister site, travelingmitch, dedicated entirely to Cycling in the National Capital Region, and it happened to win Ottawa’s Travel Writing Award, so I’d like to think it’s worth the read.

The Market Trail (Kitchener/Waterloo)

The Market Trail is fun because it’s directly tied into exploring some Ontario gems, namely the St. Jacob’s Farmers’ Market.

You can use this trail as the perfect excuse to get better acquainted with Cambridge, Waterloo, Kitchener and St. Jacobs.

We’d recommend starting at the “Township of Woolwich” section of the Trans Canada Trail, then onto the Market Trail, through to the Laurel Trail, the Iron Horse Trail, the Schneider Creek Trail – Homer Watson Trail, and finally onto the Walter Bean River Trail.

All of that together is give or take 30 kilometres, so it’s not bad at all, especially if you’re planning to make ample stops. The signage on this route is excellent as well, so you’ll be hard-pressed to get lost, but will find it easy to make some new memories.

This is one of those routes where you can beautifully blend culture with activity.

Waterfront Trail (Toronto-Etobicoke-Mississauga-Oakville-Burlington)

There’s great cycling in the Greater Toronto Area if you know where to look for it. And where do we look for it? Well, the Trans Canada Trail, of course.

I’ve ridden this route more times than I can count. It helps that I have family out in Oakville, so I know that I can ride the roughly 50 kilometres from my place in Toronto almost entirely on the TCT.

The Martin Goodman Trail, in Toronto, runs about 25 kilometres, and offers some stunning skyline shots of the city, as well as a nice way to feel a part of the cycling community in the GTA. If you’re newer to cycling, this is a nice section to focus on at the beginning, as it’s largely paved, and you’re out of traffic.

One of the biggest rides I’ve ever taken was riding the Trans Canada Trail from Toronto to Hamilton. My brother and I decided to meet at Collective Arts Brewing in Hamilton. I left my place in Toronto, picked him up in Oakville, we had lunch at Collective Arts, then headed back. That was a little over 150 kilometres of riding in one day, and one of my most memorable cycling experiences.

Speaking of Hamilton, if you decide to stay the night there after a big ride, you can visit some of these Hamilton bike trails the day after.

Ultimately, meet the TCT where you are. If you’re newer to cycling, and based in Mississauga, for example, why not start with riding the 20 or so kilometres of the TCT around you, and then branch out according?

The world is really your oyster.

The Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail (G2G Trail)

This one is one of our absolute favourites, especially because we adore good gravel riding. In the end, with Ontario cycling, we want to spend as little time as possible mixed in with traffic, so rail trails are an excellent way we can do just that.

There are three distinct sections to the G2G Trail.

The most popular section is likely the Kissing Bridge Trailway. It runs a little under 50 kilometres in length. You’ll want to make sure that you stop at the West Montrose Kissing Bridge, which is the last covered bridge in Ontario. The section is largely flat, and the surface is largely stone chip.

The second part of the trail, if you started in Guelph towards Goderich (and you can feel free to do it the opposite way as well, of course), is the Perth Harvest Pathway. It comes in a little under 30 kilometres in length.

It may be worth mentioning here that, for the average cyclist, covering the entire G2G trail (coming in at 132 kilometres), may be a lot to ask. You’d be wise to tackle specific sections at first, or plan to stay overnight in a community partway through the route. You could, for example, head south off the trail to spend a night in Stratford, and make it a weekend adventure.

The Perth Harvest Pathway is largely rural, running through some awfully nice little Ontario communities that all start with an M – Millbank, Milverton, and Monkton.

And then we have the Lake Huron Route (LHR). This is the longest section, coming in at 63.5 kilometres in length. It’s the same flat, stone chip surface for the most part, and you’ll ride through communities like Blyth, but we’d urge you to take in the wonders of Lake Huron in Goderich. An easy way to do that would be to plan an off-bike stop at Blue Water Beach, or Point Farms Provincial Park.

Niagara River Recreation Trail

If you’re looking to ride through some of the most lovely countryside in the province, this is an awfully nice trail to do just that.

This is primarily a trail that rides on paved paths and paved roads, so this is a route where you could afford to ride a more standard bike, as you wouldn’t need a gravel or mountain bike to contend with it, by any means. This route runs 56.2 kilometres in length.

Most people start at Fort Erie Beach, then head north along the Niagara River, taking in sites along the way, such as Navy Island. That being said, it’s all very pretty. As you get closer to Niagara Falls, you’ll see some of the reason that people come from far in wide to take in the beauty here — exemplified by the spots like the Whirlpool Rapids, The Whirlpool, the Devils Hole Rapids, and the Niagara Gorge.

After you ride through Niagara Falls itself on the trail, then it’s all eyes on Niagara-on-the-Lake, a town which certainly deserves to be on our list of the most charming small towns in Ontario. If you have the time, we’d recommend staying a night here, especially at one of the local bed and breakfasts. It is, of course, wine country, so it’s worth savouring that, and perhaps even visiting a local winery.

Rail trails can be fantastic if you’re looking for a moment of reprieve, but it’s also neat to be on your saddle, in the heart of the action, and seeing rapids and, of course, a particularly world-famous waterfall, from your preferred bicycle.

What Other Trails Should You Have on Your Radar?

With the sheer length and variety of the Trans Canada Trail, you have options aplenty. Where you ride may be totally dependent on where you’re based — and that’s fine. In fact, a simple hack is to explore the map of the Trans Canada Trail, and see what’s near you. Remember, you’ll want to ensure that the activities “Cycling” and “Mountain biking” are checked off.

To keep things easy for you, we’ll aim to cover routes from the north to the south of the province, and roughly west to east.

In & Around Thunder Bay: Many cyclists don’t realize that there’s 42 kilometres of multi-use trails that connect in and around Thunder Bay. It’s a mixture of urban bike lanes and urban recreational trails that blend nicely together. That being said, while you’re here, we’d recommend checking out nearly 50 kilometre Sleeping Giant Provincial Park – Kabeyun Trail. It’s the longest interior trail in the park, starting at the Thunder Bay Lookout, then around the Lake Superior Coast.

Huron Shores: This is the longest route we’ll put forth, and stretches from Sault Ste. Marie all the way to Sudbury! That’s a whopping 368.1 kilometre trail, meaning that most riders who are tackling this route are thinking about this as a multi-day adventure, and perhaps even up to a week, depending on the rider’s experience.

Think Northern wilderness, rugged shores, charming pastures, and no shortage of Canadian Shield. One pro tip — you’ll be riding along the water, so bring a bathing suit in your travel pack in case the sun is shining and you could use a breather!

Voyageur Cycling Route: This nearly 170km route is more for the experts, as there’s not only a fairly high volume of folks who use this route for commutes and the like, but there are sections with high-speed motor traffic. That being said, it crosses some incredible terrain, including a myriad of waterfalls, and some riverside riding as well. You’ve got firm surfaces, paved roads, and a fair bit of gravel, so a reliable gravel bike is a good bet here. In fact, a road bike likely just wouldn’t cut it if you’re aiming to do the full route.

It’s worth noting as well that there’s 6.8 kilometre section of hiking that runs through the Mashkinonje Provincial Park, so if you’re aiming to tackle this route, you’ll want to have more than just cycling shoes.

Old Nipissing Ghost Road: We’re including this nearly 80km route for the history buffs. The Nipissing Road was once home to some hopeful pioneers, but now you’ll primarily see abandoned log cabins and weathered barns. Parts of the routes are now paved, but there are also sections of trail (and access to trails nearby) that make it a very good bet for lovers of mountain biking.

Elora Cataract Trailway: An absolutely lovely 47 kilometre route that feels like a nice escape from it all. It links the Grand and Credit watersheds (so plenty of water to be seen and enjoyed en route), and follows the historic old Canadian Pacific railroad bed. Looking to make stops? Plan the route so you’ve got time to spend in either Elora or Fergus.

Oxford County Rail Trails: Here’s another one where you can mix tourism in rather easily, the Oxford County Rail Trails. It’s only about 20 kilometres in length, but here’s the kicker — you’ll have access to the famous Oxford County Cheese Trail. We always like to say that with the Oxford County Cheese Trail, you come for the dairy, but you stay for the stories!

Explore EPIC (Essex Pelee Island) Wine Country: There’s some great riding in and around Windsor. I’ve written about cycling in Windsor Essex in full over on travelingmitch, but using cycling as an excuse to visit some of the EPIC wineries — well, it’s focusing on cycling as a great leisure activity. Naturally, when we visited some Essex County Wineries, we just sampled, then grabbed bottles we would want to enjoy later. Sober and cycling go hand-in-hand, my friends. With this focus, you’d largely be riding on Chrysler Canada Greenway (47.7km, which runs through Amherstburg) and parts of the Essex-Chatham Trail (44.7km).

Kawartha Trans Canada Trail: A four season trail that runs 53.9 kilometres in length, and loosely runs from Durham Region (near Uxbridge), to Peterborough. It follows the route (not unlike many other routes here) that the railway operated on, and in this case, all the way until 1988. You can plan stops along the way here in communities like Lindsay and Omemee. We’ve done some big rides around this area, so can confidently recommend the connecting Lang-Hastings Rail Trail (32.7km), the Northumberland Rail Trail (33.6 km), and the Hastings County Trail (65.6km). Again, don’t be scared to plan a multi-day adventure, spending nights in respective communities or just consider riding in to work! The right way to enjoy the Trans Canada Trail is the right way for you.

Cataraqui Trail: It runs roughly from Harrowsmith to Smith Falls (or vice versa), and it passes through plenty of communities known for their historical charm. If you’ve still got gas after the 80 kilometres, I’d recommend planning a stop to lovely Perth, Ontario, and spending some time in Stewart Park.

Algonquin Trail: Last, but not least, the Algonquin Trail. It’s a nearly 135 kilometre route that will take you through communities like Arnprior, Renfrew, Cobden, Pembroke and Petawawa, and the whole route keeps you close to natural beauty. Just be mindful that this is a multi-use trail, so be mindful or any riders on motorized vehicles.

Suffice to say, here in Ontario, we have options when it comes to cycling on the Trans Canada Trail, and we’re all the better for it. It’s something to be cherished and appreciated, but also protected and honoured. The best way to form a personal connection to a trail like this, is to become intimately familiar with it, and that’s something we’ve done, and can only hope this article inspires you to do.

---

We want to thank the Trans Canada Trail for working with us as media. All opinions are completely our own.