Northumberland and Greenbelt Areas

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Northumberland and Greenbelt Areas

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Ganaraska Freewheelers cycling backroads in Northumberland County Photo Credit: Ian Parkes

Northumberland has a wide selection of mapped bicycle routes taking cyclists across the County through vibrant communities to the more rural and naturalized settings in the Greenbelt. There are a number of mountain biking and multi-use trails in forest and conservation areas, plus some great information and map resources to assist with route planning.

"Northumberland is arguably the best region for cycling routes in Ontario,” says Brian Hedney of the Ganaraska Freewheelers. “We have rolling hills and a proliferation of quiet, undulating paved country roads with peaceful views of Lake Ontario and Rice Lake.”

Look for new signs along the Waterfront Trail in Northumberland County, welcoming cyclists.

Major Off Road Trails

Ganaraska Forest – Hundreds of kilometres of trails for various ypes of cycling including many mountain biking options. Oak Ridges Trail cross point.
Northumberland Forest – Over 20 km of mountain biking trails through forested area.
Presqu’ile Provincial Park & Ferris Provincial Park - Both parks offer multi use unpaved trails and park roadways thru naturalized areas.
Seymour Conservation Area – Over 6km of multi use trails thru meadows and woodlands, adjacent to the lower Trent-Severn Waterway.
Goodrich-Loomis Conservation Area – 12 km of multi use trails across a diverse natural area, north from Brighton and Colborne.
Brighton Provincial Wildlife Area – 392 hectares of Crown land with trails traversing naturalized areas and wetlands, habitat for a variety of wildlife.

Cross Regional Cycling Trails

The Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail – The Waterfront Trail begins in Niagara-on-the-Lake and stretches 730km to the Québec border, with 900km of signed trail. Popular with touring cyclists, the majority of the trail in Northumberland County is on road.
Trans Canada Trail – A portion of this cross Canada trail runs through the Northumberland County. Multi use trails with various surface types. Use the Trans Canada Trail locator to find access points.

Rest Stops

The following can be found along the Waterfront Trail. Group cycling tours call municipal number listed to arrange for more information and assistance in providing further welcome activities and an optional snack stop.

Brighton – Public washrooms at Chamber of Commerce, 74 Main Street. 1-877-475-2775. Will set up with snacks to welcome groups with advanced notice.
Cobourg – Public washrooms behind the bandshell in Victoria Park, open May 24 till Thanksgiving 8am -8pm daily. Also in Victoria Hall, Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm.Water fountain located at the beach and canteen. 1-888-262-6874
Colborne – Public washrooms at the municipal office, 1 Toronto Road. Open Monday – Friday 8:30 – 4:30. 1-905-355-2821 x233
Port Hope – Public washrooms behind town hall. Water fountain located outside of the building.Open 9am -9pm daily, year round 1-888-767-8467

Established On Road Routes

Five looped routes, of various difficulties, have been established across the County. View HERE for detailed maps and route info on the rides: www.northumberlandtourism.com Photo Credit Harlold DeKlerk

Glorious Ganaraska (30 km)
Rice Lake Ramble (87 km)
Shelter Valley Road (51 km)
Presqu’ile Promise (69 km)
Trent River Truckin' (63 km)

Many additional cycling routes have been mapped for the area by the Ganaraska Freewheelers. To view the variety of rides link HERE.

Cycling Information Sources and Published Maps

Northumberland County Outdoor Adventure Map. Map. 2009. Northumberland Tourism. Print copy available: Call 1-866-401 EAST (3278)
Northumberland County Trail Blog. Trail updates by users available on-line.
Ganaraska Forest. Various maps. Some maps available on-line: www.grca.on.ca Print versions of various detailed maps available at Ganaraska Forest Centre near Campbellcroft.
Northumberland Forest. Trail map. Available on-line only.
Ontario Parks – Information on Presqu’ile & Ferris Provincial Parks

Additional Ontario Cycling Information Sources

Waterfront Trails & Greenway. Mapbook. Dunmap. 2009 Print version: Order copy from www.dunmap.com
Ontario Bicycle Touring Atlas. Mapbook. Bike On Tours. Dunmap. 2008 Print version only: Order copy from www.dunmap.com or www.bikeontours.on.ca
Mid Eastern Ontario & City of Kingston Recreation Map. Map. Advermap. 2008/2009. Print version only: Available at various retailers and more information on-line www.advermap.com
Ontario Trails Council – Search for trails across the region and Ontario wide. On-line inventory.

*Please note there are many additional map guides for the region that may be of interest and useful to cyclists. New maps and guides are available yearly, and information above may change.

Thank you to our Greenbelt Network Area Project Partner:

Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation

& Workshop Event Partners:
Hamilton: City of Hamilton, Tourism Hamilton. Halton: Region: Conservation Halton, Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce, Milton Chamber of Commerce. Peel Region: The Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association, Town of Caledon. York Region: York Region Tourism. Durham Region: Durham Region Tourism. County of Northumberland: Northumberland Tourism.