Hello hello, friends! This blog post is super special to me. Not only is it my last collaboration post with the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association (for now, who knows what the future holds), but it also focuses on one of my favourite things to do in the Ottawa Valley…hiking. For me, hiking is such a grounding activity. I can be feeling stressed or upset before my hike and after I hit the trail, I am feeling back to my regular self. If you do not believe me, go give it a try for yourself. There is something so calming about being outdoors in nature while moving my body. You could say that I really quite enjoy it!
Without further delay, I present to you - Time in the Valley’s official Ottawa Valley hiking round-up which has been written in collaboration with the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association.
Township of North Algona Wilberforce
Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre
It is very fitting that I start this round-up with Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre. When I moved to the Ottawa Valley, it quickly became a very special spot for me and my family. My husband and I would take our sweet boys here for hikes, did a group hike here and had my husband’s original proposal idea fall through he was going to propose to me at the lookout on Johnny’s Lookout Trail. As I said, it is very special to us!
In the summer, I prefer to hike along the East Side. This includes trails like Johnny’s Lookout Trail (1.4 km) and the Snake River Trail (1.9 km). These are not super long trails, but they can be a bit arduous in spots. The ground is uneven; there are exposed roots, rocks that are slippery when wet and a bit of elevation gain.
In wintertime, I prefer to hike and snowshoe on the West Side of Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre. This section of Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre includes the Old Growth Trail (1.6 km), Pinery Trail (0.9 km), Great Gully Trail (0.6 km), and Trillium Loop Trail (0.9 km). While the trails are short in distance, this is great for people of all skill levels. If you want to add more distance to your outdoor adventure, it is very easy to add the trails together to make a larger route.
One of the many things I love about Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre is its visitor guides. Both the East and West sections of Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre have visitor guides that sync with the numbers along all of the trails. This results in a more immersive hiking experience, which is pretty darn neat if you ask me!
For more information about Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre and the programs they run, check out its website here.
The Pakkotinna Trail System
While I know I have written a great deal about the Pakkotinna Trail System, it truly is one of my favourite hiking spots in the Ottawa Valley. There is 104 km of trails in this system, so there are a plethora of different trails. One of the longest hikes I’ve ever done (30 km and I did zero training prior) was on some trails in the Pakkotinna Trail System. I should stress that these trails range in difficulty from moderately difficult to “you’re going to be sucking in wind” difficult.
There are lots of different trails in this system with a variety of trailheads. One of the most recent trails in this system that I hiked was basically directly in front of Sands on Golden Lake. For this trail, you park on the other side of the road from the Sands, consult the map that is located in the parking lot and then be on your merry way! A section of this trail leads up to the big cross at the Deacon Escarpment.
If you do want to hike along the Pakkotinna, I recommend planning your route as there are 104 km of trails in this system. The best way to do this is by consulting the RCATV trail map online. The map details the hazards, lookouts, classification of the trail and other pertinent information. This map can be found at the website link here.
Township of Madawaska Valley
Thomas P. Murray Recreation Trails
This trail system is located in Barry's Bay and Combermere. The trails include Crooked Slide Trail, which is very pretty and very photo-worthy. Attached below is a map of all the trails in the trail system. Any of these trails are worthy of inclusion in your own itinerary. The trail system includes Drohan’s Trail, 4.5km of challenging trail with lots of variety in terrain; Gun Mountain Trail, 1.7km of varied terrain including a steep uphill; McGillivray Trail and lookout, 3.5km trail which is considered the most difficult trail in this system and also has one of the best lookouts; Red Pine Trail, 4.2km trail that is relatively easy; and Tom’s Trail, 2km along a scenic beaver pond.
Needless to say, there are lots of options in this trail system regardless of your hiking ability. I like that they are not super long trails, so there is the potential to hike more than one of these trails in a day. For more information, check out the AllTrails page here.
Township of Greater Madawaska
Griffith Uplands Trail
I need to be completely transparent with this one. So I attempted to hike this trail by myself - it is an 8.4 km loop. By attempted I mean I hiked 2 km, lost the trail and then turned around. I am not the best navigator and because I was by myself, I did not want to risk getting stuck out in the woods overnight with zero supplies. This is why I just ended up backtracking the way I came and went home. I ended up doing 4km total…not near the 8.4 km distance of this trail. I say that as a word of warning to make sure you either bring a map with you or download some offline maps that you can refer to on your hike (although I feel like it would not have done me any good…but I digress).
As mentioned above, this trail is located in the Township of Greater Madawaska. It is an 8.4 km loop and is a bit challenging at times. There are some beautiful vistas on this hike, so make sure you bring a camera to capture the moments. It is also super easy to navigate to this trailhead, as you just have to punch in “Griffith Uplands Trail” into the ol’ google maps and be on your merry way.
If you manage to not get lost, this trail can take up to four hours to complete. Knowing that it is important to pack enough food and water to sustain you during the hike. I also like to bring basic survival gear like a knife with a Ferro rod and a whistle.
For more information about Griffith Uplands Trail, please refer to this super awesome brochure created by the Township of Greater Madawaska here.
Town of Arnprior
Gilles Grove
One of my favourite spots in the Town of Arnprior is Gilles Grove. It has some of the tallest white pine trees in Ontario if not Canada. It is pretty darn magical to prance around this conservation area. There are several trails, although, like Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre, the trails are not very long in distance. There is 3.6 km of trails, which are wide and flat. I would say that given the wideness and flatness of the trails at Gilles Grove, these trails are likely the most wheelchair and stroller accessible in this list of trails.
In the fall when the leaves start to change colours, it is especially beautiful to soak in here at Gilles Grove. The radiant colours of the leaves almost feel like a hug from Mother Nature. I know that must sound ridiculous, but the way the tree canopy has formed makes it feel like a hug…but I digress.
For more information on Gilles Grove, please check out the AllTrails page here.
Town of Petawawa
Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park
One of the many places in the Town of Petawawa that I have grown to love is the Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park. This park is located off Laurentian Drive next to the fish hatchery park and I should note that the parking lot is very small. The trails at this park a very family-friendly. The trails are wide, flat and well-groomed. When I visited, there were also lots of leashed dogs. Surrounded by coniferous trees, the Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park is the perfect spot for photos. I love how the pencil straight the trees are, which adds some nice visual elements to photos.
There is also a lower section of the Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park, which is less frequented than the upper section of the Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park. Another fun bonus feature of this trail system is that it is located basically right next door to Mount Molson Dairy Bar.
It is also worth noting that the Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park is a non-operational provincial park, which means there are no organized activities or services located at this park. Regardless though, there is just under 4 km of trails that are just waiting to be explored.
For more information, please check out the AllTrails page here.
What’s next?
Well, friends, we have come to the end of this blog post. I hope you go out and explore the trails/trail systems that I mentioned above. I also wanted to take a quick moment to shout out Erin at the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association. It is pretty darn special being able to embark on this collaboration with someone who is just as passionate as I am! There are too many cool things that are on tap for the Ottawa Valley, be sure to tune into the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop.