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Trails

Lace up your boots

Adventure awaits

Whether you’re hiking, biking, horseback riding, ATV-ing, or snowmobiling, adventure awaits on South Frontenac’s trails. Explore serene lakeshores, rocky escarpments, and wooded paths.

Each trail is unique and is owned and managed by various conservation groups. Ensure you research each trail to understand the permitted uses.

The Cataraqui Trail is suitable for walkers, cyclists, horseback riders, snowmobilers and cross-country skiers. This trail covers 39 kilometres in South Frontenac. It originates from Smiths Falls, passes by Chaffeys Locks and along the northern side of Sydenham Lake before connecting with the K&P Trail just east of Harrowsmith. then runs westward to Strathcona.

Its surface consists in part of stone dust between Loughborough-Portland Boundary Road and Harrowsmith plus a small section west of Hogan Road. The remainder is loose gravel more suitable to cyclists on a mountain or hybrid bike. The eastern section provides the best vista because of the numbers of ponds and small lakes in a very natural environment. 

The K&P Trail originates from Kingston and crosses into South Frontenac at Orser Road, following Highway 38 via Harrowsmith and Verona. It merges with the Cataraqui Trail just east of Harrowsmith for about two km north up to Tichborne for a total of 40 kilometres to Sharbot Lake.

Its surface consists of mostly stone dust suitable for most bikes and is relatively flat. Because it is mainly going parallel to Highway 38, it is easily accessible in many areas and close to facilities along the route. 

The Rideau Trail is a 300-km hiking trail that runs from Kingston to Ottawa, crossing South Frontenac from south to east for about 80 Km. It enters South Frontenac via the K&P Trail to Sydenham and veers further north towards Knowlton Lake and Gould Lake Conservation Area. After crossing Frontenac Park and Perth Road it reaches the Cataraqui Trail again two times, going east then north, before existing Bedford Mills.

It is accessible from many points and provides a very good view and appreciation of the natural forest habitat within the Township and is ideal for active hikers. The Rideau Trail Association organizes excursions throughout the year for members. 

Explore Frontenac Provincial Park's 5,355 hectares on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield. Open year-round for four season backcountry recreation with 48 interior campsites. The Park features canoe routes through 22 lakes and over 100 km of looped backpacking and hiking trails.

Comprised of 589 hectares of dense, dynamic and varied wilderness located in the Canadian Shield, Gould Lake Conservation Area features a total of 20 kilometres of trails that wind and loop around the rugged terrain, making for a challenging hiking experience. 

The Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre features 8 kms of hiking trails available for public use.

The Milburn Creek Trail, located in Battersea, is a 3.1 km loop trail that meanders around the Milburn Creek and is owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Located just a few kilometers west of Verona at 6329 First Lake Road, in Bellrock, Depot Creek Nature Reserve is a 29-hectare (71-acre) property offers visitors a chance to explore a variety of habitats — wetlands, woodlands, and open spaces — on marked trails that can be covered in a morning or afternoon outing. Dogs are not allowed. Managed by the Land Conservancy for KFL&A.

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