Overview
The journey by bicycle from Toronto to Ottawa can be a wonderful
experience. If you follow this route it will take you through some of
Ontario's oldest, and most interesting, communities. You will follow such routes
as Heritage Highway and Loyalist Parkway. From Toronto to
Mallorytown Landing (where you head north from the St. Lawrence), the terrain is mainly flat since you follow
either Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence River for the
duration. The route from Toronto to Kingston can be found under the
Toronto to
Montreal section of this website. As you head north from Mallorytown Landing,
you will find yourself riding through rocky, hilly Canadian Shield country for
about 50 km. Then, the terrain levels out once again as you enter the Ottawa
Valley and follow the historic Rideau Canal Waterway. The route described in
this report is neither the fastest not the shortest from Toronto to Ottawa; rather it is, in
the opinion of the author, one
of the more scenic and safest ways to cycle from Canada's largest city to the
Nation's capital. It should be noted that most highways in the Province of
Ontario do not have paved shoulders. It is important, therefore, to
choose one's cycling route carefully if you wish to arrive at your destination
safe and sound.
The Weather
The direction in which you travel is an important consideration.
The route described herein goes from west to east since this is the way of the
prevailing winds in this part of the country.
The weather in this part of Canada is ideal for cycling between mid-May and
mid-October. July and August can often be hot and humid, but this is not of
major concern since you are near water (and places to swim) almost all of the
time. The months of November to March (inclusive) should be avoided unless your
bike is equipped with snow tires!
Public Transportation
PLANE: Toronto and Ottawa are both major cities and, as such, are
well served by the world's airlines. Pearson International Airport in Toronto
is to the north of the city, and to join the Waterfront Trail you will
need to head south for about 20 km. It is possible to cycle from the airport to
the lakeshore and a cycling route can be found by clicking on the
Toronto
Airport link.
Ottawa has excellent
bike paths, including a connection to the Ottawa International Airport.
TRAIN: There is frequent train service between Toronto and
Ottawa by
VIA Rail Canada.
Unfortunately, in January 2004 none of the trains on this route accept bicycles
as they have no baggage cars.
BUS:
Greyhound Canada operates buses between Toronto
and Ottawa. You should check with them for their current policy regarding the
transportation of bicycles.
Bugs and Bears!
Mosquitoes and black flies are their worse in May and June.
However, you are not traveling through the bush on this trip so they will only
be of concern if you should elect to camp during these months. You will not be
in bear country, and there really are no animals that will bother you. We have
no poisonous snakes in this part of Canada.
The Author!
This Website has been compiled by Brian Hedney, an avid cyclist
and educator living in Port Hope, Ontario. If you have any suggestions for
improving this route description, please contact the author by e-mail
(bhedney@sympatico.ca).
The material contained in this Website is the intellectual property of Brian
Hedney, and is intended to assist fellow cyclists. Feel free to link this
site to other cycling and tourism sites. Cyclists may reproduce the material
contained within this Website for their personal use, but not for profit or
gain.
page updated on
09 Aug 2004
