The Rideau Trail - A more rugged and natural alternative for hikers

Daniel Geleyn | May 05, 2021

The Rideau Trail, like the K&P Trail and the Cataraqui Trail, offers options for hikers and cyclists in our area but there are significant differences as well.

Both the K&P Trail and the Cataraqui Trail take advantage of abandoned rail lines to create recreational trails that are widely available for both self-propelled and motorized recreational use. Because they both use old rail lines, these trails generally have no steep grades, are wide, and go through built-up areas.

On the other hand, the Rideau Trail was established to promote self-propelled outdoor activities such as hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and no motorized vehicles are allowed. For the adventurous mountain bikers, cycling is also possible in some parts of the trail, but certainly not all of it, as some parts are too rugged.

The Rideau Trail is a 387 kilometres network of trails between the City of Kingston and the City of Ottawa. But its main difference with the K&P and Cataraqui Trail is that none of it is owned by the Rideau Trail Association.

While the K&P Trail is owned by the municipalities and the Cataraqui Trail is owned by the Cataraqui Conservation Authority, the Rideau Trail was developed by leveraging existing trails along the way. It goes through two provincial parks, a number of conservation areas, and about a third of it is on private land. Some of the Rideau Trail is actually also using the K&P and the Cataraqui trails. It is a network of hiking trails that is made possible by the generous permission of both private and public landowners and enhanced by a special fund called the Rideau Trail Preservation Fund.

“That is an important aspect of the Rideau Trail to understand by the users and it has led to some incidents recently,” says Rusty Bassarab, the trail coordinator for the Rideau Trail Association.

He adds that “With all the people that are new to hiking that are on the trails, some of them don’t really know all the trail protocols or understand that they may be on private property.”

The Rideau Trail Association is managed as a charitable entity and it oversees three separate hiking clubs, one in Ottawa, one in Kingston, and the third one called Central is based out of Perth and Smiths Falls.

The three clubs include a membership of more than 500 people. The fees are small and they offer a number or organized hikes that cover all four seasons, as well as many opportunities for social activities. The current pandemic has of course had a significant impact on their activities but they encourage their members to stay active by providing individual challenges, such as completing at least 50 kilometres on each of the three sectors.

The Rideau Trail is not restricted to the members of the clubs. Everyone is welcome to take advantage of the trails but users should have a basic understanding of the rules for using these trails, especially when it comes to private property.

In addition to promoting the enjoyment of the trails, the Rideau Trail Association and its clubs are responsible to liaise with the many public and private land owners. They also have members responsible for the maintenance of the trails and some infrastructure construction along the trails.

Jim Lorimer is the Kingston Club construction coordinator. “As the construction coordinator, my responsibilities are building infrastructure on the trail like bridges, stairs, that sort of things,” he says.

The replacement of stiles, structures that provide people passage over or through a boundary like a fence, is also an important part of his job. Since the trail often goes through private land, it is important to respect the requirements imposed by the owners.

Todd Norris, a resident of Verona, is a regular user of the trails as he walks his dogs on a daily basis.

“This is a much more natural habitat compared to the K&P and Cataraqui trails. This is much more untouched,” he says.

I also met Mark Kotchapay and Gord Janzen, both from Sydenham, on a section of the Rideau Trail that is on the Cataraqui Trail.

Kotchapay’s property backs onto the Cataraqui Trail so he is very familiar with it and a regular user with his dog CJ. In fact, his father remembers when the tracks were removed in the late 1980’s.

Janzen, on the other hand, moved to Sydenham from Kingston three years ago.

“When we moved here, we said we need to look at places close to the trails and we really like Sydenham,” he says.

While Janzen is recently retired and can now enjoy the trails on a daily basis with his dogs Grady and Sophie, Kotchapay still works as a pastor so his time on the trail is more limited.

“Normally, I would not be out for a walk at two in the afternoon,” says Kotchapay. “But it’s a part of dealing with COVID, this is part of self-care,” he adds.

“We call it forest therapy,” says Janzen. “We could also call it trail therapy.”

While they are not currently regular users of the Rideau Trail, our conversation peaked their interest for another option to the Cataraqui Trail.

While the K&P and the Cataraqui trails offer some clear advantage due to their accessibility and ease of use, the Rideau Trail offers a more natural setting and more challenging hikes for those that wish to push themselves a bit more. Find out more about the Rideau Trail at www.rideautrail.org