The woods at Beachburg County Forest have over 17 km of easy mountain bike riding for everyone. It’s a great place to unwind with the whole family.
Managed by the County of Renfrew, this forest tract has old, straight hiking trails, with MTB sections branching off that wind every which way to give riders some fun in the saddle. I am glad BORCA, the local club, was involved in trail building.
What Beachburg does not have much is elevation change. There is next to none. So the trail builders did their best with what they had. My wish is that there were more curves with berms and log hops or even a few fun wooden structures.Â
Trail signs do a good job of moving you the right way. We looped around the green-rated trails called Original Blue and Original Red, about 5 km of super-easy, twisty track.
Then on to the supposedly harder Intermediate blue and even black loops. We connected McKies Mile, V Tree, and Mark My Word to make a ride of around 10 km. Ummm harder, not by much, it had more roots and that’s about it.
I am not trying to be too critical, as there isn’t much else to ride in this neck of the woods—I am glad there is something!
A club member told me about a short, rocky run on the far end of the west section of the Little Lakes Trail area that’s harder, and the Wonkey Donkey trail out there has wooden features, but we did not have time to try it.
A plus here was the low bug count on our hot mid-July visit. The trail base is rather sandy and dry, with no stones where we rode; sections of the trail wind through pine plantations, while other parts are a mixed forest. Ah, the scent of fresh pine! A small corner has a marshy area, but the rest stays dry.Â
Beachburg offers a pleasant ride for all, but not much of a challenge—unless you up your speed. If you are in the area, it’s worth a stop, but I would not drive hours to get here.Â
Also I saw signs for Fat Biking, so in the winter the flat terrain is perfect for this.
For a more demanding MTB ride, check out what trails are on the Ottawa River. The village of Beachburg, five minutes away, has a few eateries for a satisfying bite after your ride.
A great place for beginners and to take the kids. They certainly can’t complain about the hills.
This new ride review is not yet published in my book. But 55 other great MTB destinations are with better topo maps and tons of riding tips. Available as an eBook or paperback.
