Kelso – MTB Trail

Length – 16 km

40% MTB single track
30% hiking trail
30% double track access roads

Elevation –  Part of a ski hill, most of the riding in on the top flat section with a few fast runs down the hill.

Terrain – Trails have smooth soil, gravel, rocky sections and can be muddy.

Skill – All levels, best for experienced riders

Traffic – Mountain bike riders, hikers on the Bruce Trail.

Maps – at pay booth, signs on the trail

Facilities – parking lots, outhouse, swimming in the lake

Highlights – Fast trails down the ski hill, views over the cliffs,

Trail Fee – $ 9.50 +HST, good for a ride at Hilton too

Phone – 905 878 5011

Website – Conservation Halton

Similar Trails – Hilton Falls,  Agreement Forest, BRMC

Local Clubs – HAFTA

Access –  On the top, Summit Gatehouse: 401 west to Hwy 25, south towards Milton, west on Hwy. 8 (Steeles Ave.) 4km, parking north side at Old Bell School Line.

Trailhead is at the top of the ski hill which has most of the loops, though you can also park at the base. 

Kelso Conservation Area near Milton is a popular MTB hub that offers variety in terrain and challenge, with a downhill for thrills.

Perched on the Niagara Escarpment, it includes several main loops at the top of Glen Eden ski hill—plus a few heading down the hill—and claims to have 22 km of trail.

The preferred place to start your ride is to park at the top. Or park at the main gate at the base of the hill and start first with a climb.

From the car lot on top, the trails start off the right way, heading down on the 2.3 km Turkey Shoot run. Loved by all, it twists its way along through rows of trees and open patches of grassland with the occasional cluster of limestone rock, likely gathered by farmers a century ago.

This spits you out onto an old farm road which leads to a grid of easy, straight paths around overgrown farm fields. Nothing special here, but good to speed along XC-style and warm up.

Eventually you’ll reach the forest line, and here it gets better again. More rock piles, gnarly moments and some wooden structures challenge (or then again, entertain) the better riders while they’re cruising along these wooded paths.

These trails are often a little wider than they should be, since the area gets a lot of traffic. You will see little that is tight singletrack.

As you get closer to the edge of the escarpment, the rock count increases and so does the degree of descent. At some point…

Read more of this review in my MTB guidebook with topo maps and riding tips, plus 54 others. Available as an eBook or paperback.