Lower Trent – Rail Trail

Length –  17 km (one way) 

95% rail trail path
5% road crossings, road detours

Elevation – Pancake flat 

Terrain – Crushed gravel; pockets of loose grit; wide tires needed; width of path varies, narrowing to singletrack at times

Skill – Easy

Maps – Map board at the gate, route signs

Traffic – Bicycles, eBikes, hikers, snowmobiles and X-country skiers in winter

Facilities – Parking, benches, amenities in Frankford and at locks

Highlights – Town of Frankford, locks, swing bridges, Bleasdell Boulder

Trail Fee – Free

Phone – 613 394 4829

Website – Quinte West, Lower Trent Conservation

Similar Trails – Caledon, Millennium, LE & N Rail Trail

Local Clubs – None

Access – Park at south end of trail on Lock Rd. east of Stockdale Rd., at midway point in Frankford on N. Wellington St., or at north end at the Glen Ross locks

History – (I no longer include train history in my free reviews. Only to be found in my published books.)

Discover the Lower Trent Rail Trail running north from Trenton, as I did this summer. It’s a great find and an enjoyable 17 km path to cycle. 

What makes this Rail Trail so pleasing is the variety of scenery along the way. Onward one rides, through quiet fields and small wooded enclaves. We encountered a multitude of small butterflies en route.

In my opinion, this under-publicized Rail Trail truly deserves more attention.

Because there was little info online to indicate we could ride it or even make it the whole way, we were pleasantly surprised to find the path resurfaced with the usual crushed-gravel base and well signed. This length of the trail is also free of any motorized traffic (ATV, motocross bikes), though eBikes are permitted (and snowmobiles in the winter).

From the south end in no time, you can take a 300 m side trail to visit the Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area. See one of the largest boulders left behind from the ice age, pushed down from the town of Madoc. There is a small 1 km loop you can try in there, too.

We passed by the village of Batawa, which has a ski hill with MTB trails, I hear. The more interesting backyards of the larger town of Frankford were an unexpected highlight and a nice change of scenery.

The large hills you will see in the area are actually eskers: mounds of sand and gravel deposits left behind by receding glaciers. Though the route follows the Trent River with its many …

Read the rest of this review and 59 others in my NEW book, Volume 2 of Best Bicycle Park & Rail Trails in Ontario.