Victoria South – Rail Trail

Length –  29 km (one way)
80%  rail trail path
10% park path
10%  road crossings, detours

Elevation – very flat as rail lines go

Terrain – crushed stone, loose gravel, sandy, some asphalt paths

Skill – easy to intermediate on some rough sections

Traffic – bicycles, hikers, horses, ATV,  snowmobiles, X-country skiers

Facilities – food, washroom in Lindsey and Bethany

Highlights – Scugog and Pigeon River, old bridges, downtown Lindsay, marshes

Maps – sign at trailhead in Lindsay – Openstreet maps

Phone – none

Website – Kawartha Lakes

Similar Trails – Oro – Medonte, North Simcoe,

Local Clubs – Uxbridge Cycling Club

Access – Lindsay – 30 King St. – map flag

Mount Horeb Rd. & Pigeon River (halfway point)

Bethany –  Ski Hill Rd. & Jackson St.

History –  Still looking for clues…was a Canadian Pacific railway line at one point.

The Victoria South rail trail runs from Lindsay through farm country on a well maintained flat stretch of rail bed no longer in use to Bethany.

It starts in Lindsay by the locks and old mill following the Scugog River on a paved, treed park path for a few kms. You will pass a few old bridges and soon veer off into open flat and straight sections as you pass a golf course and farmer fields.

This rail trail continues through a few woodlots and crosses two branches of the Pigeon River. As it makes its way along you will ride by marshy sections of this river then through the Fleetwood Creek Valley to the town of Bethany at Hwy 7A.

From here it ends in about 3 more kilometres as it meets up with another working rail line. (optional) There is a small gap in the trail in Bethany but it does continue south of Hwy 7A.

On most of the trail you will find plenty of solitude, nature and few riders so be prepared with water, snacks and tools and a spare tube.  I found parts of the trail rather loose with sand and gravel so thin road tires are not recommended.

In Bethany you can find…

Read the rest of this review in my trail guidebook along with 64 others. Features train history with better maps, elevation graphs and parking locations when you buy the eBook or paperback.