Whitchurch + Porritt – Park / MTB Trail

Length – 8 km

10% MTB single track
30% hiking trail
60% double track access roads

Elevation –  rather flat, small rolling hills at the back

Terrain – smooth soil, gravel, sandy areas

Skill –  good spot for adventurous park cyclists and beginner MTB riding

Trail Pass – free

Facilities – small parking lot, outhouses, shelter

Highlights – pond, big estates and horse ranch

Maps – none, a few sign posts

Phone – 905-895-1281

Website – Lake Simcoe CA

Similar Trails – Eldred King,  Bendor, 

Local Clubs – DMBA – Durham Mountain Biking Assoc.

Access –  South side of 3749 Aurora Rd. and Warden Ave. past parking lot. There is also access on Warden Ave. around the corner, lot is smaller but easier riding in.

Porritt has two parking lots north of Aurora Rd. on Kennedy Rd.

You could easily ride from one woodlot to the other.

Whitchurch & Porritt Conservation Areas make up a short, 8 km circuit of off-road riding east of Aurora. Running through a wooded area, this route has a relatively flat terrain made of wide access roads.

This is a decent spot for a little bit of light family adventure trekking through the woods. And so close to Toronto, I just have to mention it.

It is rather rustic, as none of the trails are paved; therefore it is rated as an Intermediate Park forest, and may not even be that hard. It is all shaded, with no open spots except at the small pond.

This area is larger than the small conservation area you might see on a map. The trails extend beyond to the south and west, into what is called the Robinson Tract.

From the Aurora Road car lot, the path goes to the pond and a rain shelter. Enjoy this picturesque spot, then go south by the water as it turns into a thin hiking trail.

Once into the back end, paths are again wider. If coming in from Warden Ave., around the corner, this will give you a smoother gravel base to start the ride.

There are not many directional signs, and as paths are old and connect at odd intersections, there is not much…

Read more of this review in my trail guidebook, plus 64 others. Featuring better maps, more parking locations and elevation graphs. Available as an eBook or paperback.