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The National Capital Greenbelt has over 100 kilometres of trails and another 25 kilometres of recreational pathways, most of which are suitable for cross-country skiing in the wintertime. All of the trails are suitable for beginner and family outings.
Currently, volunteer groups machine trackset the following trails: 11, 12, 20, 21, 22, 50, 51, 52, 60, 61, 62 and 63. Thanks to the Orleans Nordic Ski Club and Kanata Ski Club for their efforts.
GREEN'S CREEK CONSERVATION AREA
TRAILS 60 TO 63: 5.5 kilometres of trails through Green's Creek Valley, cutting through clay and post-glacial deposits from the ancient Champlain Sea. Natural lookouts offer striking views of the valley. Parking (P23 and P24).
MER BLEUE CONSERVATION AREA
TRAILS 50 (6.3 km), 51 (2.8 km) AND 52 (3.5 km): 12.6 kilometres of trails winding their way through a forest situated on a sandy ridge in Mer Bleue Conservation Area. Toilet facilities. Parking P19 (Anderson Rd) and P20 (Dolman Ridge).
TRAILS 53 AND 53A: 6.7-kilometre trail that offers an extended ski from the boardwalk trail. Parking (P21 and P22) from Ridge Road.
DEWBERRY TRAIL: 1-kilometre loop located on the Dolman Ridge. Accessible year-round via parking P20 from Dolman Ridge Road.
PINE GROVE FOREST
TRAILS 43 (4 km) AND 44 (3.3 km): 7.3 kilometres of trails through a large forested area consisting of a mix of native woods and managed plantations. Pine Grove Forest includes a self-guided forestry management interpretive trail and tree-identification arboretum. Toilet facilities. Year-round parking (P17), access from Davidson Road.
TRAILS 45 (3.7 km) AND 46 (2.3 km): 6 kilometres of trails. Year-round parking (P18), access from Leitrim Road.
PINHEY FOREST
TRAILS 30 AND 31: 3.5 kilometres of trails through this mixed forest.
Year-round parking (P13), access from behind the Nepean Sportsplex.
TRAILS 32 (2.2 km) AND 33 (1 km): 3.2 kilometres of trails through Pinhey Forest. This forest is named after Mr. Pinhey, who donated the land in 1948 so that it could be used to demonstrate conservation practices. Toilet facilities. Year-round parking (P14), access from Slack Road.
SHIRLEYS BAY
TRAIL 10: 4 kilometres of trails that cross fallow fields and young forests, and provide a view of the Ottawa River. Year-round parking, access from Carling Avenue (P2) or off Rifle Road (P1).
STONY SWAMP CONSERVATION AREA
TRAILS 20 (3 km), 21 (2.3 km) AND 22 (2.4 km): 7.7 kilometres of trails winding through a cross-section of typical Capital area woodlands with many interesting habitats. Year-round parking (P4), access from Timm Drive.
OLD QUARRY TRAIL: 2.7-kilometre long, self-guided interpretive trail, explaining the unusual geology of this area. An information brochure is available on the NCC's web catalogue. Boardwalk and toilet facilities. Year-round parking (P5), access from Eagleson Road.
TRAILS 23 (2.3 km), 24 (3 km) AND 25 (3.5 km): 8.8 kilometres of trails linked to the Old Quarry Trail. Year-round parking, access from Eagleson (P5) and Richmond (P6) roads.
TRAILS 26 TO 29: 11.5 kilometres of trails. Toilet facilities located at P12. Year-round parking, access from West Hunt Club (P10) and Cedarview (P11 and P12) roads.
RIDEAU TRAIL: Ottawa to Kingston. A portion of the Rideau Trail passes through the Greenbelt. This 300-kilometre trail connects Ottawa and Kingston, passing through Stony Swamp (in some places overlapping with NCC trails). The main Rideau Trail is marked with orange triangles, side trails with blue triangles.
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