Hike from Ottawa to Kingston with the Rideau Trail Association

GOING ALL THE WAY

HIKE FROM OTTAWA TO KINGSTON WITH THE RIDEAU TRAIL ASSOCIATION

BY NIGEL BRERETON

Quick — how many ways are there to get from Ottawa to Kingston?

Driving, boating on the Rideau waterway, and cycling come to mind, right? And a few highfliers might take to the air in their ultra-lights.

Here’s another option this year — the Rideau Trail Association is leading a series of hikes that will leave Ottawa in April and get you to Kingston by October. Not to worry — this hike comes in segments. No land-speed records are going to be shattered, but the magic word here is “series.”

The Rideau Trail is a back-country hiking route meandering some 300 kilometres between Ottawa and Kingston that passes through interesting countryside that includes towns and villages along the way.

In some places, the trail comes close to the Rideau waterway and passes by some of the lock stations. It takes you through Murphy’s Point and Frontenac provincial parks, as well as Foley Mountain conservation area near Westport. The trail does not pretend to be a rigorous challenge and can easily be tackled by beginners and hikers with physical limitations.

The series of hikes will start in Ottawa on April 30 and continue each weekend. The average length of each hike is 14 kilometres and no hike is longer than 18 kilometres. Car or bus shuttles help to avoid retracing those portions of the route that you’ve already covered. Each hike is led by a knowledgeable leader and hikers can drop in and out as

availability and inclination dictates. Or, just go once and enjoy the scenery.

Hikers who go the full distance will receive a badge and a certificate. Hikers who aren’t available to finish the whole trail this year can still earn an “end-to-end” badge by complet ing missing segments either on other Rideau Trail Association outings or on privately organ ized hikes.

To find out more about the great group of the Rideau Trail Association, please visit them at www.rideautrail.org/.

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