Prescott & Russell: Recreational Trail

Enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside as you pedal along the charming Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail. Choose the distance that best suits your riding style, short or long, for a ride on this unpaved and well-maintained rail trail. The trail is 72 km long and stretches from the outskirts of Ottawa to the Quebec border and into the Ottawa River, which separates the two provinces in southeastern Ontario. This flat, multi-use trail is easily accessible and has eight parking lots and six sheltered pavilions with washrooms.

This 54 km round trip suggestion will take you along a scenic stretch and through a number of welcoming communities. Along the way, you’ll stop in Vankleek Hill, Alfred and Plantagenet. Vankleek Hill, known as the Gingerbread Capital of Ontario for its Victorian-inspired architecture and homes, is also home to the popular Beau’s Brewery, which has a large patio. Plantagenet’s pretty riverside setting makes it an ideal village for a coffee, ice cream or whatever, overlooking the South Nation River (a tributary of the nearby Ottawa River), at Café sur la rive, a regular stop for local cyclists. Cycle to Le Bourget or leave the trail to return on quiet roads through the surrounding countryside on one of the area’s many mapped cycling routes. It is also possible to rent electric bikes at one of the three rental points located in the villages along the trails.