The Passionate Hiker: Merrickville: Trail meets Canal

Mon. 2 November: Merrickville: Trail meets Canal

Trail meets Canal

If you’re a lover of both the Rideau Trail and the Rideau Canal, then this short half-day hike is for you.

The only downside is that it’s largely a road walk. But there’s so much to see along the way, that the miles slip by, and the roads are not busy.

My route headed east out of Merrickville along the south side of the Rideau River/Canal, on the route of the Rideau Trail. At the Lower Nicholsons Lock, I crossed over the canal and returned to the start on the north side of the river. This made an ideal loop of about eleven kilometres.

What better place to start a hike than the canal-side park in the centre of Merrickville. It was a little tempting not to head straight for one of those cosy-looking cafes across the street, but I was here to do a hike.

Here in the heart of town, The Rideau Canal runs through a series of locks, which had been drained for the winter. I enjoyed strolling along the edge of the canal, carefully crossing the final closed lock gate, the empty, rocky canal bed below my feet.

There were plenty of interesting old buildings and beautiful homes along the road out of town. Soon I was turning off onto a quiet side road, Burritts Rapids Road, which paralleled the canal and river to my left. Along this stretch of road were two cemeteries worth visiting. First the Union Cemetery, and then further along the road, a gate leads to the tiny, haunting McGuigan Cemetery, where early settlers buried their children, and Irish navvies, who died building the nearby canal were laid to rest beneath simple field stones.

I continued along this pretty country road as far as Lower Nicholsons Lock. It would be hard to select the most scenic lock along the Rideau Canal. They would all compete for the prize. But the two Nicholsons locks, and the old white-painted Andrewsville road bridge, would be high on the list. This made an ideal stop for lunch. The canal bed was drained, but some picnic tables still sat out on the green grass, and it was as warm as some September days.

Turning north, I crossed the Rideau River on an old metal bridge, climbing a short hill to reach Highway #2, which was not a busy road. Now heading back to Merrickville, I walked down what looked like a private driveway, but which was the entrance to one of the more spectacular places along the Rideau Canal. Here at Clowes Lock is a wide, curving weir, the water making a loud roar as it poured over the low dam. Beside this weir was the canal lock, making a very scenic setting.

A straight stretch of road headed directly into town. Beside the road were some large horse farms and one or two beautiful old and new stone houses. Ahead of me a noisy train raced across the road on its way west to Perth and beyond. On my right the Rideau Trail emerged from the forest. A sign warned that there was an “Active Hunter” in the area. This is now hunting season - a very good reason to be road walking.

The Rideau Trail follows some pretty side streets before returning to the canal-side park in the middle of Merrickville. Here in summer, tourists and hikers can visit the canal blockhouse, built to protect the canal from American attack. I relaxed in the park, in the warm sunshine. Could this really be November?

Note: single-click on the first picture above to scroll through the photos separately.

Statistics:

Total Distance: 11.7 km (hike)

Height Gain: Say 50 ft.

Time on Trail: 2 hrs. 27 mins.

Merrickville: 11.51 am

Lower Nicholsons Lock: 12.52 pm

Ret. to car: 2.18 pm

Temp: +12C

Weather: Cloud, sunny breaks, warm.