END OF THE LINE

END OF THE LINE 

Well, it's all right, riding around in the breeze 

Well, it's all right, if you live the life you please 

Well, it's all right, even if the sun don't shine 

Well, it's all right, we're going to the end of the line 

Song by Traveling Wilburys ‧ 1988 

Songwriters: George Harrison / Bob Dylan / Jeff Lynne / Roy K. Orbison / Thomas Earl Petty 

Today I completed the final section of the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail/Algonquin Trail, north of Chalk River. 

I have now biked the whole length of the trail from Sturgess Road, north of Smiths Falls, to Bissett Creek (which is about 50 km short of Mattawa), a distance of 247 km. And since every trip was out and back, I’ve actually biked the trail twice! 

It’s possible that Bissett Creek will remain the end of the trail for a while. The rail bridge which crosses the busy Highway 17 is not in good shape, and the funding apparently isn’t there to fix it. Beyond the bridge there are still fifty three kilometres of line before you reach Mattawa. So in the meantime, this is where the OVRT ends. 

This little chart shows the main milestones along the route. Thanks to the amazing work of the various counties and municipalities along the trail, the surface is stone dust the whole way, ideal for cyclists.

The most spectacular features are all the river crossings: you cross over the Mississippi River three times (Carleton Place, Almonte, Pakenham), the Madawaska at Arnprior, the Bonnechere at Renfrew, Muskrat River at Pembroke, the Petawawa River at Petawawa (perhaps the most spectacular of them all), and, further north, Mackey Creek, an arm of the flooded Ottawa River. In three sections, you follow the edge of the Ottawa River itself, first between Arnprior and Renfrew, then through Pembroke, and finally at the northern end of the trail, north of Mackey Creek. 

The further north you go, the fewer cyclists you meet. North of Petawawa, all the way north to Bissett Creek, I met just three cyclists, all local residents. This is ATV country, yet on a typical weekday, there are not many of them on the trail. And with one exception of a speeding motorbike, every ATV we met slowed right down and exchanged friendly greetings. Many thanks to the ATV riders, who would not have been expecting cyclists on the trail. Most of the time I felt like a cycling pioneer in an almost empty world. 

I hope this article will encourage more cyclists to explore the northern sections of this trail. It needs to be discovered. 

Not far from Bissett Creek. 
I wonder what the story is behind this marker?!

I plan to publish a photo album of the route shortly, which I hope will encourage more cyclists to persevere to the End of the Line. 

Well, it's all right, even if you're old and gray

Well it's all right, you still got something to say

Enjoy this link: The Traveling Wilburys - End Of The Line (Official 4K Music Video)

The Passionate Hiker 

20 September, 2026

REMOTE SIGNS

REMOTE SIGNS Unless you are a keen snowmobiler, you may not have passed this sign. It's on the rougher section of the Tay-Havelock Trail between Fall River Road and the Armstrong Line. I met only 1 other person today on this whole stretch of rail trail. It's remote and it's beautiful.

RACING NORTH

 

RACING NORTH

August 21/22, 2026

 

My map:  60 km of new trails for cyclists!!

A year ago, I explored the latest extension of the OVRT (the Algonquin Trail) north from Petawawa to Chalk River [see my Sep. 13, 2025 blog entry below].  I’m now just catching up on the next dramatic extension of the trail northwards from Chalk River, all the way to Bissett Creek, another roughly 60 km of brand new rail trail.

During these past two days I biked most of this latest section of trail, and now I only have to finish the roughly 16 km from Chalk River to James Lake Road.  In two days I biked almost 90 km, in four legs, using two different bases.  As a result, I’ve actually biked the new section from James Lake Road to Bissett Creek twice – i.e. there and back!  Not bad for a 75 year old!

I saw only one cyclist during these four trips, and he was a local guy on an errand.  I only met a handful of ATVs, a man and his dog, and a young black bear!  I had the place to myself.  Perhaps this is just too remote for many cyclists to explore – but they should do so.  I will let my photos speak for themselves.

If anyone would like to have details of my logistics, just let me know.  I explored some remote access roads, perhaps only busy in winter with snowmobiles.  And I can highly recommend the Deep River Motel for amazing value for money.

And I must find out more on the history of this section of the railway line, which had to be rerouted in the late 1940s, due to the raising of the Ottawa River water levels caused by the building of the Des Joachims dam.

Congratulations to everyone responsible for creating this new section of trail.  It is a superb job, and any intrepid cyclist must come and explore it.

Here's a link to my photo album, but I also attach the pics below (in East-to-West sequence): OVRT James Lake Rd to Bissett Ck. (44 km) - Google Photos

The Passionate Hiker (Biker??)

23 August 2026

Early starts

Just west of James Lake Rd.

Remote access point on day 2

Baby bear beside the trail

One of many lakes along the route

Hard to tell, but this is a huge embankment

Mackey Creek view West

Mackey Creek view East

The only crossing of Highway 17

Same bridge view south

Handy parking at the Municipal offices on Boat Launch Road - I was given permission to park behind the building

At Boat Launch Road in 2012 (from Google Maps)

Easy access to the river from the trail

Ottawa River from Boat Launch

Ottawa River looking downstream

Ottawa River views from the trail

Ottawa River

View of the Quebec side of the river

This line was rerouted in the late 1940s

Typical trail scenery

The only rail remnant that I noticed

Some rock cuttings

A more open view

The trail stretching westwards

END OF TRAIL: at Crossing Road

I walked up this section to the bridge

And found a few old spikes along the way

Bissett Creek bridge across Hwy 17

Two busy days!

Late adder, with reference to Moore Lake Road, Rolphton:  I found some interesting photos online (ref. School House Museum, Deep River, On.) of the Moor(e) Lake Road and Station, in the late 1940s, during the construction of the Des Joachims dam on the Ottawa River.  Moore Lake Road, which connects the Des Joachims dam site at Rolphton to the railway line, was built to improve access for construction materials, which previously had to be trucked by road from Chalk River.  See these fascinating pics, showing the station (no signs of which remain today), and the heavy civil work involved in creating Moore Lake Road:

Moor(e) Lake station - now the OVRT at Moore Lake Road

Moor(e) Lake station

Building the Moore Lake Road

Building the Moore Lake Road

The Improved K&P Trail marches northwards

The Improved K&P Trail marches northwards 

On the K&P at Clarendon Station on a wet day several years ago

I missed it – until last week. 

Another eight kilometre section of K&P Trail, from Clarendon Road Station to Snow Road, was opened late last year. And I have only just explored it. 

Never too late! The magicians of Frontenac County have done a miraculous job, turning a partial canal into a smooth cycling trail. And I hear they have plans to continue marching northwards, through Snow Road and north towards Calabogie – plenty of future challenges ahead for the trail builders. 

The best way to show what an amazing job has been done is to compare a few “before and after” pictures. These speak for themselves. 

Clarendon Station looking north:  BEFORE

Almost the same view: AFTER

Just north of Clarendon Road: BEFORE

 

The same view: AFTER

Just south of Robertsville: BEFORE

New trail, better bridge:  AFTER

A lonely section of trail:  BEFORE

The same stretch + guard rails:  AFTER

Not far south of Snow Road: BEFORE

Better bridge and trail:  AFTER

And just for fun, here is the scene, on video, of the last time I travelled this way, some years ago: 

Video details - YouTube Studio

Congratulations to Frontenac County, and THANK YOU for remembering the cyclists, with the beautiful stone dust surface. 

Now for the even larger canal not too far north from Snow Road! 

 The Passionate Hiker 2nd October 2025

OVRT (Algonquin Trail): Petawawa to Chalk River – and beyond - is open!

 

OVRT (Algonquin Trail):  Petawawa to Chalk River – and beyond - is open!

The new section of trail through Garrison Petawawa

Last December, the next twenty-eight kilometre section of the OVRT (Algonquin Trail) was opened, from the Petawawa River to a point seven kilometres north of Chalk River. The official opening took place on May 9^th.  I biked it yesterday, as far as Chalk River.

It wasn’t what I had expected.  This new trail does not follow the route of the old railbed.  Instead, it detours around the Petawawa Garrison, following a wide, straight tree-lined corridor for fourteen kilometres, on the north side of Highway 17, before crossing the highway and rejoining the rail route.  Especially at the northern end of this corridor, the trail becomes a switchback, with several short, blind hills. 

A roller coaster ride

It's a magnificent, lonely route along the edge of the Garrison.  There are no public roads along this section of the trail.  At one remote point, an ATV stood guard at the entrance to a forest trail, presumably an access point into the Garrison.  On my way back along the trail, an army helicopter flew overhead.

Back on the old railbed

There’s not much to see at Chalk River, although the bench outside the front of the Library made an ideal spot to relax and enjoy a snack.  There’s a large area of open ground which looks to be some sort of staging area for snowmobiles and ATVs.  Luckily I only met a handful of ATVs on the route, and they (perhaps reluctantly) slowed down as they passed by.  I saw only one other cyclist.

Chalk River

The surface of stone dust made for enjoyable riding on my bike.  It seemed that the trail slopes very gently eastwards, so that my return journey was a speedy one.  It might have been harder going on a windy day, but there was not even a gentle breeze today, under the bright sunshine.  Faint indications of fall colors were hard to find, especially as the corridor was entirely made up of conifers (or so it seemed).

Many thanks to the County of Renfrew, the Petawawa Garrison, the snowmobile groups, and several other stakeholders for creating this exciting next stage in the goal to reach Mattawa (or beyond).  I look forward to the next section being completed – luckily it should be a much less challenging project, assuming that the trail now continues north along the old railbed.   And thank you for remembering the cyclists in your planning – we really appreciate it.

 

An awesome new section of trail - THANK YOU!

The Passionate Hiker (or biker!)

13 September 2025