Rideau Trail

Rideau Trail
Length	387 kilometres (240 mi)
Location	Ontario, Canada
Use	Hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing
Season	Year-round

The Rideau Trail is a 387-kilometre (240 mi) hiking trail in Ontario, Canada, linking Ottawa and Kingston. Crossing both public and private lands, the trail was created and opened in 1971. It is named for the Rideau Canal which also connects Ottawa and Kingston, although the two only occasionally connect. The trail crosses terrain ranging from the placid farmland of the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River valleys to the rugged Canadian Shield in Frontenac Provincial Park. The trail also goes through Richmond, Ontario. It is intended only for walking (hiking), snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

The Rideau Trail begins in the Cataraqui Bay Marshland Conservation Area on King St. in Kingston. In Ottawa the trail ends at historic Richmond Landing on the Ottawa River, within sight of Parliament Hill. The main trail is marked with orange triangular markers from Kingston to Ottawa. In the opposite direction the orange triangles have a yellow tip. Side trails sport blue triangles. The trail is maintained by the Rideau Trail Association, a non-profit organization which organizes both regular hikes along the trail (and other nearby trails) and work parties for maintenance. The association's registered trademark is an isosceles triangle.

Further reading

• Trischuk, Ernie, and Linda Hayes, The Rideau Trail Guidebook, (Rideau Trail Association, Kingston, 7th ed., 2006) ISBN 0-9693759-7-2

External links

• Rideau Trail Association