Ride route - Almonte to Calabogie (paved)

Are you new to Ottawa and looking for a motorbike day-ride in the area? Here a classic route just west of the city, starting in my beautiful town of Almonte at the falls on the Mississippi River. I've made a few minor jogs to the better-known route so you can explore a bit more of the secondary roads and avoid more traffic. The pavement throughout is good to excellent so it's suitable for any kind of bike. I've even ridden all of it on a road bicycle too.

This route serves as a great jumping-off point for exploring the backcountry side roads--especially west of Hwy 511. There's a ton of great history in this area from the mid-1800's. The wilderness has reclaimed many visible traces of the hardy Scots who tried to make a go of it in this area. But if you know where to look, there is everything from old bush trails, ghost towns, abandoned farms, and old mines to discover. For a taste of the history of the area, you can download several convenient brochures here.

So maybe all that history stuff doesn't interest you. The scenery surely will. Once you leave Almonte you enter the southernmost edge of the Canadian Shield, leaving our Ottawa Valley limestone for rugged, hilly country with white pine, granite outcrops, and long sweeping curves that offers some great vistas. Watch for deer and other wildlife on the road.

If you find this useful, let me know and I'll post additional maps of rides in the area with more adventurous dirt/dualsport options that even the timid 1200GS rider can tackle comfortably on road tires.