Roads between Kingston and Hwy 7 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Roads between Kingston and Hwy 7

shanekingsley

shanekingsley

Curry - so nice it burns you twice
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What are the roads like between Kingston and Hwy 7, in the Frontenac area and including the area around Westport, Sharbot Lake, Parnham, etc.? I have been told it's nice there and I see some nice looking roads when I zoom in on the map - any suggestions for the best ones in the area? How is the road quality - pavement and scenery?

I never really spend time riding that area because I always go north, but it looks pretty nice on a map and I want to go check it out on my next ride out.

This is something like a route I would do to explore the area: https://goo.gl/maps/8tPvFkGiCyJ2

Thanks!
 
I just took Waggarville Rd from Parham to Tamworth and it looked like it was paved recently, very good. It's a nice twisty road with very little traffic.
 
Desert lake road is pretty nice, fairly sandy kinda like Southwood13.

Been 10+ years since i last rode it though.
 
You might consider including the Arden Road that runs between Hwy 7 and Tamworth if you can. Fairly twisty, scenic, mostly tar and gravel with patches but asphalt in the southern portion. Can be sandy and a bit loose in the spring. Keeps your focus.
 
Thanks Thwak. Google Maps only allows something like 14 points on a route and then you can't modify it any further, so the route I linked above is just to give an idea. On the gps route I created, I actually have Arden road and many, many more - it's over 500km/8hrs of just that area.

To and from Mississauga will make this a full day for sure. No long stretches of gravel for me on this ride though, because I'm on pure street tires.

If you or anyone knows of any other must ride roads in this area that would be appreciated - especially the smaller rural roads that look like they might be gravel on Google Maps, but are actually paved and very twisty.
 
Yes that really is a very long day. I've found myself in that position where I want to discover new areas but they're just outside my daily limits. There are three parts to a ride for me; the ride that I have to make to get to a starting point, then its the ride of discovery that I really want to do, then its the ride that I have to make to get home. Sometimes its an overnighter so I can really discover and enjoy the area. I'm fortunate to have some friends who live near Tamworth where I can occasionally have a base. I'll let you know of any paved "jewels" as I find them.
 
How did you make out Shane? Sorry I only saw this thread now as this is my riding area. I use Tamworth as a starting point for a lot of routes. A loop round Mazinaw lake is always fun, up one side and down the other. On the eastern side you'll find very light traffic. Mountain road from Tamworth to Parham is excellent for the entire length with the bonus of fresh Tarmac at the eastern end. For some light off road you can take California road from mountain road south. You'll not meet anyone on that road most likely and it's a lot of fun depending on your bike. Arden road is excellent but needs resurfacing in parts. Again, some roads off Arden road head into cottage land and the off-road tracks there are fun and solitary. The ones on the western side of Arden often run back up to highway 7 too. Nearer Kingston you have Opinicon Rd, Desert Lake Rd etc. All good at this time of year as the sand has been mostly washed away. If you start in Kingston just take Montreal St out until it turns into Battersea Rd. Go out past Sunbury stop at the Creekside Grill for food if you like, then just past Battersea you have a choice to continue on Battersea Rd that you can take all the way to Jones or take Burnt Hills Rd for a nice little jaunt up to Highway 15. A nice loop is Burnt Hills to Highway 15, north on 15 for a bit then Jones Falls Rd back to Battersea Rd.

Bedford Rd from Sydenham is also worth taking, that turns into Desert Lake Rd.

From Westport you have Westport Rd with some of the most entertaining corners out by the lakes, or North up to Bolingbrook Rd and eventually to highway 7. Even south from Westport on Highway 10 is entertaining but there's a section with quite a few tar snakes that don't seem to play nice with my tires. You may have more luck.
 
shanekingsley said:
Thanks for your reply JC. I haven't gone yet and am planning on going during the next long weekend. Here is the route we are going to do: http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforu...-Labour-Day-Weekend-Saturday-Frontenac-Region

I will make a few changes to our route based on what you wrote, but if you had any more feedback it would always be appreciated!
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That looks like a lot of fun. Some notes. There is a very decent motorcycle friendly café with good, inexpensive food in Tamworth, I think it's called the Mill bakery or something. Tamworth is small, look for the wooden covered patio outside and the flags. Tamworth had a shooting not so long back and so there is occasionally an OPP presence nearby. Usually the same guy..happens to ride a KLR650 actually and pretty friendly. Never seen any on mountain road or Arden Rd. At Kaladar it's an unusual day if there's not a patrol car there.

The only dull stretches in your route are the bits of highway 7 and highway 15 but there's no way around that. There's a couple of corners that newbies should watch for. On Bollingbrook and the extension of Bollingbrook there's a 20kmh indicated corner that actually warrants the sign and a decreasing radius sharp corner if I remember correctly, same with those curves at the lake on Westport Rd. Actually the ones on Westport Rd are fun but the hard part is keeping your eyes on the road, you'll see what I mean.

There's picnic tables at Chaffeys locks if you have food. Nice place to stretch your legs.

I don't think I've been on Armstrong Line and Cross Rd, you might want to double check the surface. Long Lake Rd is fun..some nice elevation changes.

Looks like a solid day.

Edit #1. Kaladar has an OK burger shack!! Healthier food in Tamworth though.

Sydenham village has a good cafe. The Mill St Café (I mixed this one up with the Tamworth one which is called the River Bakery).

The Cove in Westport is a nice place to stop and eat too. Get a table outside on the patio and order the hot turkey sandwich. Thanks me later.
 
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Also, I'd come with you but that weekend is tied up as we'll probably head out somewhere with the dogs.

Looks like nice weather tomorrow so I might ride up and see what some of those sections I haven't been on are like and let you know. Heck, your route looks fun so I might just do the whole thing.
 
That's great feedback - I really appreciate it:)
I have some friends who live in Sydenham and was just at their place last weekend, but without the bike and no time to even drive north and see what awaits.

We'll do a morning break somewhere before Westport, with lunch at Chaffey Locks and maybe stop for an afternoon break at Tamworth on our way back.

Which road is better for fun and pavement quality - Arden Rd or Mountain Rd? I ask because on our way back to Kaladar, I can route it along Arden or Mountain Rd, but not both since that would take too long. We will have at least tried both at the beginning of the route so this is just for me to be able to draw up the route for the GPS and not have to think about it later on.

Last of all, if you know of any gravel on this route, it would be great if you could let me know, because if folks are on sport bikes I want to avoid it.

Thanks again!
 
shanekingsley said:
That's great feedback - I really appreciate it:)
I have some friends who live in Sydenham and was just at their place last weekend, but without the bike and no time to even drive north and see what awaits.

We'll do a morning break somewhere before Westport, with lunch at Chaffey Locks and maybe stop for an afternoon break at Tamworth on our way back.

Which road is better for fun and pavement quality - Arden Rd or Mountain Rd? I ask because on our way back to Kaladar, I can route it along Arden or Mountain Rd, but not both since that would take too long. We will have at least tried both at the beginning of the route so this is just for me to be able to draw up the route for the GPS and not have to think about it later on.

Last of all, if you know of any gravel on this route, it would be great if you could let me know, because if folks are on sport bikes I want to avoid it.

Thanks again!
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Theres always a chance of sand in corners (not apex though) on Desert Lake road in parts. It's not too bad at this time of the year though. I'll head out and see what I can find tomorrow.

Arden road has better twisties than mountain road. Mountain road has lots of fast sweepers though and the new Tarmac is a treat. The surface on Arden is far from ripped up though and last time I was there I think they had been adding patches. Mountain road is open and with lake views. Arden is a big mix with some of the more entertaining bits under tree canopy cover. They both have about the same mix of traffic. Arden is narrower but has a few elevation changes that mountain doesn't. I usually link both of them together starting in Parham with a break in Tamworth. I did mountain Rd just a week or so ago and there was next to no gravel at all.

I forgot, at Jones Falls, take the small rough road down to the hotel and falls, don't park in the car park you see from Jones Falls Rd. There's an ice cream place and greasy spoon by the hotel and a popular swimming hole in the turning pond a short walk over the bridge. The water gets changed often from the locks opening so it's not at all scummy and very refreshing if you need to cool down.
 
Awesome thanks! I was originally going to stop at Jones Falls not to swim, but to check out the dam and take a break there. But it's so close to Chaffeys Lock that we'll just stop at one spot - whatever would be a more scenic spot for lunch, but the ice cream sounds enticing.
 
Jones falls is nice area for a stop. A lot of us locals are using Mountian rd a lot so its just a matter of time before is watched as there are a fair amount of houses along there. WestPort see's a lot of bikes as roads like 10, 11, Westport road of 38, 36 all run into Westport.
 
Not managed to get out yet but Google street view of Armstrong Line looks to show some loose gravel on a hard packed surface. Have a look.
 
Didn't manage to do much as there's a big police motorcycle skills competition on in town so I watched that but Desert Lake Rd is in perfect condition, Bedford road is a bit spotty near the Devil Lake Rd turnoff (which comes up pretty fast without little warning by the way) I felt my front tire chattering a little on some gravel so watch out for that. Later sections of Bedford Rd are fine.
 
shanekingsley said:
That's great feedback - I really appreciate it:)
I have some friends who live in Sydenham and was just at their place last weekend, but without the bike and no time to even drive north and see what awaits.

We'll do a morning break somewhere before Westport, with lunch at Chaffey Locks and maybe stop for an afternoon break at Tamworth on our way back.

Which road is better for fun and pavement quality - Arden Rd or Mountain Rd? I ask because on our way back to Kaladar, I can route it along Arden or Mountain Rd, but not both since that would take too long. We will have at least tried both at the beginning of the route so this is just for me to be able to draw up the route for the GPS and not have to think about it later on.

Last of all, if you know of any gravel on this route, it would be great if you could let me know, because if folks are on sport bikes I want to avoid it.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Just a note of caution about Arden Road. The southern portion is asphalt, no problem for sport bikes. The remainder, which is actually the more interesting and challenging portion, is narrower tar/gravel pavement with numerous patches and potential potholes. If there's a heavy rain, the fill can wash out of the potholes and sand can wash down to the road from sandy driveways and trails.
 
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