Whats a good scenic / twisty route from Toronto to Ottawa?

Bikerider

Bikerider

Well-known member
I want to take my girlfriend on a nice scenic ride from Toronto to Ottawa. Will spend a night / morning there and probably slab it up on the way back. My range is about 250 to 280 km until reserve. This is what I am thinking here:

https://goo.gl/maps/xS0op

I did this route a few winters ago in a cage coming back from Mt. Tremblant and from what I remember it was pretty great but we did not see much in terms of gas stations.

Is it worth it to go up to Huntsville and ride 60 ? Like this:
https://goo.gl/maps/EXnuF

I am open to other suggestions.
 
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There are a few routes that run between highway 7 to the north and highway 2 to the south. Small towns you pass through may be hastings, campbelford, stirling, tweed. There is a very very special road between Verona and Sydenham called desert lake rd.
 
Schneller said:
There are a few routes that run between highway 7 to the north and highway 2 to the south. Small towns you pass through may be hastings, campbelford, stirling, tweed. There is a very very special road between Verona and Sydenham called desert lake rd.
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....which will still have quite a bit of sand on it in places so be careful.

lots of interesting roads just west and south west of Ottawa. I once took some odd route back to Kingston from Ottawa and managed to actually avoid paved roads for quite a while so it depends on what you're looking for. If you're staying overnight somewhere you can head up to Halliburton then across east and then around Calabogie which will give you some really good roads.
 
Bikerider said:
I want to take my girlfriend on a nice scenic ride from Toronto to Ottawa. Will spend a night / morning there and probably slab it up on the way back. My range is about 250 to 280 km until reserve. This is what I am thinking here:

https://goo.gl/maps/xS0op

I did this route a few winters ago in a cage coming back from Mt. Tremblant and from what I remember it was pretty great but we did not see much in terms of gas stations.

Is it worth it to go up to Huntsville and ride 60 ? Like this:
https://goo.gl/maps/EXnuF

I am open to other suggestions.
Click to expand...

It's nice to go there, but I don't think it would be worth your while as part of this trip.

I'd suggest going up the 404 and then getting on the 48 to 35 to 118 to 28 to 41
 
I'd skip the Monk Rd Part (45) and head up to 507 (Via Port Perry. Caeserea, Mt Horab Rd and up through Bobcaygeon) and continue your run through Bancroft and Caloaogie as you have routed already. ..Tom
 
Look for roads that start with 5xx.

Here's what I was told: ......Bancroft.......Denbigh, Griffith, Calabogie, Hopetown, Almonte, Kanata.

Grin!!
 
good thread, i too, am interested in a route to take down to ottawa, however me and 2 of my friends got supersports, so gas stations are a must

nfq, i like that route you posted, how can i save it for later?
 
Hi RPM said:
good thread, i too, am interested in a route to take down to ottawa, however me and 2 of my friends got supersports, so gas stations are a must

nfq, i like that route you posted, how can i save it for later?
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Copy and book mark that link.

or if you have a google (gmail) account, open the link, sign in, and you can save the route.

You can do this route as well: https://goo.gl/maps/gZ4B8 (Thanks Baggsy)

Gas stations aren't a problem really, they're every 100ish km's between towns. I did lots of riding in that area on an R6 and ZX6R, never had gas issues, just start looking for gas when you're 1/3 full, before the light comes on you'll be fine.
 
Nice country north and east of GTA. Lots good roads, shorter list might be what roads to avoid, zigzag everything else to your destination.
 
Found these on Google:

http://www.themcdonalds.net/richard/index.php?title=Motorcycle_Route:_Back_roads_to_Toronto ... this route keeps south of #7 and uses some obscure township roads ... Tamworth (home of the only official Gaeltacht outside Ireland), Stoco, Marlbank, Enterprise are all well off the beaten path, at least compared to Westport and Verona.

http://www.northernontario.travel/m...ride-of-choice-for-ottawa-and-montreal-riders Highway #2 isn't exciting, but it's nicer than the 401. Just take Kingston road eastbound, then hang a left onto highway 15 after you cross the Cataraqui river.

From http://www.wheels.ca/top-ten/top-10-one-day-road-trips-from-toronto/ This sounds a bit like jc100's route.
10) Bancroft and Rte. 509 (500 km). I’ve saved the best for last. I like to take this northern route when I have an entire day to get to Ottawa, but it can make for a great loop, too.
Basically, get to Bancroft, preferably on Hwy. 28 through Peterborough and Apsley, then head east on the wide curves down to Denbigh. The Swiss restaurant there serves great food and gets the Star so you can read Wheels. Go south from there on Hwy. 41, but turn off on the Buckshot Lake Rd. to the southeast and follow it all the way down to Plevna. This is the fabled Hwy. 509, which twists and winds east and then south through Ompah and Snow Road Station until it finally re-emerges at Hwy. 7 west of Lanark and Perth. Warning: Sportbikes sometimes come here to ride very fast. This will get you to within a couple of hours of Ottawa (another romantic weekend), or just a three-hour trip home again to the GTA. Your choice, but after a drive like this, if the weather is good, it won’t be an easy one.
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I visit my folks often near Kingston. My route after tweed is through Marlbank, Tamworth, enterprise, Verona, harrowsmith, Sydenham.

another nice route is south from Brighton to picton, then the Glendora ferry to hiway 33 along coast of Lake Ontario into Kingston.
 
Subscribed, as I'll likely be visiting some friends who moved out to Ottawa this July. Main reason for the trip is to see them, but secondary is to spend some time on the bike.

Although some of the more northern routes look tempting they are a lot longer, which cuts into visit time. I was contemplating going the 401 -> 115 -> 7 route to Ottawa but wanted some opinions on those who did it. Google also makes it look like a single lane road each way, so passing and speed limits (traps) worry me a bit. My CBR650F is also pretty good on fuel, however I still like fuel stops every 250-275km or so, just so I'm not pushing it up north.
 
Bikerider said:
I wonder how common these are on the smaller less traveled roads... not that I am planning to speed as I will be with a passenger.
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OPP reasonably common on Highway 7 (especially near Kaladar where there's often a cruiser parked at the Shell station) but I've also seen them once on the 509 (near highway 7 not for from Sharbot Lake where they have a HQ) looking out for the more rambunctious of us. Further north I've seen them just south of Bancroft on the 62 (road from Bellville) quite often too but that's a straight road and pretty dull but it's a quick way to get from Lake Ontario up North. Other smaller twisty roads I hardly ever see them. There's an OPP HQ just south of Smith's Falls on Highway 15 so be careful there and another at Napanee if you're around that area too.
 
When travelling/touring you shouldn't be speeding more than 20%. That's a rule I just made up for everybody to follow. Enjoy.
 
The advertised 6 hour scenic route will be more (oh so much more) like 8 solid hours without rest stops & fuel included, lots of low speed turns and weaves which google doesn't account for. I know, what we live for, right?

You're both going to be exhausted. I know my wife would be buying a bus ticket to get home, she'd never get back on the bike after a marathon like that. Maybe consider adding a layover?
 
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