Renfrew County: River Landscapes and Trails

Renfrew County offers ways to plan trips centred on nature, outdoor activities, and culture. Topics include river landscapes and trails, a former railway line, and a walk where you can discover fossils. If you’re looking for a hotel for your trip, you can start by considering what you want to focus on: cycling and trails, parks by the water, or cultural heritage? These places and activities offer different experiences in Renfrew County.

Trails for Cycling and Walking

Renfrew County’s recreational trail network includes rail trails, paved shoulders, and county forests. The K&P Trail includes a 21-kilometre section of the former Kingston-&-Pembroke railway line between Renfrew and Calabogie. The section of the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail in Renfrew County is officially named the Algonquin Trail.

Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park has an upper and a lower trail network. Both are suitable for hiking, snowshoeing, cycling, and cross-country skiing. The 215-hectare park is a green space with diverse habitats and an abundance of vegetation and wildlife. Its main entrance is on Laurentian Drive, where there is a small parking lot.

At the Bonnechere Museum in Eganville, the Geoheritage Trail offers a 1.5-kilometre walk where you can discover fossils. The Eganville Gravel Grinder offers a different scale: the 50-kilometre route starts in Eganville and is suitable for mountain bikes, fat bikes, and bicycles with appropriate gearing and wider tires. This gives you a choice between a walk with the possibility of looking for fossils and a longer cycling route.

River Landscapes and Park Orientation

Westmeath Provincial Park is one of the most ecologically diverse provincial parks in Renfrew County. It covers 610 hectares and lies on the banks of the Ottawa River. The Algonquins of Ontario have identified the park as an area of historical and cultural significance within their territory. Lower Madawaska River Provincial Park is also located in southwestern Renfrew County. Westmeath Provincial Park is larger in area than Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park.

Bonnechere Provincial Park is located in Richards Township in Renfrew County. Highway 62 runs along its northern and western boundaries and provides access from Eganville, Pembroke, Barry's Bay, and Bancroft. Bonnechere River Provincial Park connects Bonnechere Provincial Park on Round Lake in Renfrew County with Algonquin Park. Bonnechere River Waterway Park protects the riverbed and Crown land along the banks. Bonnechere Provincial Park is preserved and developed for nature-based recreation and appreciation of cultural heritage.

Explore More Destinations

Arnprior, Golden Lake, Pembroke, Petawawa, Renfrew, Greater Madawaska, Foresters Falls, Barry's Bay, Killaloe

For the main travel overview: Ontario.