GEORGIAN BAY
CYCLING ROUTE
PRELIMINARY ISSUE
PREPARED BY
Denis Baldwin
GEORGIAN BAY CYLING ROUTE
INTRODUCTION
The Georgian Bay Cycling Route will start adjacent to the ferry terminal in South Baymouth on
Manitoulin Island and extend around Georgian Bay until it reaches the ferry terminal at
Tobermory at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. The route will take in parts of Manitoulin District,
the District of Sudbury, the District of Parry Sound, the District of Muskoka, the County of
Simcoe, Grey County and Bruce County. The ferry service provided by the Chi Cheemaun
operating between Tobermory and South Baymouth will complete the circle. The majority of
this route already exists in the form of quiet paved roads which provide an alternative to main
highways such as Hwy 17 and Hwy 69. There are currently three gaps which will be discussed
later in this document. As of November 2012 all the useable sections of the route have been
added to Google Maps under “Bicycling” and can be followed after zooming in sufficiently.
THE ROUTE
SOUTH BAYMOUTH TO MIKKOLA
Starting
at
South
Baymouth the main
route on Manitoulin
Island will follow Hwy
6 northwards to Little
Current where the
mainland is reached
via the swing bridge,
and then continues
north to Espanola.
Communities
along
Hwy
6
include
Manitowaning
(requiring a short
detour)
and
Sheguiandah.
The
scenis lookout east of
Sheguiandah offers a
wide panoramic view
of the North Channel. Hwy 6 has paved shoulders about one meter in width. Traffic volumes
south of Espanola are typically less than 4000 vehicles per day, and do not include a large
number of long distance transport trucks.
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An alternate route on Manitoulin Island, which takes in more of the island diverges from Hwy 6
onto Hwy 542. This highway leads north then west through Sandfield and Big Lake to
Mindemoya, taking in views of Lake Manitou and Big Lake. From Mindemoya the route
continues west along Hwy 542, passing the southern tip of Mindemoya Lake. At Britainville
Hwy 542 turns north and takes the route to the junction with Hwy 540 and Hwy 540B. The
Town of Gore Bay may be visited by continuing a short distance north on Hwy 540B. Hwy 540
is followed eastwards through Kagawong, and after dipping south around West Bay passing
through M’Chigneeg, turns towards the north east and after passing Cold Springs continues to
Little Current. The Hwy 6 route is re-joined in Little Current.
After Espanola the route which is also intended to be used for the bike route from Sault Ste
Marie will follow the Jacklin Road east until Hwy 17 is reached at Lorne. Between the end of
the Jacklin Road and the beginning of the Old NairnRoad near Nairn Centre there is currently a 7
km gap where Hwy 17 must be used. The Township of Nairn and Hyman has expressed a strong
desire to construct a bridge across the Spanish River on the north side of Nairn Centre. This
would connect Nairn Centre to the old Headquarters Hill Road and the Sand Bay Road. The
project would include hard surfacing of these roads, providing an alternative to Hwy 17, which
would eliminate 6 km of the gap where Hwy 17 must currently be used.
From Nairn Centre a chain of secondary paved roads will be followed via Worthington to
Whitefish joining Sudbury Regional Road 55 at the end of Graham Road. At Mikkola Regional
Road 55 will be vacated to take advantage of quieter roads which will after passing through
Mikkola will follow Mikkola Road to the Kantola Road.
SUDBURY CITY ROUTES
Two alternate routes through the core area of Sudbury will be identified diverging at the junction
between the Mikkola Road and the Kantola Road.
The Sudbury Downtown Route will head north on the Kantola Road, and then follow Moxam
Landing Road, Gibson Road and Southview Drive to reach and cross Hwy 17. The current plans
of the MTO include for the installation of an underpass where Southview Drive currently crosses
Hwy 17 on the level. Also a new South Service Road will replace the currently gravel surfaced
Gibson Road. As shown on Google Maps the route continues east through Sudbury, taking
advantage of traffic lights on McLeod Street to cross the busy Regent Street and reach Hyland
Drive. After jogging a few meters on Connaught, Wembley Drive, Marion Street and
Worthington Crescent will be used to reach the Nelson Street Bridge over the Canadian Pacific
Railway. After crossing the railway the route continues east taking advantage of the marked bike
lanes on Howey Drive, Bellevue Avenue and Bancroft Drive. Approaching Coniston Bancroft
Drive becomes Allan Street. Currently the route is shown on Google Maps as joining Hwy 17 at
Birch Street. From Birch Street there is currently a gap requiring the use of Hwy 17 between
Coniston and Wahnapitae for a distance of 4.5 km. There is however a trail which extends from
the end of East Street in Coniston following alongside the railway line and which connects with
Laren Street in Wahnapitae. Subsequent paving of this trail would all but eliminate this gap.
After crossing the Wanapitei River Hwy 537 and the Old Wanup Road will be used to reach the
Estaire Road. The Estaire Road is the former Hwy 69 and has wide paved shoulders, although
very little traffic.
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The Sudbury Bypass Route or Long Lake Route turns south along the Kantola Road and then
continues along Finnwoods Road, Moxam Landing Road, Melins Road, Lammis Road, Sandy
Cove Road and Sunnyside Road to Long Lake Road. Long Lake Road is followed by McFarlane
Lake Road and South Lane Road which connects with Hwy 69. The route then follows Hwy 69
south as far as the Estaire Road which is taken to the junction with the Old Wanup Road. This
junction is the point where the two alternative routes in the Sudbury area converge again, or
diverge depending on the direction of travel.
WANUP TO PARRY SOUND
From the junction with the Old Wanup Road the route proceeds or continues along the Estaire
Road through Estaire to the point where it swings into the Trout Lake Road.
During 2012 the MTO prohibited cyclists on Hwy 69 from a point near the north end of the
Estaire Road to a point south of the intersection with Hwy 637 which accesses Killarney
Provincial Park. A substantial amount of political lobbying will be required to re-establish a bike
route in this area. Work is currently in progress to upgrade Hwy 69 between Parry Sound and
Sudbury from a two lane highway to a four lane divided full freeway. Currently cyclists from
the south can reach the north end of the Shebeshekong Road south of Point au Baril before
having to use Hwy 69. When this project is complete cyclists will benefit from a continuous
chain of secondary paved roads reaching as far north as the junction with Hwy’s 607 and 64,
north of the French River. It is clearly apparent that the MTO has no plans to allow for cyclists
northwards from this point on the Hwy 69 route, although the option of following Hwy 64 to
Noelville followed by Hwy 535 to Hagar will presumably remain. Central to this gap is the old
Hwy 69 in the Murdoch River area, which provides access to the former Burwash Correctional
Facility, now used by the Canadian Armed Forces. This old section of highway has the ability to
account for some 10 km of a bike route off the new four lane highway.
An examination of satellite imagery of the area between Estaire and the Burwash access road
indicates an old right of way extending between these two locations. This has all the
appearances of having been a temporary railway built in the early 1900’s to aid in the
construction of the CPR’s Toronto to Sudbury railway. This extends about 3 km slightly east of
Hwy 69 and presumably could be the basis of a bike path connecting the south end of the Estaire
Road with the end of the old Hwy 69 at Burwash. The 3rd Edition of the Backroad Mapbook for
Northeastern Ontario indicates that this trail is on Crown Land. Reference to Stantec plans for
the four lane highway now complete in this area suggest that a bike path of some 3.6 km would
be sufficient to connect from the point where the Estaire Road becomes the Trout Lake Road to
the new access road into the Burwash area. While most of this route is east of Hwy 69, a
crossing of some sort will be needed to hook up with the old alignment of Hwy 69 near Burwash.
After crossing the highway north of the new truck inspection lanes the bike route would need to
parallel the highway within the highway right of way for some 1270 meters until the point where
the old highway now swings into the new Burwash entrance road. This could be reduced to
about 900 meters if the old Burwash entrance road was used.
3
South of the Murdoch River although cyclists are not currently prohibited, the old route around
the Murdoch River curves has been blocked off. Examination of the Stantec drawings for the
four lane suggest that the old two lane highway will still exist for some 640 meters south of the
centreline of the existing Murdoch River culvert. This is only two kilometres from the yet to be
built Crooked Lake Road interchange. The four lane plans include for the extension to the
interchange of an existing forest access road. The existing forest access road after a few twists
and turns crosses the CP Rail line, the Murdoch River and after a few more bends heads due east
connecting with the Delamere Road 6.3 km north of Hwy 64 at Alban.
As noted the junction with Hwy 64 will mark the beginning of a continuous chain of secondary
roads which will include Hwy 607, Hwy 529, the Shebeshekong Road, parts of the existing two
lane Hwy 69, some new service roads, the Nobel Road and Parry Sound Drive extending to Parry
Sound. The bike route will follow these roads. Two routes have been indicated on Google Maps
showing the route through the centre of Parry Sound. One follows the main streets including
Church Street and Seguin Street to reach Bowes Street, while an alternative route follows
Cascade Street and River Street to avoid the busier Seguin Street.
PARRY SOUND TO ORILLIA
From Bowes Street in
Parry Sound Oastler Park
Drive
(the
original
alignment of Hwy 69) is
followed as far as Rankin
Lake Road which in turn
provides a route over Hwy
400 connecting to the
recently named Lake
Joseph
Road,
which
continues south to Foot’s
Bay. The Lake Joseph
Road, a former alignment
of Hwy 69 is almost
deserted and has wide
paved shoulders. South of
Gordon Bay a loop route
following
Hwy
612
provides access to the
Town of MacTier. Continuing south from MacTier on Muskoka Road 11, followed by a left turn
onto the Lake Joseph Road the main route is regained at Foot’s Bay. At Foot’s Bay the route
continues along Muskoka Road 169 south through Bala as far as Torrance. From Torrance
Muskoka Road 13, the Southwood Road is followed south as far as Canning Road. The
Southwood Road is a key road for cyclists because it provides the only route to the south without
crossing to the east of Hwy 11. This road is paved and of two lane width but is very twisty. The
constant bends on this road effectively restrict motor vehicle speeds to little more than 50 kph.
As such it is an excellent bike route which is quite scenic and one which takes in the Torrance
Barrens area. The route continues along the Canning Road in an approximately westerly
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direction to the Hamlet Swing Bridge in order to cross the Severn River. One of the objects of
choosing this route is to avoid any use of the nearby Hwy 11. After crossing the swing bridge
and negotiating the Peninsula Point Road the South Sparrow Lake Road is followed as far as the
junction with the Cambrian Road. It is proposed that the junction between the South Sparrow
Lake Road and the Cambrian Road could subsequently be a connecting point for a bike route to
Huntsville and North Bay, and perhaps more significantly a route across eastern Ontario leading
to the Province of Quebec, and La Route Verte at Shawville. The route continues from this point
in an approximate south westerly direction along Cambrian Road through Hampshire Mills, then
along the Burnside Line and Division Road West as far as the Wainman Line. The Wainman
Line provides a safe crossing of Hwy 12 at a junction controlled by traffic lights. Beyond Hwy
12 this road becomes Line 15 which is followed as far as the junction with the Bass Lake Side
Road East. Google Maps have been edited to show a short finger route easterly along the Bass
Lake Side Road with the purpose of reaching the shopping mall on the west side of Orillia.
ORILLIA TO COLLINGWOOD (VIA MIDHURST AND ANTEN MILLS)
The route is currently
shown on Google Maps
continuing on 15th Line
as far as the Old Barrie
Road which is followed
just as far as 14th Line.
Subject to a future
inspection of the 14th
Line north of the Old
Barrie Road the route
may be relocated on to
the northern section of
the 14th Line in order to
avoid the Old Barrie
Road. South of the Old
Barrie Road the 14th
Line is followed almost
to Hwy 11 where the
Oro – Medonte 15th/16th
Side Road is joined. This is followed by a short section of the North Line 3 as far as the Ski
Trails Road, which in turn becomes the Partridge Road after crossing Hwy 93. The route
continues after the end of the Partridge Road northwards along the Old 2nd Road and then Pooles
Road into Midhurst.
5
Highway 26 is crossed in Midhurst by way of the Findlay Mill Road and the Snow Valley Road
which in turn is followed as far as Wilson Drive. The intersection between Snow Valley Road
and Wilson Drive provides a connecting point with two alternate routes leading to the south side
of Barrie, and ultimately to Vaughan and Toronto. In order to avoid riding along the busy Hwy
26 the route proceeds north on Wilson Drive, crossing Hwy 26 again and then continuing on to
Anten Mills where the Horseshoe Valley Road is followed westerly for a few hundred metres
until the Coughlin Road is reached. The route then continues roughly northwards along the
Coughlin Road, Rainbow Valley Road West and Phelpston Road as far as Phelpston. This route
crosses the North Simcoe Rail Trail which is unpaved, and then runs alongside it to Phelpston.
At Phelpston the route turns west on to Flos Road 4 which leads successively to Vigo Road,
Concession 12 Sunnidale and 27 and 28th Side Road Nottawasaga. Hwy 26 is crossed again
north of Stayner on the 27 and 28th Side Road. After crossing Hwy 26 this road becomes hard
packed gravel for one rural block extending to Fairgrounds Road. Fairgrounds Road is followed
northwards to Side Road 33 & 34 Nottawasaga which in turn is followed in a westerly direction
as far as the Concession 10 North Nottawasaga Road. This is followed north to its end where a
short trail makes a connection with the Georgian Trail. A short detour east along Mountain Road
provides access to 1st Street in Collingwood which has a number of services for the traveller
including Skis and Bikes and a number of restaurants.
MIDLAND – PENETANGUISHENE ROUTE
This is an alternate route which takes in Waubaushene, Victoria Harbour, Midland,
Penetanguishene and Wasaga Beach. On reaching Burnside Line after following Cambrian Road
a right turn is made on to Burnside Line. This is followed in a north westerly direction as far as
Foxmead Road, which in turn is followed across to Balkwill Line. The route continues along
Balkwill Line to the north west. After crossing Mt. Stephen Road the Balkwill line changes its
name to Taylor Line. Taylor Line ends at the Upper Big Chute Road which is followed in a
south westerly direction as far as the point where it turns to the south east. The very short North
River Drive leads to Quarry Road. Quarry Road initially heads north west and then after a series
of bends crosses Hwy 400 on an overpass before reaching the Duck Bay Road. The route turns
south on to the Duck Bay Road and accesses Waubaushene via a single lane bridge protected by
traffic lights. A left turn on to Coldwater Road brings the route to the Tay Shore Trail. The Tay
Shore Trail is an asphalt surfaced non-motorized trail which follows past Victoria Harbour, Port
McNicoll, Sainte Marie Among the Hurons, and the Martyrs Shrine before reaching the vicinity
of the Tiffin Basin. At this point a public road is followed for some 300 metres until the end of
the Midland Rotary Waterfront Trail is reached. The route continues on this trail along the
Midland waterfront, terminating on Marina Park Avenue a short distance from Sunnyside Drive.
Midland has a number of attractions for the tourist. Well worth a visit is the Huronia Museum
and Huron Ouendat Village located adjacent to Little Lake Park.
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On
exiting
Marine
Park
Avenue a right
turn
on
to
Sunnyside Drive
leads
successively to
Harbour
View
Drive and Fuller
Ave. Fuller Ave
is followed north
as far as Robert
Street
E
in
Penetanguishene,
a distance of
about 3 km from
the marina in
Midland. Robert
Street E. which is
one of the principal streets in Penetanguishene becomes Robert Street W. after crossing Main
Street. The Waterfront Park in Penetanguishene marks the beginning of the North Simcoe Rail
Trail, although this is not used by this route. A major point of interest in Penetanguishene is
Discovery Harbour accessed by Fox Street off Robert Street E. This historic displays include
HMS Tecumseth.
The route continues west along Robert Street W. Followed in turn by Lafontaine Rd E. and
Concession Rd 13 E. This becomes Concession Rd 13 W. after crossing County Rd 6 and is
followed to Tiny Beaches Rd N. in Tiny Township. The route follows Tiny Beaches Rd N. in a
south westerly direction close to the shore of Nottawasaga Bay. At Balm Beach Rd the name
changes to Tiny Beaches Rd S. After a number of twists and turns Archer Rd is reached. Archer
Rd marks the boundary between Tiny Township and the Town of Wasaga Beach, and at that
point the name of the road changes to River Rd E. River Rd E continues parallel to the shore of
Nottawasaga Bay until Eastdale Drive is reached. After a short jog of about 100 metres on
Eastdale Drive River Rd E. becomes a wider road with paved shoulders. At Main Street River
Rd E. ends and a short jog on Main Street leads to Mosley Street after crossing the Nottawasaga
River. Mosley Street is one of the main streets in Wasaga Beach. It is followed as far as 27 th
Street N. This section includes a short jog south east on 18th Street N. In order to avoid the
busier section of Mosley Street 27th Street N. is used to reach Mccague Street which is closer to
the shore. At 36th Street N. the route jogs over to Shore Lane, the closest road to the shore.
Shore Lane is a narrow paved road punctuated by a number of stop signs which have the effect
of eliminating high speeds. Shore Lane is taken all the way to 70th Street N. which is followed
back to Mosley Street a short distance from the old alignment of Hwy 26. After crossing the old
alignment of Hwy 26, Collingwood Airport Road leads to Side Road 33 & 34 at Fairgrounds
Road N. where the alternate route from Midhurst and Anten Mills is joined.
7
COLLINGWOOD TO OWEN SOUND
The Georgian Trail makes use of the roadbed of the former Northern Railway between
Collingwood and Midland. This trail follows closely Hwy 26, initially keeping to the south side
of that highway. Just outside Thornbury the trail crosses to the north side of the highway, and
after some short detours
away from the original
route of the railway
continues
to
its
termination at the harbour
in Meaford. The trail has
been surfaced with stone
dust which is quite
rideable even with narrow
road bike tires.
After
crossing the bridge at the
harbour Bayfield Street,
Nelson Street and Pearson
Street are followed to
Miller
Street
which
becomes Grey Road 12.
At Oxmead where Grey
Road 12 turns south the
route continues west along
Side Road 16 as far as the 11th Line. The 11th Line heads south and after crossing the Bighead
River reaches the Gerald Shortt Parkway at Elmhedge. This is followed in a westerly direction
until the 1st Concession Road is reached just a few hundred metres south of the junction with
Grey Road 18. The route continues in a westerly direction along Grey Road 18, crossing Hwy
6/10 at Rockford before reaching the Inglis Falls Road about 5 km from the centre of Owen
Sound. The Inglis Falls Road as its name suggests passes the access road to Inglis Falls
Conservation Area which is well worth a visit. Adjacent to the falls where the Sydenham River
tumbles over the edge of the Niagara Escarpment is located an old 19 century grist mill. Beyond
the falls the route descends towards a junction with the 2nd Ave S.E. This road continues to
descend until the access road to Harrison Park is reached. Harrison Park includes a camping area
and an aviary with an extensive collection of native birds. The late author and humorist Stephen
Leacock would have described many of these birds as being of the “most expensive kind”. The
route continues on along 2nd Ave E crossing the Sydenham River and then turns west on to 8th
Street E re-crossing the Sydenham River and then turns north again on to 2nd Ave W. 2nd Ave W
leads to 10th Street E which is the main street of Owen Sound and is also the route of Hwy 21,
which eventually follows the shoreline of Lake Huron much of the way to Sarnia. For cyclists
needing repairs Bikeface Cycling, recommended by Welcome Cyclists is located only a few
metres east of 2nd Ave W on 10th Street E. There are numerous restaurants to choose from
throughout Owen Sound.
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OWEN SOUND TO WIARTON
After crossing 10th Street E. The route continues north on 2nd Ave W. At 11th Street W. A short
detour over to 1st Ave W. Leads one to the Owen Sound Marine and Rail Museum, located in the
former Canadian National Railway passenger station. The museum belies Owen Sound’s former
importance as a Great Lakes port and industrial centre, which was served by branches of both the
Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Railways. The 2nd Ave W. Becomes the Eddie Sergeant
Parkway as one progresses north followed by 3rd Ave W. This in turn leads to Grey Road 1.
Bike lanes are marked on Grey Road 1 from East Linton Side Road W. And extend as far as the
Kemble Women’s Institute Lookout Park. An alternate route through part of this area is
provided by the Balmy Beach
Road which has a lower
speed limit and is closer to
the shoreline.
If this
alternative is used the Church
Side Road E. leads one back
to Grey Road 1. The route
climbs gradually as one
proceeds north along Grey
Road 1. Accordingly the
Kemble W.I. Lookout Park
provides
an
excellent
panoramic view out over the
Owen Sound, which gave its
name to the nearby city. Two
alternative routes are shown
on Google Maps extending
from this point onwards to
Oxenden east of Wiarton.
Grey Road 1 which is the longer route descends to the east from this point to the shoreline where
it turns north to follow the lakeshore to Big Bay and Oxenden. This route includes two or three
lakeside parks and passes by the scenic Skinner’s Bluff Conservation Area. One should note that
apart from the park areas access to the lakeshore is limited by private property. In the vicinity of
Big Bay marked bike lanes although somewhat narrow are provided along Grey Road 1.
The alternate route from the Kemble W.I. Lookout Park continues north on the Kemble Rock
Road to Kemble where a turn to the west is made on to Concession 20 which leads to Wolseley.
At Wolseley the route turns north on Centre Road passing Lake Charles where a turn is made to
the west on to Concession Rd 24 which continues the rest of the way to Oxenden. A point of
interest on Concession Rd 24 is the Regal Point Elk Farm. At Oxenden this route joins the
shoreline route using Grey Road 1 and continues into Wiarton.
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WIARTON TO TOBERMORY
Grey Road 1, Frank Street in Wiarton joins Hwy 6 just south of the centre of Wiarton. Wiarton
has a statue of Wiarton Willy, the groundhog, in the waterfront park. The route continues north
along Hwy 6 passing the junction with Bruce Road 13. Bruce Road 13 is the beginning of a bike
route identified on Google extending as far as Lucknow without a break. One day subject to
further investigation it is hoped to extend this route as far as London. Just outside Wiarton a turn
is made on to Bruce Road 9 which briefly goes alongside Colpoy’s Bay. Bruce Road 9 is a two
lane width paved road which provides a quieter alternative to Hwy 6 for some distance. This
road is followed north through Barrow Bay to a point just south of Lion’s Head where it turns
west. This point, the beginning of Main Street marks the crossing of the 45th Parallel. Lion’s
Head is located adjacent to a small bay on Lake Huron which includes a marina, a public beach,
park and a lighthouse. Proceeding north the Main Street becomes the Isthmus Bay Road, which
in turn leads to the Forty Hills Road. The Everatt Side Road provides a connection to Hwy 6.
The Forty Hills Road is initially paved but changes to hard packed gravel at Caudle Side Road.
The surface typically has three smooth sections across the width, each approximately one metre
wide. As its name suggests it provides for a challenging ride for almost 4 km with a series of
bends and short hills. At Lindsay Road 5 it becomes the East Road which is paved northwards
as far as Barnetts Drive. At this point it reverts to a rideable hard packed gravel surface for the
last 2.6 km to the Dyers Bay Road which is paved. Dyers Bay Road is followed in a westerly
direction for just over 4 km to
Hwy 6. Hwy 6 extends north
to Tobermory, a distance of
some 24 km. On this last
stretch a side trip on the
Cyprus Lake Road leads to the
Cyprus Lake National Park
Campground,
with
its
extensive hiking trails. The
Georgian Bay Trail leads to a
limestone grotto on the shore
of Lake Huron.
Tobermory at the top of the
Bruce Peninsula is the
boarding point for the Chi
Cheemaun ferry to Manitoulin
Island. Tobermory, obviously
named after Tobermory on the Isle Of Mull in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides caters essentially to
tourists with several restaurants, gift shops, motels and a marina. A side trip on Big Tub Road
around a long narrow bay leads to the Big Tub Lighthouse.
10
Prepared By
Denis Baldwin
5th Issue
2013/02/03
11