As you may or may not know, hiking with my dog, Ollie, is my favourite activity. No joke. The weather would have to be pretty terrible in order for us to miss a hike.

I absolutely love hiking in Northumberland County Forest. There are so many trails to choose from, whether you are looking for an all-out back forty type hike, or you want more of a groomed trail, for less chance of tripping and falling hike.

I have the luxury of being able to access Northumberland County Forest from my own backyard. I know, I am spoiled.

This also means that I have explored a lot of the forest, but not all mind you. Believe it or not, after a few years of regular use, I am still finding trails that I haven’t traveled on yet.

Every time I come across a new trail, I make a mental note and explore it when I have time.

That’s what I love about hiking. I love finding new places to explore, and no one better to do it with than my partner in crime, Ollie.

Now that you know that I have a soft spot for Northumberland Forest, it shouldn’t be a surprise that we will start by exploring the trails of Northumberland Forest.

Don’t get me wrong, there are other great trails in Northumberland County, and I will cover them later in this article, so don’t worry!

**NOTE: All trails listed in this article are ON-LEASH only**

Northumberland County Forest

There are a ton of trails that run through Northumberland County. Honestly, we are very fortunate to have access to this amazing piece of land.

With more than 45 km of hiking trails, there are lots of opportunities here to pick a trail suited to your ability and ambition.

Let’s start with the trailheads and I will do my best to cover all of the trails found at each of them.

There are handy maps located at all of the trailheads as well. If it’s your first time going, I recommend that you pick one up, just in case!

Beagle Club

The Beagle Club Trails range from 1 km to 14 km.

Keep in mind that from December 1 to March 31, the trails are for cross-country skiing only. No hiking can take place between that stretch of time. 

Trails

• Heritage Trail: 1.0 km (accessible trail)
• Kiddie Loop: 1.8 km
• Orange Loop: 2.2 km
• Red Loop: 2.6 km
• Blue Loop: 3.3 km
• Green A: 14 km
• Green B: 10 km
• Green C: 5.5 km
• Elderberry Loop: 3 km
• Dragonfly Loop: 4.2 km
• Stonewall Trail: 1.9 km

As you can see, there are a ton of trails to access at Beagle Club.

My favourite trail has to be Green C, affectionately called ‘The Hogsback’ because there is a big hill called, well,  the Hogsback. At 5.5 km long, it is a good length and takes us about an hour to complete.

Location: 180 Beagle Club Road, Harwood

Hours: Dawn ’til Dusk, closed for hiking Dec. 1 to March 31

Carstairs

The Carstairs Universal Trail is 3.2 km overall, with four possible loops, the smallest being 750 m and the longest being 2.2 km.

The grades are gentle and the trail is over 2 m wide.

In case you’re interested, there are also over 40 interpretive signs that describe rare trees in Ontario.

Trails

• White Spruce Loop: 0.8km
• Larch Loop: 1.3km
• Locust Loop: 1.7km
• White Pine Loop: 2.2km

If you’re looking for a challenging, hilly hike, Carstairs is not the trailhead for you. However, it is great if you also have a stroller to push or have mobility issues.

Location: 1178 Bowmanton Road, Roseneath

Hours: Dawn ’til Dusk

Woodland Road

The Woodland Purple Finch, Black Oak, and Sweet Fern loops share some common trails and are 3, 7.5, and 9 kilometers long, respectively. 

Users can choose to go right or left at the first split and will find signage for the loops in either direction. Be sure to check out the scenic hike to Lookout Mountain.

Trails

• Trailhead to the top of Lookout Mountain: 2.3 km
• Purple Finch Loop: 3.0 km (mostly flat with small hills)
• Black Oak Loop: 7.5 km (some steep/long hills)
• Sweet Fern Loop: 9.0 km (some steep/long hills)

I have to admit, I love the Sweet Fern Loop, it is my favourite trail in all of Northumberland Forest. There are steep hills, rooty and rocky terrain, and it is just overall a great hike.

One thing to remember with these trials is that they overlap each other, so you can extend a hike or shorten it by hopping onto a different trail. The more you use these trails, the better you get at navigating them.

The signage on the trail is decent, but I have come across my fair share of people who asked me for directions, so it’s not perfect. However, I highly recommend getting out there and hiking these trails for yourself, they are fun and you and your pooch will be super tired at the end! 

If you want a great view of Northumberland Forest, definitely check out Lookout Mountain. You have to climb a pretty long hill, so you earn your view! It’s a good hike and you will get some cool pics for the ‘gram as well.

Location: 7363 County Road 45, Roseneath

The Woodland Trails parking and the trailhead are located on the east side of County Road 45, across from Woodland Road.

Hours: Dawn ’til Dusk

Oak Ridges Trail (Morris Road)

What is a little bit different about Oak Ridges Trail from the other trailheads of Northumberland County Forest is that the trails do not loop around back to the parking lot. Meaning you will need to backtrack in order to get back to your vehicle.

As part of the Greenbelt, the Oak Ridges Moraine is an environmentally sensitive, geological landform in south-central Ontario that stretches 160 kilometers from the Trent River in the east to the Niagara Escarpment in the west, covering approximately 470,000 acres.

There is a nice lookout to hike to on this trail. It’s not as scenic as Lookout Mountain, but it’s not bad. 

Even though this trail is a fun, hilly hike, I don’t use it very often. This is because it is very close to motorized trails.

So in winter, there are snowmobiles to look out for and in summer there are ATVs.

Mind you, many of the hiking trails in the forest intersect motorized trails, but the oak ridges trail is surrounded by them and also part of the trail is shared with motorized vehicles. When hiking with a dog, this is just too close for comfort for me.

That being said, there is a time from November until we get enough snow for snowmobiling, when there are no ATVs allowed. This is the time of year when Ollie and I hike the most here.

Trails

• Oak Ridges Moraine

Location: 6653 County Road 45, Baltimore

Parking for the Oak Ridges Trail is located at Morris Road and County Road 45. From this trailhead, users can head west or east (approximately 8.5 km either way).

Hours: Dawn ’til Dusk

That sums up the Northumberland County Forest Trails. I hope you go check them out for yourself. You and your pooch will not regret it, I promise!

Just a word of warning, if you visit any of these trails in the winter (and you definitely should), you may want to bring some ice grippers for your boots and maybe even some snowshoes. It will make for a more enjoyable hike for you and your pooch if you can actually stay on your feet!

Also, if your pooch is sensitive to the snow, some booties or paw wax is also advised.

If you have any questions about the trails, let me know in the comments and I will answer them the best I can.

Don’t worry, the list of awesome dog hiking trails is not done yet.

Here are some more trails that you and your pooch should definitely check out.

Peter’s Wood Provincial Nature Reserve

Let me start by saying, “I love Peter’s Woods.”  It’s a beautiful little trail in an old-growth forest with a stream and a brook running through. It’s just such a lovely hike. 

The trail is just under 1km, so by no means is it going to wear you or your energetic pooch out. However, if you have young kids (not stroller friendly) that need to get outside for a bit, this is the place to go.

Note: Peter’s Woods is closed from about November to March.

Location: 996 MacDonald Road, Roseneath

Hours: Dawn ’til Dusk April to October

Nawautin Nature Sanctuary

I love taking my dog (and kids) to Nawautin Nature Sanctuary.

We always start from the parking area on Nawautin Drive and hit the wooded trails where we walk on bridges over a stream leading to the wonderfully large ponds that are home to lots of different types of birds, geese, and swans.

You may also see some muskrat and beaver swimming as well. 

When the kids were homeschooled for a year (take a guess what year) we made weekly trips to Nawautin in the spring to keep an eye on the nesting geese and swans.

It was so fun to watch the goslings and signets swimming in the ponds.

Sidenote: Unfortunately, the signets did not last too long as there is a large snapping turtle population as well. Nature is a fickle beast as we know.

A nice feature of Nawautin is that it is right on Lake Ontario, so your pooch can get their swim on if they choose. 

As well, if you have kids, Nawautin is full of nature and there is something interesting to see everywhere you look. My kids love throwing rocks into the water, they will literally do that for hours if I let them!

By no means is this a rigorous hike, but it’s an interesting outing for your pooch and family.

Location: The Sanctuary is accessible from Lakeshore Road via Keewatin Dr., and via Nawautin/Shawano Drives. It is 3 km south of Grafton.

Hours: Dawn ’til Dusk

Now, I have not visited the following trails, I know, for shame! However, they seem to be good options for on-leash hiking with your poocheroo.

Millennium Trail

Meandering along with one of Warkworth‘s most lovely features, the Mill Creek, this 2.6km wheelchair-accessible trail offers a panoramic picture of the surrounding tree-covered drumlins, forests, uplands, and valleys. 

The volunteers from the annual Warkworth Lilac Festival held at the end of May have planted over 300 lilacs in 65 different varieties.    

Location: Accessible from the bridge on Main Street in Warkworth just off County Rd 29.

Hours: Dawn ’til Dusk

Cobourg Conservation Area (James Cockburn Park)

The park is split into two sides thanks to the Cobourg creek, with a small bridge to connect the two.

This is a naturalized area of 29.9 acres great for walking through wooded areas or playing sports or other activities.

Location: 700 William Street

Hours: Dawn ’til Dusk

I hope this list of great on-leash hiking areas has given you some inspiration to explore our beautiful Northumberland County with your pooch!

If you’re looking for more off-leash adventures, check out this article.

Please let me know about your experience with any of these trails and feel free to expand this list in the comments below.

Happy Tails! (Sorry….couldn’t resist!)