The Grand River Cycling Loop: A New Way to Embrace Cycling in Brantford & the Surrounding Area
The area in and around Brantford, Ontario (and Brant County, in general) is ripe for cycling memories, and in today’s article we’ll walk you through exactly how you can make the most of it, and why it should be on your radar if you’re an Ontario cyclist.
The Grand River in all its glory.
Slowly but surely, I’ve been fortunate to have had the chance to tackle many a cycling route here in Ontario. I’ve spent time on the Guelph to Goderich Rail Trail, on the Discover L&A Ride (in Lennox and Addington), on the Sarnia Lambton Loop, and the list goes on and on.
It means that I’m always keeping my eyes open for which routes I’ll be covering next, and also which routes are being newly minted to encourage cyclists to come partake.
Many people don’t realize just how powerful a cycling route can be when it becomes popular in a community. Most cyclists I know, myself included, plan stops out a local coffee shops, at particular restaurants and bakeries, or at breweries or pubs. All that to say, the breaks we end up taking end up supporting deserving local businesses, and aiding that process is part of the reason I’m so passionate about the power of cycling.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that cycling also offers great exercise and, I would argue, also ensures you have a unique, deeper connection to anywhere that you’ve ridden.
All that to say, when the kind folks over at Tourism Brantford let me know that they were excited about the unveiling of the brand new Grand River Cycling Loop, and were looking for someone to ride it, you can probably guess how quickly I accepted that offer.
About the Grand River Cycling Loop
The Grand River Cycling Loop is scheduled to be formally unveiled this summer, so don’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of it just yet. That being said, you should hear about it because it offers some diverse, beautiful riding.
On a practical level, the unveiling of a route such as this largely just means you’ll see more signage and more riders - both good things.
To cover the route, I was passed along a route map that I think will serve anyone interested in covering the route ASAP rather well.
I’ve toggled on local businesses on this map, but the map has been created so you can toggle on (or off) public art, points of interest, local businesses, trail signs, road signs and Little Free Library locations.
The route runs from southwest of Brantford, along the Grand River, and upwards to Paris, Ontario. It all depends how you ride it and where you stop, but generally speaking you’re looking at roughly 65 or so kilometres of riding if you’re trying to do it all. The magic is that most of the route runs you along the Grand River, which is gorgeous.
You’ll spend time in the Brant Conservation Area, roll past Brantford Golf & Country Club, Waterworks Park, get brilliant views of Kerby Island, slip through Rivergreen park and into the Gilkinson Flats, and, set eyes on Brantford and Paris as well, of course.
Some Suggested Stops Along the Way
You can really approach this from any angle, but I aimed for a bit of an ambitious day of cycling, culture and cuisine. Here are some of the spots where I took an extra moment off the saddle to soak things in. It all depends where you’re starting from in thinking about what order you’d want to visit the suggested stops, but this is more or less how I tackled it.
Oakhill Trail Bridge: A picturesque spot to park your bike for a moment and take in the Grand River on either side of you. I’ve always appreciated the island formations that speckle the Grand River, and you can see that in full effect here.
Glenhyrst Gardens (Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant): Whether you choose to go into this riverside estate or not (they often have intriguing historical and contemporary exhibitions), I’d strongly recommend doing a quick ride through the Glenhyrst Gardens which sit on 16 acres on the property. You’ll find outdoor sculptures, floral displays and beautifully maintained gardens that are as photogenic as can be (pictured right below). I actually felt that being on a bike was a nice advantage here because I was able to cover almost all the ground that I wanted and take it in - something I may not have been able to do in a decent timeframe on foot.
Wilkes Dam: This isn’t a spot you need to spend a lot of time, but I felt it was a place that was well worth visiting to snap a quick photo (pictured left below). It’s not just a dam, it’s essentially a recreation area where people come to do a little fishing or bird watching. There is a dam as well though, of course, and the rushing nature of it is easy on both the ears and your preferred camera lens. It’s not far from Glenhyrst Gardens at all, either.
Brantford Rotary Bike Park: I specifically ride a gravel bike so that I can take advantage of places like the Rotary Bike Park if I so choose. For those unfamiliar with biking, gravel bikes are known as bikes that can ride on both the road and dirt, whereas road bikes are strictly for road, and mountain bikes are typically only for downhill and off-roading. The Rotary Bike Park is simply a place for bikers to go and ride, and they offer a collection of trails, tracks, jumps and everything in between.
The Healthy Rabbit: The Healthy Rabbit is as it sounds - it’s a very health conscious eatery that has salads, bowls, toasties, superfood smoothies and more. I personally had “The Seeker” bowl which had avocado, carrots, beets, chickpea hummus, red onion, alfalfa sprouts, lemon, and maple tahini seed. Since I was out burning calories on my bike, I also washed it down with a Protein Power Shake that had protein powder, banana, homemade coconut milk and organic cane syrup.
Bell Homestead National Historic Site: In short, this is the Brantford home where Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and revolutionized the world. We’ve got an in-depth article on the Bell Homestead on one of my sister sites, We Explore Canada.
Woodland Cultural Centre: This isn’t perfectly on route when we’re talking about the Grand River Cycling Loop, but if you want to add a few extra kilometres to your bike ride and a lot of knowledge, then consider stopping by The Woodland Cultural Centre, which sits beside The Mohawk Institute, a former residential school. It’s a stronghold for indigenous culture that I was only too happy to write about for Ultimate Ontario, and you’ll find that article linked a sentence or two above.
At the Bell Homestead National Historic Site.
Ultimately, how you choose to construct the route is up to you, but I wanted to offer a few places that would turn your ride into a whole day event, which is how I love to cycle when I’m exploring a new region. Remember, you can use the map created on Google Maps to help plan and configure your own route.
I’ve cycled plenty in Ontario, and this is seriously some of the most enjoyable and picturesque riding I’ve done, so I hope this encourages you to base yourself in Brantford, to explore the Heart of Ontario (Hamilton Halton Brant) Region, and to get out there and explore via bike which, in my humble opinion, is the best way to do it.
We want to humbly thank Tourism Brantford for hosting us as media. All opinions are completely our own.
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