The Guelph to Goderich Rail Trail in Perth County, Ontario: Explore This Beautiful Section of the G2G Rail Trail
How to make the most of Perth County’s section of the famed G2G Rail Trail, and then what to do in the surrounding area when you’re finished. An in-depth guide, to help your ride.
Ever since I lived in Oslo (and Seoul, for that matter), I’ve been fascinated with how space can be repurposed to benefit society at large. I distinctly remember moving into my residence (I studied at the University of Oslo on exchange for a semester) in Oslo, and finding out that all the residences around me were once buildings for athletes in the 1952 Winter Olympics. Talk about foresight in urban planning!
Living there planted a seed that has continued to grow for me mentally. Whether I like it or not, I seem to always be peering through that lens in some regard.
That’s part of what has led me to be so intrigued (and enthused) by rail trails. For those who don’t know, a rail trail is essentially a disused railway track that’s been turned into a multi-use path. In Ontario, we’ve embraced this idea in recent memory, and you’ll regularly find rail trails used by walkers, runners, cyclists and more (including those who love snowshoeing in the winter!).
Part of the allure of the rail trail, especially as someone who grew up in the heart of Toronto, is the idea that you’re not contending with traffic. There’s space on rail trails to really to get into a groove, and let time melt away. You can listen to your music a little louder, or tune into a podcast without worrying about getting sideswiped. You can take a moment to take a deep breath and to close your eyes.
There’s also something both entrancing and liberating about having one lengthy path stretched out before you.
Recently, I had the chance to take the G2G Rail Trail across Perth County, and this beautiful section of arguably Ontario’s most famous rail trail absolutely lived up to the hype.
About Perth County
Perth County is located in Southwestern Ontario, roughly 100 kilometres from Toronto. The main population centres are Listowel, Mitchell and Milverton. Many people mistakenly include Stratford and St. Marys as part of Perth County but, though they’re within the Perth County census division, they aren’t technically a part of the county.
The county is fairly large, but only has a population of around 40 thousand, which points to its rural nature. Perth County is well known for its farming, and particularly so when it comes to dairy and hog farming.
Riding the G2G Rail Trail through Perth County was, quite frankly, an ideal way to get better acquainted with the county’s stunning pastoral scenery.
What Exactly is the G2G Rail Trail?
The Guelph to Goderich/Goderich to Guelph (G2G) Rail Trail stretches 132 kilometres from the 401 corridors at Guelph to the shores of Lake Huron in Goderich.
As they note on their site:
“The G2G Rail Trail is a natural, historical and culturally significant conservation corridor that supports community recreation and active transportation, health and well-being, and brings awareness to rural agriculture, heritage, and the environment.”
As its heart, it’s actually a charitable organization that is aiming to preserve and maintain this wonderful stretch of land so that those across the province and beyond can benefit from its use.
Since I started cycling a few years back, the G2G Trail is probably the rail trail that I had heard most about, so I was thrilled to have the chance to ride the section through Perth County on a perfect Ontario summer day.
The G2G Trail in Perth County
In preparing to do the Perth County section of the rail trail, I tried to keep things nice and easy. When you’re planning, I’d strongly recommend using the G2G Rail Trail Experience Map. Most importantly, the map is kept up to date so that you can see which parts of the trail are open, where the full detours are, where the trail is closed or there’s a gap, and where it’s open but there’s a slight detour required.
I should note that most of the trail is open and functioning smoothly. I personally contended with two minor detours on my ride, but the detours were labelled clearly, so even without the G2G Rail Trail Experience Google Map, I would have been fine. I just like planning and visualizing in advance so, to me, it was worth knowing that there were detours that I’d have to be mindful of in the first place.
A Brief Overview of My Route
Millbank to Milverton (7 kilometres)
Milverton to Monkton (14 kilometres)
Monkton to Millbank (21 kilometres)
Essentially, it was a “there and back” sort of route where I took a moment to pause along the way in Milverton, but then on the way back just went straight through. Of course, you can do it however you please, but I’d encourage you to stop and take pictures and soak it all in. Naturally, I’m also a competitive cyclist and wanted to go quickly (so I did), but because you’re not contending with traffic and road rules in the same way, you can go quickly and take it all in.
Stats From My Ride
I’ll provide a few stats below just to let people know what the total kilometres were and so on.
Total Distance: 43.63 kilometres
Total Moving Time: 1:51:13
Elevation Gain: 82 metres
Average Speed: 23.5 km/h
Note that , because you’re on a rail trail, you’re not going to be dealing with much of an elevation gain. Rail trails are, by virtue of their previous function, long and flat. That certainly holds true for the G2G Rail Trail, and it’s part of what makes it so enjoyable to ride.
The Perth County G2G Rail Trail Experience
Most of the path is gravel or dirt, so I’d recommend riding a gravel bike. I personally ride a Trek Checkpoint ALR 5. That being said, you’re totally fine on a mountain bike as well if that’s your preference - you just want to make sure that you’re not riding a road bike (I have a vintage Bianchi from the 1970s that would be terrible for a rail trail).
I personally loved the diversity of sights that I saw during the 21 or so kilometre stretch that I covered (plus the two small detours). There were cornfields, and fields filled with blooming flowers, covered forest areas, and quaint houses alongside red barns.
My favourite aspect was the very clear way in which the trail was tethered to the community. On certain peoples’ property, you could see that they’d put out chairs or built a bench for people to sit on. There were also places that had coolers with water and gatorade, or an umbrella for shade. You could see that this trail wasn’t an imposition, but rather something the area had embraced.
It makes sense, to be honest. A trail like this encourages people to check out new local establishments and communities that may not have been on their radar prior.
During my ride, I kicked up a lot of dust, and my legs were essentially white as snow when I finished, but I loved every single minute of it.
I’ve ridden nearly 1700 kilometres this year, and this ride was unequivocally one of my favourites.
My (dusty) Trek Checkpoint ALR 5 after a hard day’s work on the Perth County section of the G2G Rail Trail
What Can You Do After Your Ride in the Surrounding Area?
If you follow my route, you’re going to end your ride in Millbank, Ontario. There are a few things that I’d recommend you do if you’ve still got some energy in the tank.
Eat at Anna Mae’s Bakery & Restaurant
If you’re looking to experience Mennonite Culture, this is a great spot to do just that, and leave with a full belly and a pronounced smile. Anna Mae’s is known first and foremost for their famous broasted chicken, but they’ve got plenty of homestyle meal options to choose from, and their specials change regularly.
Personally, I had a enormous turkey dinner for lunch, largely because I could, and I’d just ridden nearly 45 kilometres. I had fresh turkey, mash potatoes smothered in gravy, carrots, homemade stuffing and cranberry sauce.
To start, I had a potato soup with a roll, and for dessert, I had the pecan pie.
I will most certainly be going back the next time I’m in the area. The staff was incredibly kind, and I was so impressed with how diligent the whole establishment was with taking safety measures to ensure they were meeting and exceeding the current established guidelines.
Visit Millbank Family Furniture
Right across the street from the restaurant, literally within walking distance, is Millbank Family Furniture. They’re best known for their offering of locally handcrafted solid wood Mennonite furniture.
Dining room, bedroom, living room, office, outdoor - you name it, they’ve got it, and it’s just beautiful handiwork.
If you’re keen, you can check out some of their wood furniture here before you head to Perth County, so that you have an idea of what they have.
Pop Into Millbank Cheese & Butter
They’ve been making cheese since 1908, and that is certainly something to be proud of. They’ve continued to produce the staple cheeses that put them on the map, but they’ve also clearly experimented, evidenced by their popular caramelized onion cheese!
This is actually a stop on the Perth County Farm Gate Map, which I’ll be writing about shortly over on my sister site, Ultimate Ontario.
Hop Back on the Saddle and Tackle the Listowel-Atwood Rail Trail
You might want to save this ride for the following morning like I did, but just in case that broasted chicken has given you the energy boost you needed, the Listowel-Atwood Rail Trail is located about a 20 minute drive from Millbank.
It’s an excellent rail trail for people to check out if they’re just getting into cycling, as it’s just under 9 kilometres in either direction. My stats for that ride were as follows:
Total Distance: 17.53 kilometres
Total Moving Time: 39:58
Elevation Gain: 26 metres
Average Speed: 26.3 km/h
It is an incredibly pleasant ride that I messaged my brother (also a cyclist) about right after I was back in the parking lot in Listowel.
Before you leave Listowel, make sure that you stop off at Impression’s Bakery. They make what are called “fry-pies,” and they’re essentially little pies made in a crescent moon shape that are lightly fried. They’re absolutely unreal, and I won the husband of the year award when I brought home three for Bri.
Make the Drive, Then Hop on the Bike
As you can see, the cycling opportunities here are fantastic but, ultimately, it’s about more than that. It’s about using your ride as an excuse to visit towns you haven’t visited, restaurants you haven’t eaten at and, of course, to get your hands on some fry-pies.
Really though, it’s about getting better acquainted with the communities that make this province special, cycling to get exercise and be active, and knowing that you’ve absolutely earned the right to order the “full meal deal” when you sit down at Anna Mae’s.
I want to humbly thank Perth County Tourism for hosting me as media. All opinions are completely my own.
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