RUNNING THE OTTAWA VALLEY
A Jeep JK, a Trailhawk and Ram 1500 were the off-road arsenals that tackled the terrain of scenic Eastern Ontario.
One great advantage of living in Canada is the numerous opportunities for adventure right from your doorstep. We recently planned a two-day overland route from Brockville to Granite Lake and Bonnechere Provincial Park in the scenic Ottawa Valley. The plan was to finally get together with a close group of friends and have fun for a couple of days on the trails. I was driving my 2014 Jeep JK with my buddy Shawn riding shotgun, Justin was in his 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, and Cody took his full-size 2018 Ram 1500.
Leaving Kingston driving eastbound on Hwy 401, we merged onto Cedar Grove Rd. (near
Hwy 416 just outside of Brockville) and about 1 km (.6 mi) later we turned onto the trail system. It was hard to contain our excitement as the area has a great mix of rural roads, unmaintained throughways, and scenic countryside consisting of rolling farmland and dense forest. What made the start of our journey even better was the perfect weather of bright sun and a crisp blue sky.
Once on the trail, we experienced some challenges right away. For starters, a tree fell across a portion of the trail we were running on so we had the arduous task of clearing it. Then, there were a couple of water crossings that we had to carefully negotiate. While they were nothing we couldn’t manage, there was one area in particular that called for some careful maneuvering to avoid a few rocks poking up through the surface. There were also a few tight areas with thick brush and shrubbery alongside the trail. Cody was particularly hit hard in his full-size pickup, and would undoubtedly need to tend to some serious buffing duties once he returned home.
Nevertheless, we pressed on and came across a wooden bridge with a sign that marked ‘snowmobiles only.’ As it was apparent that all types of vehicles use it, over the bridge we went. The road then took us along a straight gravelled section where we probably set speed records and then it was a matter of re-joining the highway to break for lunch at the Ashton Brewing Company in Ashton, ON. While we wanted to relax a little more, the trails were calling us back.
Rejoining the trail at Carleton Place (about 12 minutes from Ashton), we made our way north where scenic farmland and manageable trails evolved into more rugged and rockier terrain amongst hardier trees. A good portion of the trail in this area consisted of hydro lines and a series of abandoned rail beds. They were also a little less forgiving this time around. We even had a couple of hills to scramble up, yet we all made it without any issues. Justin’s Trailhawk was especially impressive considering its lower ground clearance, but it did have rock rails, which helped him better manage the more rugged parts.
It was late afternoon when we left the trail to refuel near Ompah, which is about 50 km (31 mi) north of Sharbot Lake. When all the tanks were topped up, we drove north to Mosque Lake Rd, a rough and tough side dirt road that alternated between cottage and hunting camp roads and a hydro line trail before we arrived at our rustic campsite for the night on Granite Lake, about an hour from Ompah.
The lake and surrounding area were beautiful and as we set up camp, Justin pulled out his new drone as we all took turns manning the remote device capturing video of the area. Just as we landed it, a huge military transport roared over our campsite, flying very low. We put away our toy aircraft, made dinner, and discussed the day’s events around a campfire.
The next morning we awoke to drizzly rain and overcast skies. Following a quick breakfast and the all-important cup of coffee, we drove to Hastings Highlands – just north of Bancroft – where we ran skirting rural roads around hills and through valleys. If the weather was more ideal, the views from this area would have been pretty amazing.
With sporadic rain all morning, the trails were a little more difficult. At one point I skidded and slid sideways on a slick dirt
road located right against a hillside. I wasn’t travelling very fast and was surprised how the slickness of the trail got the better of my JK’s BFG KO2 34x10.5/17 tires. Eventually, the trail became less rugged. We weaved in and out of the historic Ottawa Valley towns and farmlands before we emerged out to the back roads and onto the pavement in the village of Wilno, just southeast of Algonquin Provincial Park.
After lunch at a local tavern, we decided to press on to just north of Barry’s Bay on the way to Round Lake along dirt and logging roads. This is where we came across a challenging water crossing, which was approximately 100 m (300 ft) long, and about .5 m (2 to 2.5 ft) deep with a few spots a little deeper. While I didn’t have any issues crossing with my snorkel-rigged JK, Justin and Cody would have. So, I decided to cross back and then took the lead to another route.
In the afternoon, we found our way to Turners Road that led us to Bonnechere Provincial Park where we set up camp for our second night out, made another good dinner, and relaxed once again around the campfire. It was the perfect way to end a perfect little weekend getaway in the heart of the scenic Ottawa Valley.