South March Highlands Mountain Biking Trails

Don't let the short trail distances and lack of elevation change fool you. South March Highlands trails are rocky, rooty, and technically demanding.

These old-school, hand-built, multi-use trails are shared by mountain bikers, hikers, trail runners, dog walkers, bird watchers, and naturalists alike. They are situated on city of Ottawa conservation forest land with environmental zoning protection. Mature hardwood forests and wetlands are punctuated by outcroppings of sandstone and Canadian Shield rock. Species-at-risk, such as the Blanding's Turtle and Butternut Tree, call this place home.

These trails are not well suited for absolute beginner mountain bikers that are just starting to learn how to ride. They are best suited for intermediate to advanced mountain bikers that prefer rough, chunky, and demanding trails. Bursts of speed and full commitment are required to scale up rock features. Good balance is required for the many narrow bridges. The trails are often tight and twisty and flow can be hard to find at times. Wide grippy tires and longer travel bikes are recommended to deal with the many slippery roots and rock gardens.

In winter, fatbikers rely on walkers and snowshoers to manually compact the trails after each snowfall. There is no use restriction or tire width restriction in winter; you can hike or ride a normal mountain bike in winter if the trail is compacted hard enough. But if the trail isn't compacted hard enough to support you, please consider snowshoing instead.

The trails are 100% volunteer-maintained by the Ottawa Mountain Bike Association. Hundreds of hours go into maintaining the trails each year. Liability insurance, wood for bridges, tools, and trail building supplies are expensive and are paid for by membership fees. Please consider attending a trail day and becoming a member. For less than the cost of a meal at a pub post-ride, you can help ensure good trails to ride, now and in the future.