Cycling the Waterfront Trail - Toronto to Kingston 2015
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- My wife and I biked a section of the Waterfront Trail in August 2015. We wanted the prevailing west wind at our back so we took the Via Bike Train from Kingston to Toronto and biked back to Kingston.
This was a leisurely ride taking 4 nights with overnight stays in budget hotels or B&Bs. We took train #63 from Kingston (depart at 1 pm- arrival 3:30pm) to Union Station. By the time we received our bikes from baggage we didn't leave the Station until 4:30. Our planned first night was at the Days Inn - Toronto East Beaches - only about 11 km away. It was a good choice since it was on Queen Street with lots of restaurants closeby and a cinema across the street. We could put our bikes in our rooms too.
Other accommodation included the Quality Inn at 401 Oshawa, the MacKechnie B&B in Cobourg and Alanna's B&B in Wellington.
It was difficult to find a hotel in Oshawa south of the 401. Check beforehand for a B&B in Oshawa or Whitby because the trek to the Quality Inn has a lot of traffic and is a few kilometres off the Trail.
Restaurants are non-existent on the Trail between Union Station and Pickering (that we could find) until you reach Pickering where you will bike by The Waterfront Dining in the harbour just before you reach the Pickering wind turbine. Water is scarce too so stock up from wherever you spend the night.
Once you get into eastern Ontario (Colborne and beyond) small towns have many good eateries and water is no problem.
Signage can be confusing particularly around Darlington. Waterfront Trail signs are not always evident and can be replaced by simple black arrows. Buy the 'Waterfront Trail & Greenway Mapbook' online. You won't get lost as long as you head east but the mapbook will help you find your way (or use a good app on your cell). Note: the last printing of the mapbook was 2011 so even it is a bit out of date. as some trails have changed.
Thanks to www.bensoundmusic.com for the music.
Did this with my four year old daughter. Awesome experience!
Thanks for the video and the tip about buying the waterfront trail guidebook!
Nice job! And thanks for the information!
Great video - thanks for sharing. I'm inspired to attempt this.
Thanks. Please try it...it was a great trip.
Nice video, looks like it was a great trip. I biked the other way last summer, thought it was difficult to identify where the actual trail was, we ended up on some pretty busy roads! Looks like you took a much nicer route!
Well, it's always nice to go west to east with the prevailing winds at your back! Signage is a problem. Maybe it's a funding thing?
Awesome, want to do this now! Thx for sharing
I enjoyed this, cheers.
Did the ride from Oshawa to Toronto last year, rouge hill beach is my favourite part
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the ride!
Great video funny enough I was trying to follow the trail from Toronto Ajax but in Pickering it keeps breaking up and the signs are hidden so I gave up. I will definitely buy a map
Great video!!!
Great Video . Thanks for sharing . Would love to do this...
Nice vId, I've only been as far as Toronto to Newtonville.
Excellent!
I always carry too much *stuff* on overnight cycling/camping trips. Feels like my legs are gonna fall off after 6 hrs. cycling before stopping to camp on day #1 lol
GREAT VIDEO AND GREAT TIPS.
Thank for Sharing
I had same experience riding through scarborough there is absolutely no water or food. I was thirsting to death :-) Not even the Go train station had a vending machine with bottled water?
Well done! Where about in Toronto did you first get onto the Waterfront Trail?
We walked out of Union Station, turned the corner onto Bay Street and headed towards the lake. In about 2-3 blocks we came onto the trail. I think it was Queen's Quay,
@@kennethhook Thanks so much for letting me know! I am planning this trip for next summer! I am going from Toronto to Montreal. Kingston will for sure be one of my overnight stops!
Hi Ken,
What do you do to eliminate the risk of a bear attack in camping in Canada?
Certainly on the Waterfront Trail you will not experience bears. In other areas it is advisable never to have food in your tent or even toothpaste. These items should be hung from a high tree branch in a dry sac several feet from your tent. This is achieved by tossing a thin rope or parachute cord over a branch and hoisting up the dry sac at least 8 feet off the ground.
If 'camping' refers to RV camping you need not worry - just keep your food inside. Hiking on the West Coast Trail in BC where bears are common it is a good idea to carry bear spray and be extra careful about keeping food away from your tenting area except at mealtime, then clean up thoroughly - leave no table scraps. Hope this helps.
So you would say its easier to bike toronto to Kingston rather than the other way?
With the prevailing westerly winds at your back the cycling should be easier!
Great video! time to do it! But...1. Via Rail: was it easy to load the bike on the train, any problems? Are there any camping sites? is it possible to camp? thanks!
Sorry for the late reply. No , there were no problems loading the bike on the train. The staff (at least in Kingston) were very accommodating. We didn't see any camping sites along the way...none! However, in the video there is a part about making new friends. We met a solo cyclist who biked with us for part of a day. He was camping along the way - he was doing a big loop around Lake Ontario. He had luck just stopping at a orchard or bushy area and pitching his small tent of the beaten path. This would save considerable expense compared to B&Bs. There are likely public beaches along the way for a quick dip to get clean. Hope this helps.
Music by Bensound ;)
OK, time to go out and ride.
Can I take my bike with me on viva train with no costs?!
I do not think so. Back in 2015 the charge was $25.00. It might be a few dollars more now.