I have been mountain biking in Ottawa for many years and have been on pretty much every trail and would have to say that Stony Swamp is one of my favourite areas. While you could check out the National Capital Commission’s website about Stony Swamp, the name describes the area perfectly. Beaver dams, rocky trails and swampy conditions are found in quantity here – note that it is not the best place to hike through if you do not have bug spray. Located in the West end of Ottawa, the area contains roughly 40kms of winding trails which link up with each other and stretch out in every direction. I would consider these trails to be at a beginner level with a couple of beginner/intermediate sections thrown as the trails head out towards Kanata.
As a way of sharing one of my favourite passions (and my budding interest in video production) with those who know me, I recently pulled out my GoPro2 camera and decided to make a mountain biking video about one small section of the area.
The fact that Stony Swamp is so close to where I live, has a lot of trail variety and is in a quiet part of town makes this an easy choice for me when I want to do a quick ride.
If you are interested in the song I used, it is: The Glitch Mob – Fortune Days (Original Mix)
For people who use the parking lots
Note that if you drive to any of the parking lots in Stony Swamp, make sure you don’t leave anything of value in the cars since the remoteness makes this a favourite place for thieves. I’ve run into several people here asking me for help to find a wallet or purse that was lifted from their car while they were out for a walk.
Want to get a hold of me?
I guess your curiosity about the + symbol was so overwhelming that you just had to click on it. Good for you.
The reward for your bravery is that you can now have a way to reach me if you have a question or comment.
