I thought I'd do Toronto, Hamilton, Brantford, Paris, Forks of Credit, Toronto.
Two questions:
Has anyone done this trip or any part before? I'm looking for local knowledge, camp grounds or good stealth camping locations.
OK, I live in Dundas (just outside Hamilton) and commute to Toronto. I commute 1X/week by bike to Toronto in the summer and have found pretty much the best way is just straight along lakeshore drive until burlington. Forget the waterfront trail and sidestreets -- the road is somewhat quiet once outside Missisauga and in pretty good shape. Trails just add distance and pedestrians into the equation. I guess I should say that I DO take the waterfront trail from just past Spadina to Etobicoke -- Lakeshore is a death trap for that short section.
Once you are in Burlington you really do not want to go into the heart of Hamilton. If you would like a nice ride, continue on Lakeshore until it curves up to become King Rd. Take this to Plains Rd., and go several KM until hidden Valley road (across from the Canadian tire/Zellers). It winds around a bit, but eventually crosses the highway. Immediately after the highway turn left (sorry, don't know street name) and continue along this road, over Snake Road, and all the way to highway 6. Cross highway 6 (CAREFUL -- ONLY NASTY INTERSECTION I CROSS) onto York Rd. Follow York Rd. into the heart of Dundas. Once you hit Cootes Drive (aka King St.), turn right and go into the 'downtown' section.
Quick side note: Dundas valley is one of the most beautiful areas of Southern Ontario (hence the reason I live here). If you have time bike around, especially in the conservation area -- I started out as a mountain biker and this has some of the best trails around (although it helps if you have a local show you around). In any case, riding this far (my home) takes about 2.5 hrs from downtown Toronto @ Queen's Park. The Thirsty Cactus is a great place to stop for lunch, at the intersection of King St. and Cross St. if I remember correctly. A
s for camping, I do know of several good spots in this area. One that is actually designated for camping is in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area (bonus: It has a clean outhouse). There are a number of ways to get there, but since I usually go through the trails your best bet would be to contact the Dundas Valley Conservation Authority (DVCA) to find out how to get to it by the road access. Come to think of it, you could probably also set up a tent anywhere inside the Northshore trails of the RBG. These are accessible from York Rd. (the way you came into Dundas), on the left hand side right after you pass under the train tracks and before you go down the major hill.
OK, now from Dundas to Brantford/Paris. Your best bet is to get onto 'highway 99', which leads out of Dundas. Check a map or have a local point you onto it from downtown. It is a very pretty road with some rolling hills and relatively little traffic. The only thing to remember is that out in these parts are farmers and hicks -- not always the most rider-friendly types, so be aware of your surroundings! A much nicer trip is along the rail trail, but I have only done that on my mountain bike and it might be a little rough even for a touring bike. If you are up for gravel trails give this a try -- it goes right into Paris (although the route through Brantford is really round-about). Actually, the only times I have done the rail trail this far is after 12 hours straight in the saddle in the middle of winter/early spring at midnight (training as an adventure racer). I shudder to think of the experience now, but on a warm spring day I'm sure it would be lovely.
Hope that helps!
