Limerick Forest Hiking Trails- A 3.6k Hike South of Ottawa

If you like Larose Forest, then you’ll love Limerick Forest. Limerick Forest is a bit of a drive, because it’s south of the city, near Oxford Mills. But there is SO MUCH single and double track there that if you’re a rider, I can’t imagine how it wouldn’t be worth the drive. Since our daughter is only five months old, single track wasn’t an option for us when we visited. Fortunately, there are hiking trails near the interpretive centre. We decided to check it out on a warm day in early April.

In total, there are 180 kilometres of trails and access roads running through the forest. Part of it has been reforested, which is probably why it reminded us of Larose (with tons of pine planted in rows). Dogs are allowed in Limerick Forest. But, hunting is allowed too, so make sure you’re mindful of this during hunting season.

Alongside the hiking trails, there’s the Chalet Loop Trail, which can be driven and has points of interest along the way. We were hoping to do both the day that we went, but the driving trail was gated off and closed. We saw some families with strollers heading down that route, but we decided to stick with the hiking trails.

Getting There

Limerick Forest is about fifty minutes south of the city. We headed out on a Saturday morning, and drove until the paved roads turned to gravel. It was incredibly easy to tell when we’d arrived, because there was a big sign at the side of the road, and the beautiful interpretive centre set back from that. You can use these coordinates to get there: 44.881609, -75.640606.

Despite how large the parking lot was (with space for at least thirty cars), there were only two other cars there when we arrived.

Driving in to the back of the parking lot, there were two little outhouses to our left. These were stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

The Trailhead

Technically, there are three trailheads that branch off from the parking lot. Facing the forest from the direction that we drove in, the Old Homestead Trail was to our left, the Lookout Trail was ahead of us, and the Alf Campbell Trail was to our right.

We were thinking to ourselves that Alf Campbell must be pretty well known in these parts. We hiked a trail named after him in Ferguson Forest too!

After a quick feed, diaper change, and outfit change in the car, we decided we would start out at the Alf Campbell trailhead. Each trail had a little “entrance” with a sign built over it. So not only were they easy to find, they were super cute!

The Trail 

We set out on a flat, wide trail that was starting to melt. Less than 100 metres onto the trail, we saw the first of the trailmarkers. It was actually a post with arrow signs on it, pointing us in the right direction. Which was left, so we went left.

Just past this turn, we noticed the cross country ski trail for the first time. It branched off to our right.

Soon, we crossed over the first of many boardwalks we came to on the trail. I love boardwalks, and these trails ended up delivering!

The trail was nice and wide, making it easy for us to walk side by side. For the first little bit, we found ourselves walking thru a forest comprised mostly of pine. Then, after we had hiked about .75 kilometres, the forest began to diversify and we started to see more cedar and birch alongside the pine.

Soon, we saw a road just a few feet to our left, but the trail stayed away from it for a bit longer. When we had hiked 0.9 kilometres, we found ourselves crossing the road and setting out on the EOMF Memorial Trail. There was a trailhead sign exactly like the ones near the interpretive centre, so it was really easy to know exactly where to re-enter the forest.

A Lookout

After hiking 1.1 kilometres, we found ourselves approaching the lookout. Just prior to this, little green plants had started popping up, and then began to cover the forest floor. This gave the woods a nice green look.

The lookout was off to our left, and we walked out on the platform to check out the pond. We were treated to the sight of a family of ducks taking flight, and then returned to the trail.

The trail remained wide, and flat as we hiked along. For the most part, the ground was still frozen, but we did slog through a few muddy/wet spots in order to Leave No Trace.

Another Lookout! Probably Why They Called It Lookout Trail…

At 1.4 kilometres, the trail joined the road for a short while. At this point, there was a posted map. On it, there was a little “you are here” notation. The road wasn’t plowed, but it had melted enough that we could tell it was made of gravel.

We turned to our left to stick with the trail, and soon after turned right to head back into the forest. There was an arrow sign directing us, and big rocks placed on either side of the trail, so it was really easy to spot. There was another big map posted here.

We were now on the Lookout Trail. Despite this, we weren’t expecting a second lookout. So, when we came across a little bench built into the trees overlooking the swamp, we happily stopped for a break. Then we were on our way, crossing a little boardwalk just past the lookout.

Little yellow arrows started to appear on the trees at this point on the trail, pointing in the direction we needed to head. But, they weren’t super consistent. And since we hadn’t seen them on the trail before this point, we definitely weren’t going to rely on them. We soon discovered that these little yellow arrows didn’t replace the big wooden signs we had been seeing along the way, as we came across a few more of them.

Back at the Interpretive Centre

We had only hiked 2.4 kilometres when we spotted the interpretive centre through the trees. Our baby was asleep, so we figured we’d walk a little longer. We decided to add on the Old Homestead and Jack Henry Envirothon Trails. The trailhead for the Old Homestead Trail was immediately to our right, so we passed under the arch and were off.

Despite the snow and ice still on this trail, it seemed to us to be covered with gravel. Not long after joining this trail, we came across a fire pit with benches and chopped wood. This would make an awesome spot to have lunch or hot chocolate.

There were tons of boardwalks along this section of the trail. We crossed over quite a few before hiking past an old homestead foundation off to our right. We stopped to read the interpretive panel. The foundation of the building looked like it wasn’t any bigger than 25’ x 25’. And the family that lived there had eight kids!

The Jack Henry Envirothon Trail

We reached Limerick Road after hiking 2.9 kilometres and crossed over, re-entering the forest on the other side. There were two posts signalling where to enter the forest. Now, we were officially on the Jack Henry Envirothon Trail.

The trail remained flat and wide, and there was a few boardwalks on this leg of the hike as well.

After hiking 3.4 kilometres, we reached what appeared to be a logging road. It was wide and rutted, and it seemed like big machines had travelled on it recently. There were no trail signs here but we turned to our left, knowing that this was the direction we needed to head in. As we hiked back towards the road, it was apparent that there had been some logging done in this areas, with great stands of trees that had been removed.

About a hundred metres later, we passed two big rocks that had been placed to signal the entrance to the trail. Just beyond that was the road, and we crossed back over to where we had originally driven in.

A Great Hike!

All in all, we hiked 3.6 kilometres. We were able to cover that distance in an hour and fifteen minutes. We didn’t take too many breaks, but we also weren’t hiking super quickly- just a regular pace with pauses to readjust the baby, check her temperature, and that sort of thing.

The hiking trails at Limerick Forest were great for a really low key day out. They were almost completely flat, and wide enough the whole way that it was easy to walk side by side. Plus, there were informative panels along the trail. We had really hoped to drive the Chalet Loop Trail too, and were a bit disappointed it was closed (although I guess it makes sense if it’s not being plowed).

I still think the major appeal of Limerick Forest is probably how much single and double track there is. But, the hiking trails are nice, and perfect for families, or people just getting used to hiking. Or, anyone who just wants to get out into the woods for a bit. There’s something about a stand of pine trees that’s familiar and awesome all at the same time.

I hope this trip report has enough info to get you there too. Let me know in the comments, or share and tag a friend to start planning your next adventure!

Map and Elevation Gain

Whenever I’m hiking somewhere new, I tend to wonder about who was on, and who took care of that land before me. I’ve enjoyed using this website as a place to start learning more about the indigenous people whose land I’m on: Native-land.ca.

Gear We Brought

• Hiking Boots
• Wool Socks
• Warm Leggings
• T-Shirts
• Light Jackets
• Cell Phones
• Baby Fleece Sleeper (with lighter sleeper underneath)
• Infantino Up Close Newborn Carrier
• Pacifier (and back-up pacifier!)
• Baby Hat
• Bib
• Receiving blanket (to wrap around bottom of carrier)
• Mountain Warehouse Day Pack (with extra receiving blanket and water)