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This October, I headed out to the Beaver Pond Trail in Kanata with my daughter. Not to be confused with the Beaver and Chipmunk Trails off of Moodie Drive! We’ve been looking for universally accessible trails in and around Ottawa, and this one had been suggested to us as a possibility.
Parts of the trail were accessible, but some parts were not, so that was a bust.
We ended up really enjoying our walk though, and were pleasantly surprised by the amount of variety we saw on this short 3 km trail.
On each side of the beaver pond there’s a trail, so we were able to walk around the whole thing, catching views over the pond on one end and the marshier section on the other. For being out in Kanata and right next to a construction site, the north side of the loop was stunning. And then on the south side we got to look across the pond to the north side so that was great too!
The Beaver Pond Trail in Kanata- an easy hike through a lovely section of forest.
Getting There
The Beaver Pond Trail is a loop. So it can technically be accessed from either the east or the west end. I ended up parking on the east side. I think that made for a more pleasant hike overall, simply because the east side has been kind of chopped up for construction. It was nice to have the whole length of the trail feel like a beautiful walk instead of a beautiful walk interrupted by construction at the side of the road, and then a beautiful walk again.
On the west side of the loop, the trail goes through Beaver Pond Park, where there’s a parking lot with space for a ton of cars. You can use these coordinates to get there: 45.333327, -75.917935.
We decided to start our walk on the east side of the loop, and ended up parking at the side of the road (Goulbourn Forced Road) and searching for the correct trailhead. You can use these coordinates to start there: 45.329116, -75.930535.
Parking here may not be an option moving forward as construction continues and sidewalks are built, or whatever the city has planned. There were no washrooms at either trailhead. Scroll all the way to the bottom of this post for other notes on universal accessibility (or lack thereof).
The Trailhead
There were a few ways to enter the forest near where we parked. Close by, residential construction was starting, and at first we ended up using the trailhead closest to that. This got us into a neat little section of forest where the terrain was a bit rugged. We clambered over some big open rock faces, and followed single track trail winding through the forest. It was obvious that this section of forest was well used and loved for mountain biking, as small features had been built along the trails.
There were no trail markers, but the trail network eventually brought us back to what is actually the Beaver Pond Trail, which sticks much closer to the shoreline of the beaver pond for the length of it.
Being a bit of a purist and wanting to map the “official” trail from end to end, we headed back to the trailhead for the Beaver Pond Trail and started again! This trailhead was much closer to the edge of the pond, which was visible from the road.
Our first attempt, on the trail network closest to the construction site.
The Trail
There was no sign marking the trailhead. But a small rocky hill brought us onto a wide, flattened path leading into the woods. Because some of the leaves had started to fall, we were able to spot the beaver pond through the trees on our right hand side.
We walked up and down a few rolling hills. Then after only 200 metres we walked up a hill that was short but a bit steep. A few hundred metres later we found ourselves losing elevation quickly on another very steep, rocky section of trail.
Beyond this, the trail was essentially flat, wide, and hard-packed for the entire length of it. There were no trail markers, but none were needed because it would have been just about impossible to lose this trail. There were a few trails that branched off to our left, leading to the trail network we had visited previously. But we stuck with the trail that skirted the beaver pond.
Views of the Pond
650 metres along, a short offshoot led us through the trees and right to the shoreline of the marsh, granting us some pretty cool views up and down the pond. Another offshoot further along the path brought us down to the shoreline again, for a different angle.
After walking 1.35 km we passed beside a huge concrete barrier, and the forest “ended.” We found ourselves walking through a lovely little park with a ton of benches and views all the way down the beaver pond.
Following the trail there were some huge rocks set into the shoreline. We soon found ourselves at a trail split, but again stuck with the trail that kept us closest to the pond. We were back in the forest, although this time there were backyards on our left hand side.
Was my toddler obsessed with these rocks (and also all rocks)? Yes.
Back Into the Forest
At 2.2 km we passed over a paved path, which likely provided entry into the neighbourhood nearby. We started to get a few more great views across the pond, which I thought were especially beautiful with the fall colours. Reaching another intersecting trail, we headed slightly to the right and spotted a bench with another nice view. Along this length of the trail there were a few benches scattered here and there, all making great spots to sit and chat.
By the time the trail spat us out at Goulbourn Forced Road again, we had walked just under 3 km. I wasn’t sure how far the walk back to the car would be, but we spotted it immediately, and had to walk just another 50 metres or so to get back to where we had parked.
Trail Thoughts
Despite the Beaver Pond Trail not being entirely accessible as I had hoped, it was still a really beautiful trail. It seemed absolutely perfect for a relaxing walk or short run. My toddler enjoyed being able to cover a lot of the trail under her own steam, and I really enjoyed the views over the pond. It’s such a joy to find these stunning pockets of nature in our city.
The eastern side of the loop.
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
My GPS tracked route along the Beaver Pond Trail.
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.
Elevation gain along the trail. Not much!
Accessibility Notes
There are no washrooms at the trailhead or along the trail.
There are no parking spots that have been designated universally accessible at Beaver Pond Park.
From the parking lot at Beaver Pond Park, the trail and entrance to it are at least a metre wide.
The trail on the south side of the pond is paved. Then made up of packed dirt with small crushed gravel imbedded into the dirt. The terrain feels very firm, and the path remains at least a metre wide for the whole length of it. Just before reaching the trailhead at Goulbourn Forced Road, it becomes inaccessible. There’s a mixture of large and small rocks between the trail and the road. Construction in progress means no sidewalk has been built as of 21/10/2020.
The trail on the north side of the pond is composed of the same packed dirt and crushed gravel. Unfortunately, a large concrete barrier has been placed near the entry to the forest on the northern side. This makes the entrance only a few feet wide. High use through this entrance has resulted in uneven terrain as of 21/10/2020. Near the western end of this side of the trail is a very steep hill with rocks jutting out of the ground. In my opinion this hill would be impossible to navigate with a wheelchair.
The trail is flat, firm, and wide for almost the entire length of it. With a few changes it could be universally accessible (though maybe not in the fall when there’s a million leaves to get caught up in wheels!).
