The Bilberry Creek Ravine Trails in Orleans

The Bilberry Creek Ravine is in the heart of Orleans. But once you walk far enough along the trails there, you honestly can feel like you’re completely immersed in the forest, which is really cool. There are a handful of official trails in the area that are maintained by the city of Ottawa, and then a huge network of unofficial, unmaintained trails that turned my day into more of a ramble than anything. So this blog post will be a ramble as well, because I can’t really send you on any designated route. Instead, I’ll just let you know what you can expect if you decide to visit!

There are a lot of bridges, short steep sections, and rough trails that wind through the woods for you to enjoy if you do visit.

Dogs are allowed on the trails at the Bilberry Creek Ravine year-round (in fact, neighbours have placed waste bags near the trail heads to remind us to clean up).

Quick Facts

Length: Can be any distance you’d like! I hiked 3.5 km total.
Difficulty: Easy (on a scale of easy-moderate-hard).
Trailhead Coordinates: 45.462964, -75.503786
Washroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Cell Reception: Good
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Parking: Right at the trailhead.
Cost: Free
Open: Year round.

Getting There

The Bilberry Creek Ravine is smack dab in the middle of Orleans. There are multiple entry points. A quick search on Google maps can help you to find them. I chose to start just off Wayside Court because there was street parking there (although I’m sure there’s street parking at most of the access points, since we WERE in the middle of the suburbs. You can use these coordinates to get there: 45.462964, -75.503786.

The Bilberry Creek trails are obviously well loved by the neighbourhood. At multiple points along the way there were maps that had been printed and put up, community managed garbage cans, and free waste bags for dogs.

Heading into the forest, I started out on a wide, well-worn path. There are two types of trails surrounding the Bilberry Creek Ravine- wide, city created and maintained trails with bridges and steps built along the way, and thin, unofficial and unmaintained foot paths created by residents who likely know the area incredibly well and walk these same routes over and over again.

Official Trails

The city created paths are the only ones you’ll see on Google maps. These paths are wide enough for two (or more) people to walk side by side. Some sections of the path have gravel put down, while others are just down to the dirt. While there might be a root popping up here and there, the footwork on these trails is generally very easy. I still wouldn’t bring a stroller on these because they’re susceptible to getting mucky in wet conditions (just like any other trail), and some sections are actually quite steep!

In fact, a few sections are so steep that residents have placed ropes along the side to assist anyone needing a bit of extra help to go up or down the hills.

Unofficial Trails

Then, there are the unofficial trails that wind through the forest near the ravine. These trails you can see on the AllTrails app, which is what I used (in addition to the posted maps) to travel around the area. The unofficial trails are much skinnier because they’re man-made, over time, by hikers’ footsteps. .

The unofficial trails are also unmaintained and weren’t planned out in any organized fashion. So they’re MUCH more susceptible to things like spring run off, and were much muddier in spots. Again, there were a few sections with a bit of up and down, but nothing too wild. That being said, I actually had to turn back because I was carrying my son. So I couldn’t do the required footwork to traverse a few spots. Anyone not wearing a baby could have simply taken a small jump over these spots (where there were parts of the trail that had fallen away due to runoff). But babies notoriously hate it when their parents jump around during naps. So I was out of luck. In a couple of spots, there were short foot bridges across Bilberry Creek because these unofficial trails ran up both sides of the creek.

Along the way in a few random spots were benches that had been erected.

I would definitely recommend paying careful attention to where you’re going if you’re using the unofficial trails. None of the trails in this network are marked, so you could definitely find yourself a bit turned around. If this happens, the best thing to do is ALWAYS go back to the point on the trail where you felt confident you knew where you were. If you’re lost, continuing to move forward will most often just get you more lost.

Trail Thoughts

After getting myself back to the predictability of the city maintained trails, I began heading back to the trailhead. I was able to take a few loops back that I hadn’t yet traversed, and ended up leaving the forest on a multi-use pathway across from where I had entered it. This had me completing a short walk along the sidewalk to get me back to my car.

By the time I was done, I had walked nearly 3.5 km. But you could easily make this hike longer or shorter simply by adding or taking away a few more twists and turns. Hiking in this part of town, despite it being so close to so many people’s houses, was still a great way to disconnect. Many of the trees were old and mature, giving the forest a wonderful feel. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised by a little piece of land in Orleans! Although I still think the hike to Princess Louis Falls in Orleans is my favorite.

Visit the Bilberry Creek Ravine if you’re in the area and looking for a beautiful wander through the woods.

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.