The Hiking Trails at Rock Dunder- A 4 to 6 km Hike in Lyndhurst

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The Rock Dunder Trails are some of the best trails that we’ve been on near Ottawa. We went on the long weekend at the beginning of September, but I have no doubt this trail would be stunning in the fall as well. There are some really exceptional views on this hike!

Rock Dunder is open from sunrise to sunset, May 15^th to November 15^th. Dogs are welcome.

Before I tell you how to get there, I really want you to read about Leave No Trace principles. A place as beautiful as Rock Dunder, so close to Ottawa AND Kingston, runs the risk of being instagrammed to death. I think often, people want to help take care of the environment around them, but they’re just so new to hiking they’re not sure how. That’s when you get people stepping off the trail to get a really nice picture and trampling new growth in the process or leaving snacks behind thinking they’ll just decompose. They won’t! But reading up on the Leave No Trace principles and then putting them into action helps protect trails and natural spaces.

Quick Facts

Length: Between 4 and 6 km, depending on the route you choose.
Difficulty: Mostly easy, a few moderate sections. (On a scale of easy-moderate-hard)
Trailhead Coordinates: 44.532009, -76.203369
Washroom at Trailhead: Yes
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Cell Reception: Good
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Parking: $5 per person to access the trails.

Getting There

The Rock Dunder Trails are an hour and a half from Ottawa. There’s not too much around the nature reserve itself, but a trip out there makes for a fun day trip. You could easily stop for lunch and shopping in Smiths Falls or Perth on your way. You can use these coordinates to get there: 44.532009, -76.203369.

Turning into the nature preserve, there was a sign right away announcing that we had arrived. The road leading to the trailhead was gravel, and well maintained.

We stopped and paid our daily parking fee to a volunteer there. Bring cash! It’s $5 per hiker or $15 for three to six hikers. You can also purchase your passes online. The volunteer said they or someone else was there every day.

Parking

Driving a very short distance beyond where we had paid, there were two small parking lots. Each had parking spots for about ten cars. We pulled into the parking lot to our left.

Sometimes during the high season the parking lot gets full and you have to park in Morton, the small town just before you get to Rock Dunder. Parking there would likely add about 1.5 km each way to your hike.

Visiting on weekdays, early in the morning or in the late afternoon, or on rainy days would more likely guarantee you a spot in the parking lot as it’s usually quieter on the trails then. That being said, we arrived around 10 a.m. on the weekend and were able to park in the lot.

The Trailhead

The trailhead from the parking lot we were in had a big map up on a bulletin board, beside two lovely benches.

Less than 100 metres down the trail there was an outhouse. After a quick visit, we set off in earnest. The trail was wide and flat to start with.

There has been trail work done to reroute some of the trails since the last time we were there, 4 years ago. Please make sure to stay on the new trails, as old trails were closed for safety reasons.

To the Summit!

When we reached the first trail split there were signs up indicating the Summit Loop was off to our left, while the Scout Cabin Trail was more to the right. Posted arrows indicated that we were to hike the loop clockwise, so off we went to the left!

In the trees we spotted yellow arrows pointing us in the right direction. But the path was so wide and well worn that it would have been tough to lose it regardless.

For the first 700 metres there were only a few sections that were very rocky. For the most part, gravel had been laid down and the hiking was very easy (with a few little hills thrown in for good measure!).

More Technical Terrain

After this point the trail became a little more technical. The roots and rocks took over. And we found ourselves alternating between being in shady, forested sections of trail and areas characterized by large swathes of open rock face.

We passed a bench around the 1.2 km mark, overlooking a marsh. But we knew a MUCH better view was ahead so we didn’t bother to stop for a break.

There had been some work done on the trail to install a few sets of stairs as well as a few footbridges over sections of trail where water might pool in the spring. Including one long boardwalk around 1.5 km.

The Summit

After the boardwalk we hiked up the steepest hill yet. But after THAT the forest let us out onto huge sections of open rock face, and I recognized these as the ones leading up to the summit.

Here (and in a few spots previously) the trail was marked with blue arrows painted onto the rock. Following them for just a little while, we arrived at the summit and the spectacular view over Whitefish Lake. We had hiked 2 km to get to the lookout, so if you were to just hike out and back you’d be hiking about 4 km total.

We spent some time here eating and letting the kids wiggle around. And taking pictures of course!

Then we headed off, still following blue arrows, to complete the loop.

Heading Back

On the way back, the terrain remained much the same but in reverse. Open rock face for a little while, and then the trail became slightly more technical with rocks and roots requiring your attention.

At the 3.24 km mark we passed a sign indicating that the trail was being rerouted. Foot traffic had eroded the old trail so badly that there were safety risks on some of the rockier, steep slopes. We happily followed the new trail to avoid that particular issue.

The Morton Bay Loop

Just a hundred metres later we came upon another bench, and an old cabin with a blue roof. Right beyond this, we passed by the trail split for the Morton Bay Loop on our left.

The Morton Bay Loop has a lot of great views over the water as well, and some really cool, gnarly old trees. It’s just 1.3 km long and definitely worth adding onto your hike.

But our son was doing his absolute BEST to fall asleep in the hiking carrier and we really wanted him to sleep in the car on the way home so we had to skip it.

Fortunately, this section of trail made for SUPER easy hiking. There was a lot of gravel that had been put down so the trail was flat and really easy to walk along. We walked fast!

At just under 4 km the Morton Bay Loop reconnected with the trail we were on. 200 metres later we arrived back at the original trail split, and then seconds later we were back in the parking lot.

Trail Thoughts

All in, we had hiked 4.5 km. It took us just over 2 hours, but that’s mostly because for the first half we walked at the pace that our four year old set… And she’s slow.

Once again, I was stunned by how gorgeous the view was from the summit. It made for such a perfect day out for us, and it’s easy to see why the area is so popular with so many. The last time I visited Rock Dunder I was pregnant with my daughter so it was fun to come back with our daughter AND our son four years later.

Again, please remember to be considerate of the area and Leave No Trace when you’re there. That way we can all continue to enjoy Rock Dunder for years to come!

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.