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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- I really love the South March Highlands Conservation Forest.
So far I’ve hiked the Rockhopper Loop, the Dogsled Loop, and on my last trip there, I decided to hike the Outback/Ridgetop Loop. I met a few friends early on a Saturday morning and we were able to hike most of the trail seeing only a handful of people along the way.
All the trails at South March are fun to hike because they have cool features for mountain biking, and The Outback/Ridgetop Loop was no exception. The trail was long enough that we were out for a few hours, but not really very difficult.
Dogs are allowed on the trails, but I would definitely keep them leashed. Bikers will see people before they spot a dog, and I’d hate for an accident to happen. The trails are open year round, but there are no facilities at the trailheads.
The trails at South March feel like they’re changing constantly, which keeps it interesting.
Getting There
There are a bunch of trailheads that can be used to access the South March Highland Conservation Forest. We decided to use the Brady entrance, right off of Brady Avenue because that trailhead was the closest to the loop we wanted to hike. You can use these coordinates to get there: 45.343153, -75.942315.
There’s parking at the side of the road near the trailhead, as well as parking on the street in the residential area right nearby. There aren’t any facilities at the trailhead.
It’s fairly easy hiking along the Rdigetop/Outback Loop, but there are definitely a few rocky spots too.
The Trail
-there are no trail markers, but the trail is so well maintained it’s impossible to veer off of it.
-the Ottawa Mountain Bike Association has a map, and for each numbered spot on the map there’s a real life sign posted with the number to help you stay on track.
-the trail has a few little hilly sections but is mostly easy to traverse, over dirt and open rock face.
-keep an eye out for mountain bikers! You can usually hear them before you see them, so just pause and step aside to be safe.
Our Route + Notable Distances
0.6 km, point 9, straight onto the Fastout Trail.
0.85 km, point 13, left onto the South Dogsled Trail.
1.9 km, point 33, left onto the IMBA Trail.
2.1 km, point 49, right onto the Bailout Trail to hike the loop counter-clockwise.
2.44 km, point 43, left onto the Outback Trail.
2.83 km, Bonk Point. A lot of false trails branched off here, we used our compass and the map to head north.
6.3 km, point 57, Ridgetop Trail to our left and Cannonball Trail straight ahead- we chose Cannonball.
6.7 km, point 53, right following signs for parking.
7 km, “Bah” feature. We must have followed a false trail, because we hit Bah first, and then the “U-Go” feature. Then we followed the trail in circles, arriving back to Bah and U-Go more times than I would care to admit. Ultimately, had to find the trail far right of the Bah feature to get back on track and head back towards parking.
*distances from this point on are rough estimates- I’m guessing we walked an additional 400 metres going around in circles, and the following distances are my best guesses based on that!*
7.6 km, sign for “Slim Pickins” feature. No signs previously for “Hard Rock Café” or “R & R.”
7.7 km, point 51, left to get back on IMBA and return the way we came.
Total Distance Hiked: 10 km
Total Time: 2 hours and 50 minutes
There are a few spots along the way that I wouldn’t want to do on a bike! (but I’m a chicken).
Trail Thoughts
I love South March Highlands for it’s unique trail work, designed specifically for mountain bikers. It’s fun to look at as you hike along, and I love watching the bikers fly around the different features. All the while knowing I’ll probably never attempt it myself!
The Outback/Ridgetop Loop is one that’s perfect for when you want to go for a long, easy walk in the woods. The terrain is very similar to the Rockhopper and Dogsled Loops in that it’s not too strenuous. And with the trails being so close to home, it’s perfect for a half day outdoors. South March Highlands Conservation Forest is definitely worth checking out, and I’ll be headed back soon to hike the only loop I haven’t visited yet, the PWT 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!
The Ridgetop/Outback Loop is a little further out, so it sees less traffic. The trail was grown in like this in a few spots!
Map and Elevation Gain
My GPS tracked route along the Ridgetop/Outback Loop.
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 route!
Gear I Brought
- Hiking Boots
- Smartwool Socks
- Mountain Warehouse Day Pack
- Compass
- First Aid Kit (with tick removal tool)
- Nalgene Bottle
- SOL 2 Person Bivvy
- Sunscreen
- Bug Spray
