Monaghan forest is… an okay place to hike. It’s really more of a wander through nature. And who could ever say anything bad about THAT? But the trails there are just not my favorite in Ottawa- if I’m being honest.
That being said, there ARE some major plus sides, including the fact that the forest is very rarely busy. And dogs are allowed, even during the winter! Honestly part of the reason I’m writing this trail report is so it can be added to our list of dog friendly trails in Ottawa during the winter, because I know dog people love to get out there with their pups in any season!
The trails are also super flat and easy to walk, making them perfect for an easy day in the woods.
While the trails are open in the winter, the parking lot is not maintained by the City!
The trail leading into Monaghan forest.
Quick Facts
Length: As short as you’d like, up to 6 km long.
Difficulty: Easy (on a scale of easy-moderate-hard)
Trailhead Coordinates: 45.266411, -75.811828
Washroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Cell Reception: Good
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Parking: Right at the trailhead.
Getting There
If you’ve made it through that very honest intro and are still interested in visiting Monaghan Forest, then here’s the coordinates you can use to get there: 45.266411, -75.811828.
The closest bus stop is the Fallowfield/Steeple Hill stop (ID: 2227, bus # 283 Richmond/Munster).
Monaghan forest is just off of Fallowfield, and is close to the trails in Stoney Swamp. Since dogs aren’t allowed in Stoney Swamp, this is a good alternative.
The parking lot at Monaghan Forest is small, with space for about ten cars. There are absolutely no facilities at the trailhead.
Love to see evidence of kids having fun. Time in nature is valuable no matter what it looks like!
The Trails
Finding the trailhead is incredibly easy- it’s just at the back of the parking lot. The trail leads into the forest before splitting off in three different directions (left, ahead, and right) just about 100 metres along.
The trails are not marked. So this is the type of trail network where you’ll want to pay extra attention to the turns that you’ve made.
That being said, the trails ARE fairly well worn. So it’s not likely that you would accidentally step off the trail and not be able to find it again. But since I haven’t been on every single offshoot in the forest I will say this: if you notice a trail is getting thinner and thinner, that generally means that not as many people travel on it. Which means it’s likely not part of the network. Instead, it’s more likely to be a spot where many people have taken a wrong turn and then backtracked. It’s always a good idea to backtrack and see where you may have gotten off trail, instead of pressing on in hopes of “finding” the trail again (you already know where it is- behind you!).
West Side
Recently, I went to Monaghan Forest determined to explore both “sides” of the trail network, on the West and the East.
Turning to my left, I set off one day to explore the trails on the West side of the forest. You could easily walk 3 km on this side of the forest. The trail is essentially an out and back with a loop near the quarry. There wasn’t too much exciting to look at (again, just a wander in the woods). The terrain had kind of that “scrubby” feel that we sometimes get when it’s mostly shrubs, sumac, and a few trees here and there along the trail.
Scrubby, right?
East Side
I preferred the trails on the East side of the forest. There were more trees and it felt more forest-y. On this side of the forest there were another 3 km of trails. So the networks on both sides are roughly the same distance.
Here, the trails crossed over a Hydro One field with huge hydro towers. This very much interrupted the “immersed in the forest” feel, but what can you do.
Again, the trails on this side were not marked, but were quite well-worn, so I was able to stick with them easily. I used Google maps on my phone to try and figure out which way I wanted to turn and for the most part this worked out fine.
I preferred these trails.
Trail Thoughts
I honestly feel like this is the least enthusiastic trail report I’ve ever written! But there is so much to be said for spending time in nature, no matter what that looks like. So I wanted to let people know about this little piece of nature, regardless of whether I loved it or not. If you go, I hope you enjoy it!
Trail Map
The trails on Google are fairly accurate.
My pup and I just went here, hoping for a nice walk through the forest. A lot of it is actually blocked off now, and what remains is a very short west side of the loop. The trail to the right of the first split is mostly overgrown, and while you can make it to the hydro lines, you have to turn around because there’s no continuation on the other side.
We went back to the fork and decided to go straight, but had to turn left almost immediately and it forced us to loop back around.
Interesting. I haven’t been in years and did notice recently that even the entrance was rather unkempt. I like the little loop to the West but sad you can’t go further anymore.