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I am lucky enough to drive through the Greenbelt on my way to work everyday. Whenever I see cars parked by the entrances to the forest in the morning, I’m always just a little bit jealous. So I decided I was going to get out early one morning before work, and hike through the Pine Grove area of the Greenbelt, on trails 43 and 44.
I’ve done this hike before and it doesn’t disappoint when all you’re wanting is a nice stroll through the woods. I like to combine trails 43 and 44 to make a loop, so that’s what I did mid-November after we had our first little snowfall. I also love to end it near the birdfeeder, when I have time. Waiting for the little chickadees to land on your hand, and trying to trick the chipmunks into coming closer is always so much fun.
Both of these trails are great for cross country skiing when there’s more snow. Dogs are allowed on the trails from April until November.
It can be tough to get out in the winter, but the Pine Grove Forest is absolutely beautiful under a blanket of snow.
Getting There
Trail 43 and 44 are right off of Davidson Road, just south of Ottawa. Whenever I hike these trails, I park in parking lot p18. You can use these coordinates to get there: 45.354673, -75.592684. In this lot there’s space for at least a hundred cars. There are also picnic tables, garbage cans, and an outhouse.
The Route
In order to get in a decent hike, I typically park, then cross over Davidson Road to the opposite side in order to access Trail 43. Starting out on Trail 43, there are signs and panels providing information about the surrounding area.
This is a wide trail, and incredibly easy to follow. Soon after entering the forest, noise from the traffic begins to fade away, which is a really great feeling to get so close to town. It was also lovely to walk through the forest so soon after it had been dusted with snow.
Early morning snow on the trees.
Trail 43 is a pretty straightforward route, as it takes you out and then loops back towards Davidson road. There’s only one access point on this trail besides Davidson, but the signage is really good so it’s very easy to tell what direction you want to carry on in.
Hiking for 2.6 kilometres got me back to Davidson Road, at which point I crossed back over the road and re-entered the forest onto a single track trail. This trail took me to my left and ran beside the road for a short while before connecting back to trail 44, which is much wider.
Trail 44 has a few more access points, but again, it is so well signed that it would be almost impossible to get lost.
There are a few sections where boardwalks have been put in because it’s a bit swampier, but these are well built and have always felt solid to me. The red berries hanging on among the snow in these spots was absolutely beautiful.
I don’t actually know what this plant is… But the berries always add such a dramatic shot of color to a winter landscape.
After hiking for 5.5 kilometres, I reached the spot where the birdfeeders normally are, to the left of the trail. This is the best spot for attracting birds and chipmunks because they are accustomed to people feeding them here. This spot is truly the reason I like to hike the loop counter-clockwise. It’s a great way to end my walk.
Getting Home
From the feeding station to the parking lot is a very short distance- only about 100 metres. If you were looking for a really short, fun hike (say for little ones), this would be a good fit.
The two trails looped together allowed me to cover a distance of 5.6 kilometres. Because the hiking is so easy, and I was moving fairly quickly, I covered the distance in an hour and ten minutes.
We’re very lucky to have the Greenbelt.
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!
Elevation Gain and Map
Almost no elevation gain/loss.
My map of trail 43 and 44.
Gear I Brought
- Hiking boots
- Base layers
- Fleece sweater
- Light jacket
- Mittens
- Buff
- Small backpack
- 1 litre water bottle
- Cell phone
Are dogs allowed?
Dogs allowed on-leash: April 15 to November 30