Hit the Road: Cycling routes to help you explore York Region by bike

YorkRegion.com
Aug. 17, 2017

With its rolling hills, array of trails, and mix of urban and rural landscapes, York Region is a joy to explore by bicycle. And, the Region of York has a number of resources to help you, including detailed information about 10 tour routes, an interactive map, and links to cycling apps with local data. Below is a selection of tour routes — for more, visit York.ca/cycling.

1. The Butter Tart Ride
This sweet, 18-kilometre loop through Newmarket is a treat for families. Starting at Riverwalk Common, you will ride a mix of trails, quiet streets, and some busier roads, mostly along paved shoulders. You will pass through Fairy Lake Park, dip south of Mulock Drive, and pedal past Ray Twinney Recreation Complex before ending at The Maids' Cottage, where you can enjoy an award-winning butter tart.

2. Pedal to the Kettle 
This 52-kilometre loop takes you along paved paths, gravel trails, and roads in Markham and Richmond Hill. With a moderate rating, this route is geared toward recreational cyclists. The ideal starting point is the Markham Civic Centre. Highlights of this route include the Oak Ridges Corridor Park Trail, a 1,000-acre park home to wetlands and forests, Mill Pond Park, the Slovak Cathedral of Transfiguration, and Lake Wilcox, the kettle lake for which this route is named.

3. Village Roundabout   
This 58-kilometre road loop is suited to experienced riders. It starts at the Trisan Centre in the farming community of Schomberg and takes you along mainly quiet roads past Cold Creek Conservation Area and the Nashville Conservation Reserve before rolling through historic Kleinburg, home of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. From there, you head north-east back to King and up through Laskay, Happy Valley, and Pottageville before returning to Schomberg.

4. Tour de Holland
This 68-kilometre route, geared toward experienced road riders, rolls through the famed Holland Marsh, dubbed Ontario’s salad bowl. It starts at the King City arena and winds through Kettleby, Pottageville, Schomberg, and Bradford. This route offers plenty of places to stop and taste farm fresh goods including Pine Farms Orchard, Country Apple Orchard Farms, Round the Bend Farm, Canal Road Farmers' Market, and Holland Marsh Wineries.