GWTA 2023 Route and Itinerary Overview- Quinte West to the Quebec Border
Ride with us from Tuesday, August 8th to Monday, August 14th for the 2023 Great Waterfront Trail Adventure cycle tour and awareness ride. Featuring a linear route from Trenton in Quinte West to Cornwall, Ontario along the coastline of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
It’s a new twist on a GWTA favourite route. Join us for 55 – 120km of riding per day combined with lots of fun off-the-bike activities. Enjoy the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new friends along this much-loved section of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail.
- Visit unique waterfront communities along the coastline of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
- Enjoy amazing waterfront views as you cycle this section of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail.
- Overnight in the unique communities of Trenton, Kingston, Brockville, and Cornwall.
- Choose your Adventure: For the first time ever we’ll base the tour in two historic communities for two nights each giving you more time to explore the history and culture of both Kingston and Cornwall. We are working with these communities on some incredible experiences to enrich our visit. Stay tuned for updates.
Day One: Tuesday, August 8 – Quinte West Day and GWTA registration/packet pick up. Ride to Brighton to Take a Break on Main Street or Ride along the Trent River. Gather together in the evening for the Greenbelt Reception at the Port Trent Marina.
Day Two: Wednesday, August 9 – Trenton to Kingston – 120 km. Overnight at Queens University. Cycle the popular Millennium Trail or the Waterfront Trail through Prince Edward County. Enjoy the pleasant ferry ride over to Greater Napanee. You’ll fall in love with Village of Bath’s hospitality. End the day with group dinner and pub night.
Day Three: Thursday, August 10 -full-day in Kingston-Choose your adventure – cycle to Sydenham on the popular K&P Trail, go to Wolfe Island, or discover Ontario history at the Kingston Penitentiary or Fort Henry National Historic Site. Join us for Dive into Clean Water — Swim and Learn social hosted in partnership with Swim Drink Fish. Overnight at Queens University
Day Four: Friday, August 11 – Kingston to Brockville – 83km – featuring 30km of wonderful off-road cycling infrastructure between the communities of Gananoque and Brockville and the Brock Trail.
Day Five: Saturday, August 12 -102km – Brockville to Cornwall. Featuring Upper Canada Village, The Long Sault Parkway, the Village of Ingleside, and the Lost Villages Museum and Brockville’s Ribfest.
Day Six: Sunday, August 13 – full-day in Cornwall-Choose your adventure – ride to the Quebec border and back, ride the 62km Cheese and Crankers loop, and complete the SDG Selfie Scavenger Hunt to enter a draw. Take a pre-dinner tour of the SDG Historic Jail. In the evening the entire group will enjoy a celebration dinner together featuring award-winning MacCulloch dancers – celebrating the Celtic heritage of South Glengarry, and Akwesasne dance artist and performer Feryn King. Feryn has performed extensively with a variety of groups including Cirque du Soleil.
Day Seven: Monday, August 14 – return to long-term parking in Trenton by coach bus. Coach bus reservations will be handled by our partners at CAA Travel.
Terrain & Route Overview: Combination of quiet roads, in-town cycling infrastructure and off-road multi-use trails – many will be delighted to hear that there is no significant gravel. Mainly flat but with some hills between Kingston and Gananoque.
Support: Daily luggage transportation, and mechanical assistance.
The GWTA 2023 is possible thanks to the generous support and help of our partners:
A big thank you to our event partners: CAA South Central Ontario, the Greenbelt Foundation, RTO9, and overnight and rest stop hosts.
