Ride the Rail Trail from Paris to Cambridge
41 km return – About 3 hours by bike
START: At the SC Johnson Trailhead Portland St Parking Lot in Paris
Ride along the Cambridge to Paris Rail Trail from Paris to Cambridge. This beautifully maintained multi-use trail runs beside the Grand River, offering great views of the river. Look out for the remains of an historic mill beside the trail. Once in Cambridge, the route takes a loop on both sides of the river, offering spectacular views of the historic stone buildings of old Galt, before you return to Paris.
This ride is mainly on multi-use trails with short sections on busy urban roads.
Park at the Portland St Trail-head (1) of the SC Johnson trail in Paris. (Portland St is a gravel laneway off Walnut St.)
Ride north along the trail, immediately crossing under a railway bridge. At Willow St, cross with care to the beginning of the Cambridge to Paris Rail Trail (2). Ride through the trees along the rail trail enjoying views of the Grand River.
After about 15 minutes (3.3 km from Paris), watch out for the The Murray Overlook, which offers a beautiful view of the Grand River and “the three sisters” – the remnants of the Great Western Railway Bridge, built in 1858.
After another 30 minutes (11.4 km from Paris) you will see the remains of German’s Woollen Mill beside the river. The mill was built in 1867, the year of Confederation. Once owned by the German family, it has been abandoned since 1944.
The rail trail ends at the Cambridge trail-head (3) just south of Cambridge at Water St S. This is a busy road, so cross with care to the municipal multi-use trail on the opposite side of the road. The multi-use trail ends at Ainslie St S. Continue on Water St S with caution (busy urban road with no cycling infrastructure) to Main St.
Turn L onto Main St and walk your bike across the south side of the Main St Bridge (protected sidewalk). Turn L onto Melville St beside the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. If you have time, park your bicycle and take the Walking Tour of Historic Galt, starting at point 13 on the route. Otherwise, continue on Melville St to River Rd and cross the parking lot to the trail along the river. The trail passes through gardens maintained by the Cambridge Horticultural Society. Stop and rest and admire the Cambridge Sculpture Garden.
Shortly thereafter you will see “Craig’s Crossing” – the Grand River Pedestrian Bridge named after former Mayor of Cambridge, Doug Craig.
Before you cross the bridge, visit MacDougall Cottage Historic Site at 89 Grand St S. The cottage was built in 1858 from local limestone and granite as the home for the family of a Scottish immigrant labourer. It is remarkable for the hand painted friezes on the walls, painted by the 2nd owner’s brother, Jack Baird, in the late 1800s.
Take your time and walk your bike over the pedestrian bridge, enjoying the fabulous view of the river and architecture of the limestone buildings of the former city of Galt.
After crossing the pedestrian bridge, turn R back onto Water St and retrace your ride back to Paris.
Back in Paris
After you finish your ride, take a Walking Tour of Paris. From the parking lot on Portland St, walk to the SC Johnson trail-head kiosk (#5 on the walking tour map). Turn R and walk down the hill, following the instructions on the walking tour to get to the Paris Wincey Mills. Afterwards, follow the instructions from the start of the tour to get back to the parking lot.
Ruins of German’s Woolen Mill on Cambridge to Paris Rail Trail
