The Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail is a long

rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

in Prescott-Russell,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada, maintained by the county of Prescott-Russell. The trail begins in the village of Saint-Eugène and goes to the eastern boundary of the City of

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, passing through the townships of

East Hawkesbury East Hawkesbury is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell. Situated on the Ottawa River, its eastern boundary is the border with the province of Quebec. Communities The township comprises the village ...

, Champlain,

The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...

Alfred and Plantagenet Alfred and Plantagenet is a Franco-Ontarian township in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell. Located approximately from downtown Ottawa at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the South Nation River. ...

, and

Clarence-Rockland Clarence-Rockland is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell on the Ottawa River. Clarence-Rockland is located immediately to the east of Ottawa and is considered part of the Prescott and Russell Count ...

. The trail primarily passes through farmland, with some forested sections. Because it runs along a railway right-of-way, it is quite flat. The trail surface is mainly stone dust, although it is paved near population centres. Notable sights along the trail include the former railway station in Bourget and the bridge over the

South Nation River The South Nation River is a river in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It springs from forests and marshes located north of Brockville and it flows northeast to empty into the Ottawa River north of Plantagenet. Shows the river's course highlighted on a ...

near

Plantagenet The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in ...

. Pavilions are located along the trail in Saint-Eugène,

Vankleek Hill Vankleek Hill is a town in Champlain Township in Eastern Ontario. It has a population of 1,996. The town was named after Simeon Vankleek, a United Empire Loyalist who settled there near the end of the 18th century. The agricultural-based communi ...

, Bourget, and Hammond. The trail is used for a variety of purposes, including

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...

, and

snowmobiling A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not ...

(in the winter). Neither ATVs nor horse-riding are allowed on the trail, although horse-riding is allowed on the Prescott-Russell Trail Link. The route runs along the former roadbed of the

Canadian Pacific The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

line between

and

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, which is now owned by

Via Rail Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...

. The rails were lifted in 1986, while the trail was inaugurated in 2006. The agreement between Via and Prescott-Russell lasts until 2020.

Potential closure

In 2016, the Prescott-Russell announced that it was studying the idea of closing the trail, due to its $400,000 per year maintenance cost. The county ultimately decided in the 2017 budget to cut the trail maintenance budget to $200,000 a year. Further consultations on the viability of the trail have been held.

Prescott-Russell Trail link

The Prescott-Russell trail link is a extension of the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail into

, following the same former railway right-of-way. It goes from the western end of the Prescott-Russell trail at the eastern border of the

, passing near

Navan Navan ( ; , meaning "the Cave") is the county town of County Meath, Ireland. In 2016, it had a population of 30,173, making it the tenth largest settlement in Ireland. It is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Blackwater, around 50&nb ...

and Orleans before ending in a dead end near Highway 417. It is maintained by the

City of Ottawa The City of Ottawa is the corporate entity of municipal government in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The corporation is responsible for provision of services to the public as well as enforcement of municipal by-laws. It is overseen by the City Manag ...

References

External links

Prescott and Russell Recreational Trail
{{Canadian Trails Rail trails in Ontario 2006 establishments in Ontario