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Crosstown Heritage Trail (Pipeline Trail)

Instead of using the bike paths along the (north) side of Upper Middle Rd to commute East-West in Oakville, you can also take the more interesting Heritage Crosstown Trail. At the eastern end it's a little broken up as it crosses several parks and runs west along Glenashton, but the main section begins at Millbank park on Glenashton near Rouge crest.

Follow the trail west as it make it's way through the park and crosses Grand Ravine Dr. There will be a lot of street crossings along this trail and not all of the streets are easy to identify. As a crosstown trail, you will also cross numerous north/south trails as well.

Across Grand Ravine, the trail meets up behind the houses with the North-South Nipigon trail. Cross the ravine on the high pedestrian bridge to continue westward up to Munns Ave. If you look over the bridge, is there still a bicycle left abandoned down by the creek? Climb up to Munns and turn south a short distance and continue west along the main part of the Crosstown trail. Here, you can easily see how this trail resembles a rail trail, for it head straight west, crossing sixth line and shortly thereafter crossing North-South Munns Creek trail.

Next, you'll cross McDowell Ave just south of Richlar (sometimes you can see the cross street names, but it would be nice to put a street name on the sign posts). By the way, the Crosstown trail is one of many Oakville Heritage Trails, so stop and read the interesting historical articles posted in the kiosks along the way.

Shortly after McDowell, you cross the Shannon Creek trail that connects with the sixteen mile creek at it's southern end. Ever westward, you'll soon cross over Mowat Ave just north of River Oaks Blvd. (Ok, how many street, parks and community centers have 'oak' in their name?). You can cycle down Mowat and take River Oaks to the corner of Neyagawa Blvd or just continue west along the path as it bring you out onto Neyagawa Blvd and the south end of Neyagawa Park. It's too busy to cross Neyagawa here, so head south a little to the lights and cross at River Oaks, then double back up to where you left off and re-enter the trail and continue west.

Follow the path as it winds behind the houses and joins up with the Sixteen Mile Creek Trail to cross over the Osenego creek on the wooden pedestrian bridge. From here, you'll follow the East Bank Trail of the Sixteen Mile Creek path as it heads north to Dundas and Lions Valley Park.

Follow the path until it comes up to a storm sewer reservoir and turn west over the pedestrian bridge (you have to stop and read those little square mile marker signs to follow the right path at times). Double back a bit, and re-enter the woods to take either the 'shortcut' (won't save you much on bike) or just follow the main trail. The path curves into the woods, and occasionally meets up the the Inner Valley Trails.

It's a fun ride as you wind behind the houses on the east back, and eventually you exit onto a dead end round about to re-enter the trail down to Lions Valley Park.

Lions Valley Park

Cross the wobbly hanging pedestrian bridge over to the western shore of Sixteen Mile Creek, turn south, and begin the steep climb up the embankment. It's not straight up, but the climb is steep enough and steady to drop down into low gears. It's a nice walk up as well!

At the top of the climb, exit across the dead end of Fourth Line and re-enter on the other side and follow the now abandoned roadway where it terminates at the other end of Fourth Line. Look west, to the creek and follow the entrance back into the woods as the path follows between the backyards of the houses on your west and the steep drop to the creek floor to your east.

Ride along the path, crossing a few pedestrian bridges until it meets up with the pipeline Crosstown trail once again.

Head west along the Crosstown trail as it heads straight once again between the rows of houses. You'll cross Ridge Ldg, Forth Line (again), Proudfoot, The Glen Oaks Trail, Third Line just South of Liverpool, then Parkglen Ave.

Upper Middle Road Trail - Eastward

After that, construction blocked further westward progress at the junction with a path leading south so I took it until it came out at Stratus and Whitecliff near WestOak Trails Blvd.

I headed through a new park and sports field down to Upper Middle Road, and for fun headed west unit it dead ended just short of Bronte. Here, you can follow the trails down Fourteen Mile creek and east along Indian Ridge, however I decided to take the direct route back by heading east along Upper Middle Rd across the Smith Triller Viaduct to the Sixteen Mile Creek Trail pedestrian overpass and followed the path back south toward the lake.

Notice as you're crossing the creeks their names seem to be counting down towards Cootes Paradise. Sixteen mile creek, twelve mile creek and the same out in Stony Creek. Were the creeks used as mileage markers on a trek from York (Toronto) to Newark (Niagara on the lake)? You read in days gone by, how a Minister or Judge would serve a large area and would walk that distance over a season stopping in each village along the way.