Iron Horse Trail

Iron Horse Trail

IRON HORSE TRAIL

Kitchener - Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
ABOUT THE TRAIL

Opened on October 5, 1997, the Iron Horse Trail is a 5 km (3.1 mile) recreational hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing trail along a portion of abandoned right-of-way of the Grand River Railway between Ottawa Street (Kitchener) and Allen Street (Waterloo). Originally built as the Preston & Berlin Railway, it was renamed the Grand River Railway in 1914. This electrically operated rail line once ran from Galt (now part of Cambridge) to Waterloo. The trail is managed jointly by the Parks and Recreation Departments of the City of Kitchener and the City of Waterloo.

TRAIL ACCESS POINTS

KITCHENER END - The trail starts between Dundas Avenue and Nyberg Street on Borden Avenue. Parking is available along side streets, behind Belmont Village or in Victoria Park.

WATERLOO END - The trail starts behind Waterloo Bedding at the intersection of Allen and Caroline Streets. Parking is permitted along Caroline Street.

DIRECTIONS TO THE TRAIL

Highway 401 to highway 8 west. Follow highway 8 west into Kitchener until it becomes King Street. Watch for Ottawa Street and turn left onto Ottawa watching for signs indicating the Kitchener end start of trail.

SOME POINTS OF INTEREST ALONG THE TRAIL

VICTORIA PARK - An excellent place to stop and enjoy a picnic lunch.

WATERLOO - The end of the trail is at Caroline and Allen Streets. From this point the railway tracks were in the middle of Caroline Street to Erb Street, thence onto private right-of-way again. Today the Waterloo-St. Jacobs Railway Waterloo Station is located at the intersection of Caroline and Erb Streets. As well, connection is made here with the Laurel Trail.

TRAIL RULES

DO:
- Walk, hike, jog, bicycle, wheelchair, snowshoe and cross-country ski.
- Stay on the trail and off adjacent private property.
- Exercise caution as the trail crosses many busy streets.
- Keep your dog on a leash and please, stoop and scoop.

DO NOT:
- Camp along the trail (see section below regarding nearby camping).
- Trespass on adjacent lands.
- Use motorized vehicles or horses on the trail.

PLEASE NOTE:
- Washrooms and refreshments are available along the trail.
- The trail is rated: Beginner.
- The Kitchener portion of the trail is currently loose rock. It will be asphalted when funds allow.
- Only the Waterloo portion of the trail is wheelchair accessible at present.

NEARBY CAMPING

Camping along the Rail-Trail is prohibited. Bingemans, in Kitchener, has camping facilities and is easily reached via Grand River Transit buses.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information, please contact the City of Kitchener Parks and Recreation at (519) 741-2382 or the City of Waterloo Parks and Recreation at (519) 886-2319.

LINKS TO RELATED SITES

City of Kitchener
City of Waterloo
Cambridge-Paris Rail-Trail
Cambridge Trails
Mill Run Trail
Ontario Rail Trails

OF POSSIBLE INTEREST

The Halton County Radial Railway Museum at Milton, Ontario have in their collection, a couple of pieces of railway equipment that used to operate on the rail line where the Iron Horse Trail is now located.

DISCLAIMER

This page, a private effort, is intended as an extension of my Canadian Pacific Electric Lines pages providing information on the current usage of the former Grand River Railway right-of-way through Kitchener and Waterloo. Neither the City of Kitchener or the City of Waterloo participated in the preparation of this page. Although every effort is made to maintain accuracy, I will not be held liable for any errors or omissions.