Biking & Cyclists

Cycling Routes & Maps

The City of Hamilton offers a comprehensive map of cycling facilities, points of interest and hiking trails:

Or you can pick up a free copy at any of these locations:

I​nteractive cycling map

Bike Parking and Infrastructure Map
View map in new window

Planned core cycling network

Just like a great transit network, a great cycling network needs to be connected and comprehensive for all ages and abilities. The schematic cycling system map (PDF, 162 KB), borrowed from the transit spider map design, will help us plan a connected network grid.

Provincial cycling routes

Check out these websites for maps containing points of interest, as well as regional bike maps and day-trip itineraries:

Great Lakes Waterfront Trail 

GREAT LAKES WATERFRONT TRAIL Logo

Greenbelt Route​

Greenbelt Route logo

Trail etiquette

  • Keep to the right except to pass
  • Do not litter
  • Respect nature
  • Do not trespass in rural fields
  • Pedestrians: Keep any dog on their leash
  • Cyclists: Yield to pedestrians
  • Cyclists: Alert pedestrians with your bell prior to passing

Great bike rides

Are you looking to discover great cycling routes in Hamilton for the first time – or discover areas of Hamilton that you are not familiar with?

Easy rides

Connection points

  • Downtown: Corktown Park at Ferguson Ave./ Young St.
  • East Mountain: Mountain Brow Blvd./ Limeridge Rd./ Arbour Rd.

Route design

  • Easy: Paved trail, gradual slope
  • Take care crossing Wentworth St.

City transit access

Inter-city transit access

  • Downtown: Hamilton GO Centre (GO Transit, Coach Canada, Greyhound)

Mapping

Attractions along the way

  • Downtown shops
  • Bruce Trail
  • escarpment views
  • Buttermilk Falls
  • Albion Falls

Connection points

  • Downtown: Corktown Park at Ferguson Ave./ Young St.
  • Ancaster: Wilson St./ Fiddler's Green Rd./ Lovers Lane

Route design

  • Easy: Combination of paved on-street and unpaved on Chedoke Rail Trail; stairs with trough crossing Highway 403. Northbound: no paved option west of Dundurn St.
  • Take care on Charlton Ave. westbound or on Herkimer St. eastbound and at Wilson St.

City transit access

Inter-city transit access

  • Downtown: Hamilton GO Centre (GO Transit, Coach Canada, Greyhound)

Mapping

Attractions along the way

  • Downtown shops
  • Westcliffe Falls
  • Princess Falls (five waterfalls total)
  • Sanatorium Falls
  • Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area
  • Ancaster shops

Connection points

  • Aldershot: Aldershot GO/ VIA Station at Waterdown Rd./ Highway 403
  • Confederation Park: QEW/ Centennial Pkwy

Route design

  • Easy: Paved; half of the route is paved trail (Waterfront Trail) or optional on-street (Beach Blvd.)
  • Take care crossing under the QEW on North Shore Blvd. and crossing the lift bridge

City transit access

  • Aldershot: Route 18, Burlington Transit 1
  • Confederation Park: Route 56 (seasonal), Route 11 nearby

  • Bikes on Buses Program

Inter-city transit access

  • Aldershot: GO/ VIA Station
  • Confederation Park: Stoney Creek (Nash Rd.) GO Transit

Mapping

Attractions along the way

  • Burlington waterfront shops
  • Lift Bridge/ Canal & Lighthouse
  • Lake Ontario beaches & restaurants
  • Confederation Park/ Wild Waterworks

Connection points

  • Ancaster: Wilson St./ Fiddler's Green Rd./ Lovers Lane
  • Hamilton Harbour: Bayfront Park, Bay St./ Barton St.

Route design

  • Easy: Combination of on-street and trails; unpaved on Rail Trail in Dundas Valley; paved option between Ancaster and Dundas is Wilson St./ Old Dundas Rd
  • Take care on Sulfur Springs Rd. and on Dundas streets

City transit access

  • Ancaster: Route 16, Route 5C/ 5A nearby
  • Hamilton Harbour: Route 99 (seasonal), Route 4, Route 2 nearby

  • Bikes on Buses Program

Inter-city transit access

  • Downtown: Hamilton GO Centre (GO Transit, Coach Canada, Greyhound)
  • Westdale: McMaster University GO Transit

Mapping

Attractions along the way

  • Ancaster shops
  • The Hermitage
  • Griffin House
  • Dundas Valley Trail Centre
  • Dundas shops
  • McMaster University
  • The Aviary in Churchill Park
  • Westdale shops
  • Cootes Paradise
  • Desjardins Canal & Fishway
  • Dundurn Castle
  • Waterfront Trail
  • Bayfront Park

Connection points

  • East Mountain: Mountain Brow Blvd./ Limeridge Rd./ Arbour Rd.
  • Ancaster: Wilson St./ Fiddler's Green Rd./ Lovers Lane

Route design

  • Easy: Paved on-road and a short paved trail section by Albion Falls over the LINC.
  • Take care crossing Rymal Rd., crossing Highway 6/ Upper James, Wilson St. at roundabout, and along Jerseyville Rd.

City transit access

Inter-city transit access

None

Mapping

Attractions along the way

  • Albion Falls
  • Red Hill Valley
  • Eramosa Karst

Medium rides

Connection points

  • Downtown: Corktown Park at Ferguson Ave./ Young St.
  • Stoney Creek: Devil's Punch Bowl at Ridge Rd./ First Rd. E

Route design

  • Moderate: All paved; mostly on-street (majority with bike lanes); walking trail up escarpment to Devil's Punch Bowl
  • Take care crossing Wentworth St. and crossing Red Hill Valley Pkwy

City transit access

Inter-city transit access

  • Downtown: Hamilton GO Centre (GO Transit, Coach Canada, Greyhound)

Mapping

Attractions along the way

  • Stoney Creek shops (including Stoney Creek Dairy)
  • Devil's Punch Bowl
  • escarpment views over Lake Ontario

Connection points

  • Downtown: Corktown Park at Ferguson Ave./ Young St.
  • Aldershot: Aldershot GO/ VIA Station at Waterdown Rd./ Highway 403

Route design

  • Moderate: Combination of on-street and trails; all paved; stairs with trough at High Level Bridge connecting Desjardins Canal to York Blvd.
  • Take care crossing Highway 403 ramps and on Plains Rd.; if travelling from Aldershot to Downtown do not cross York Blvd. at the High Level Bridge

City transit access

Inter-city transit access

  • Downtown: Hamilton GO Centre (GO Transit, Coach Canada, Greyhound)
  • Aldershot: Aldershot GO/ VIA Station

Mapping

Attractions along the way

  • Downtown shops
  • Waterfront Trail
  • HMCS Haida
  • Bayfront Park
  • Desjardins Canal & Fishway
  • Cootes Paradise
  • High Level Bridge Vistas
  • Royal Botanical Gardens (RGB)

Connection points

  • East Mountain: Mountain Brow Blvd./ Limeridge Rd./ Arbour Rd.
  • Ancaster: Wilson St./ Fiddler's Green Rd./ Lovers Lane

Route design

  • Moderate: On-street shared with motor traffic; Mostly paved - unpaved on Chedoke Radial Rail Trail; stairs with trough crossing Highway 403; NB: no paved option west of Scenic Dr.
  • Take care of traffic along Concession St.

City transit access

Inter-city transit access

None

Mapping

Attractions along the way

  • Albion Falls
  • views from the brow
  • Concession St. shops
  • Sanatorium Falls
  • Iroquoia Heights
  • Ancaster shops

Connection points

  • Ancaster: Wilson St./ Fiddler's Green Rd./ Lovers Lane
  • Aldershot: Aldershot GO/ VIA Station at Waterdown Rd./ Highway 403

Route design

  • Moderate: Paved on-road, but for 500m of gravel on Binkley Rd.; two escarpment climbs
  • Take care riding up the escarpment: As you scale the escarpment, don't get intimidated, just do it "smooth and slow". Use low gears, a slow pace and patience. A bike with a triple chain-ring in front makes it quite easy for most people. Going down? Be sure to maintain control at all times.

City transit access

Inter-city transit access

  • Aldershot: GO/ VIA Station

Mapping

Attractions along the way

  • Ancaster shops
  • The Hermitage
  • Griffin House
  • Crook's Hollow
  • Tew's Falls
  • Webster's Falls
  • Borer's Falls
  • Waterdown shops
  • Great Falls

Difficult ride

Connection points

  • Confederation Park: QEW/ Centennial Pkwy
  • East Mountain: Mountain Brow Blvd./ Limeridge Rd./ Arbour Rd.

Route design

  • Difficult: A few significant hills, Mostly unpaved - see map for paved on-street option
  • Take care crossing Lawrence Rd. and along Mud St. beside Albion Falls

City transit access

  • Confederation Park: Route 56 (seasonal), Route 11 nearby
  • East Mountain: Route 21, Route 22 nearby

  • Bikes on Buses Program

Inter-city transit access

  • Confederation Park: Stoney Creek (Nash Rd.) GO Transit

Mapping

Attractions along the way

  • Red Hill Creek Valley
  • EcoHouse
  • Albion Falls

Cycling with Bike Share and Everyone Rides

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