Thinking about the Greater Niagara Circle Route
 

I originally posted this in the Eastern Canada section, but I'm not getting any responses:

I'm looking for input on doing this ride over 2 1/2 days with a ride partner. I've ridden the Niagara Recreational Trail in the past (Ft. Erie to Niagara-on-the Lake), but I had family available as support to get back to our hotel. To me, the best part of the ride is probably Chippawa to NOTL and part of the Welland Canal Trail, maybe Port Weller to above the Flight Locks. The Friendship section along Lake Erie looks a bit boring.

I've been to the area many times, but my friend has not. So I'm thinking that the section from the Falls to NOTL could basically take a day if we stop and catch some of the attractions (Hornblower boat ride, Journey Behind the Falls, the Whitewater Walk, and the Aerocar plus maybe a winery further downstream).

I'm thinking B&B's for accommodations at Chippawa, NOTL, and the Canalside Inn at Port Colborne. What do you think about this itinerary (I'm 4.5 hours away driving time):
Day 1: Drive to Chippawa, spend the remaining day and evening in the Niagara area doing touristy things.
Day 2: Ride Chippawa to Niagara-on-the-Lake, 20 miles, 30 km. Take in the sights and attractions along the way. Is Route 55 out of NOTL an okay road to ride?
Day 3: Ride NOTL to Port Colborne, 31 miles, 50 km. maybe hit a winery, check out the canal views.
Day 4: Port Colborne to Chippawa, 35 miles, 56 km. Just ride it as there doesn't seem like there's much to see / do, and head for home in the afternoon.

I'm considering Mid-May for the ride but I've checked the historic weather for the area and it could be really pleasant (72F, 22C) or it could be (55 F, 13C). So I don't know about that. Mid summer can be really humid on the Niagara peninsula. I guess if we take the right clothes, we'd be okay if it were cool.

Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions? All would be appreciated! Thanks.

A few years ago I cycled a loop from the falls to a road that cuts over to Welland, up the Welland Canal, over to Niagara on the Lake and back to the falls. Really nice day trip. I'd do it again if in the area. A 2-3 days would be just about the right amount of time to spend in the area.

These photos were taken on my wife’s and my loop of Southern Ontario during the summer of 2019. We started the tour after visiting with my family just south of Detroit, Michigan; and ended up circumnavigating Lake St. Clair because there were not any nearby facilities to cross into Canada by bicycle except for a ferry at the north end of Lake St. Clair. We rode 154 miles to end up on the Canadian side of the Detroit River, within a mile of where we started the ride.

Our route took us around Lake St. Clair, south along the Detroit River to Lake Erie, along Lake Erie’s northern shore to Niagara Falls, north along the shore of Lake Ontario to Toronto, north to Owen Sound on the Georgian Bay, southwest along Lake Huron’s eastern shore back to the ferry at Walpole, Ontario, and finishing at my brother’s place south of Detroit. I don't thnk you can go too far wrong anywhere in Southern Ontario.

It was a great tour. It included urban, quiet country roads, bike paths, and even a little single track. All the Great Lakes were at historically high levels, causing flooding and a few minor detours. The high water also made made Niagara Falls even more spectacular. We especially enjoyed the section along Lake Huron.

Check this site out. The "Cycling in Ontario" publication might be a good resource: Cycling in Ontario .

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6d7275e4_b.jpg

The view from the top of Skylon tower is worth the small cost and time spent. This is American Falls seen from the tower.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...03040828_b.jpg


https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2466611e_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...34cab262_b.jpg

Awesome photos! Thanks for the encouragement.

in Aug 2014 my wife and I were in a week long supported tour in the region. I tried finding my paperwork from it but had no luck. Here at least is a newspaper blurb about it and it mentions the route a bit, I'm not familiar with the area, so I dont recall the details too much (this is what happens on a supported tour when you are shepherded...)

https://www.thestar.com/life/travel/...n_niagara.html

what I do recall is the the welland canal bits were nice enough, we rode through lots of farm country, tobacco and wine, which is always nice going through farm areas. The riding along the river to the Niagara Falls was pretty neat, and of course, seeing the Falls is a special thing to see. I had last been to Niagara Falls back in the early 70s probably, but it was really cool seeing them again, and arriving by bike along the river is neat.

I know we started this supported tour in Hamilton, and worked our way inland to somewhere along the canal, then over to the niagara river and followed it downstream to the Falls, then along to NOTL and then meandered back to Hamilton, partly along the lake and inland a bit I guess....

all in all, pretty area to bike in.
re weather and temps--I am in Montreal, so a long way away and not familiar with southern Ontario temps , but certainly here in mid May its a real crap shoot and could be miserable and rainy...but that area is a lot more south than we are.
And of course, one year can be diff from another, so its probably best to follow weather closely in the month before and see how its trending. So much good forecasting and info out there now for this.
good luck planning it

Did some research on this area this morning. Looks like a nice ride.

Ran across some links that may be helpful:
https://www.niagararegion.ca/governm...cr-map-web.pdf
https://www.ontariobybike.ca/ontario...dly-businesses

Netted out with creating this route..it's similar to others on RWGPS(mostly dedicated bike trails), but uses Church Road on the north end to Virgil and then picks up a bike trail to NOTL. 90 miles round trip, from Buffalo. We might try to get it in this summer..thx for highlighting the area.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31926722

Well, based on the what the world currently is, I'd say my mid-May idea is off the list. Our work schedules are such that mid-summer is unlikely, but mid-September has possibilities.

Here are a couple of videos of parts of the Greater Niagara Circle Route:

https://vimeo.com/117364978 by Niagara Cycling Tourism Centre

Niagara Parkway section of the Route

Early autumn (September and October) can be an awesome time to tour in that region. Daytime temperatures can be crisp and it rains more often, but it's my favourite season to be on a bicycle.

It seems unlikely the pandemic will be over by this September. And if it isn't, stay safe so you can postpone your trip until 2021!

You're probably right about the pandemic...watching some of the videos helps to alleviate a bit of the cabin fever for me. As part of my routine in the morning, I take a peek at the webcam views of the falls https://www.earthcam.com/canada/niag...=niagarafalls2 and https://www.niagarafallslive.com/ . I've been there many times over the years but it never gets old seeing it.

The first time I planned to ride the length of the Niagara River was in the mid 1970's. My dad took the family on vacation there (it was a yearly visit from the mid-60's to the late '70's) the summer after I bought my first bike (I still have it). My dad started having some chest discomfort which resulted in a visit to the Greater Niagara General Hospital and that blew my timing for ride. Thankfully, it turned out to be a muscle strain from diving into the swimming hole at Dufferin Islands. Things just never worked out after that summer to make the ride happen until a few years ago when I took my family and we rode part of the Niagara Parkway Trail. At the time, my daughter was about the age I was when I first wanted to do it.