I intend on biking all ten routes this year, and decided to
start with the 25 km Markham Town and Trail.
Start your ride amidst the exotic sights, sounds and aromas of Pacific Mall, the largest Chinese indoor mall in North America. Nearby is the gorgeous and quaint village of Unionville. At the eastern end of the loop is the Milne Dam Conservation Park. The water dam and mill attracted mass settlement creating the Village (now City) of Markham. This stretch of lush parkland along the Rouge River Valley offers great migratory bird watching. Or if BMX or MTB riding excites you, take a short detour to Joyride 150, Canada's first indoor bike park.Ride Rating: Recreational cyclist – mix of trails and quiet streets with mixed traffic on a few busier streets
(Family/leisure option – ride the Rouge Valley Trail from Main Street Unionville (Victoria Street) to Milne Dam Conservation Area)
- Surface: unpaved trail (limestone screenings), paved trail, road
- Possible Starting Points:
- Milliken Mills Community Centre and Park – overnight parking and access to water and washrooms
- Unionville GO Station – overnight parking
- Markham GO Station – overnight parking
- Toogood Pond - parking
- Detailed maps: RidewithGPS (with Points of Interest)
- Highlights:
- Here's the full route captured by my GoPro camera
- Here are some more highlights.
- Birchmount, crossing under Hwy 407
Approaching Markham Centre, Birchmount at Entreprise Dr
Markham PanAm Centre (site of badminton, table tennis, water polo)
Main Street Unionville
Rouge Valley Trail
New trail crossing at McCowan to Milne Dam Conservation Park
Milne Dam Conservation Area
Main Street Markham
Carlton St
Toogood Pond
Village Parkway
Pacific Mall
It was a pleasant ride with a good variety to see along trail and streets. Could use some better wayfinding along the trail sections. I need to go back and spend more time along those Main Streets to sample some culinary treats!
