August 15, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Biking
Prince George is full of beautiful parks and the heritage river trail system takes in a variety of them. This trail is ideal for walking, jogging and biking. A friend and I started out on the trail mid-morning and spent until the mid afternoon happily meandering our way around the loop on our bikes. We stopped along the side of the Hudson Bay Slough and fed the ducks, paused in Fort George Park to skip rocks on the Fraser River and greatly enjoyed the meandering pathway along the Nechako River in Cottonwood Island Park. If you're looking for a gentle scenic bike route this a must do.
July 30, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Biking
I've recently started cycling to get some exercise while taking advantage of the great weather lately, and I think I've got the best route in the province!
I've been heading north on Ospika Boulevard in Prince George and I follow it until it turns into Otway Rd. Otway is a beautiful, softly rolling road that follows the Nechako River. I generally turn around after reaching the Otway Cross Country Ski/Biking trails (this is about a 13km total loop from the north end of Ospika), but exploring the huge Otway ski/bike trail system would be great too if you're up for it! This route is packed with great smells (aah, nature) and sights. A huge osprey nest looms high atop a power pole about 1/4 of the way to the Otway trails, and the osprey that inhabit it are often found circling the sky and calling to eachother nearby. The other morning, I saw 2 black bear and 2 deer cross the road a short distance in front of me, and a bright orange fox sitting in the grass not far from the road caught my eye on a previous day's ride.
If you're looking to enjoy a ride or walk away from the hustle and bustle of Prince George, Otway Rd is a great route to explore!
June 20, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Biking
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It was a hot sunny Sunday afternoon in Prince George BC. I woke up wondering how I should occupy my time on this beautiful day. Me and my girlfriend brainstormed for a few minutes and finally decided on Heritage River Trails. We are both avid bike riders and this would be and excellent way to get some exercise and enjoy some scenery. The 11 km trail which starts almost in my backyard is one of the most scenic trails I have ever been on.
We started our adventure just off of Queensway avenue and already we were enjoying a secluded bike ride. The greeness of the trees and the ducks in the slough made this part of our adventure well worth it already.
Once we passed through Hudson Bay slough we skipped across Queensway (being very careful of course because it is a busy street) and we were on on way through another secluded trail. This trail took us into beautiful Fort George Park. Living in Prince George I was familar with this park because it was the main park in town. Going on this day gave me a new perspective on how lucky we really are to live here.
As soon as we crossed the bridge we saw two beavers and more ducks. We stopped had a water break and admired the mighty Fraser River and then we were off. Through Fort George down and around we came to another amazingly scenic view. Cotton Wood Island Park. I have been to this park before but today it had a different effect on me. I could appreciate its value as my gratitude for my community grew stronger.
We stopped again for a water break and lunch. As we chatted about the view I looked up and quickly realized we weren't alone. Two Bald Eagles soared high above us. I wondered for a moment if the view up there was as spectacular as the view down here. I finished my water and sandwich and off we went again. We zipped through the well maintained trail smiling and waving to people as we passed them by. The people in Prince George are among the friendlest I have come across in my journeys.
We enjoyed the scenery as we pedaled our past the bridges that had been knocked down by the flood a couple years earlier. That flood was bad but our community was strong and we have bounced back. There are still reminders of the danger of the river in this section of the trail.
Our next stop was our last stop at the very end of the river trail. We enjoyed the view one last time and watched traffic go by on the cameron street bridge. I remembered how things can change. I had been on the old cameron street bridge and now I was able to enjoy the new one.
As the traffic whizzed by I was once again reminded of how lucky I am to live in Prince George. It is a hustling bustling city but it is very easy to get away and take a stroll through nature.
I would suggest this trail to anyone who is passing through or who lives here. It is a great way to enjoy some scenery for the first time or remind yourself of the scenery that we who live here sometimes take for granted.