19 November, 2025

Kathryn’s Trans Canada Trail: Exploring Northumberland County, Ontario

woman smiling and posing in athletic gear on a trail

Written by Kathryn Dickson

Sometimes, when life feels too loud, I run to nature. Not in a marathon kind of way, more like a deep breath kind of way. It’s where I can actually hear myself think, where the noise fades and the world feels a little more grounded. You see, I might live in a very big city, but I didn’t grow up in one, and I don’t feel grounded in the downtown core.

Back in Hastings County, where I was raised, and neighbouring Northumberland County where we explored, the trails and the woods where I grew up cross-country skiing, biking and hiking are what’s familiar and friendly.

suspension bridge birdseye view over water and forest

Photo credit: Northumberland Tourism

An artery of connection

The Trans Canada Trail stretches through Hastings and Northumberland Counties like an artery of connection. The Northumberland Rail Trail links the Trent-Severn Waterway to small towns like Hastings and Campbellford to Tweed and Havelock on the Hastings County Trail, providing space for outdoor enthusiasts and people who just need a moment outside. There’s something familiar and comforting about walking or cycling that trail, feeling the hum of the trees around me without needing to say a word.

The Trans Canada Trail isn’t just a trail. It’s a reset button that so many of us rely on. And the part of the trail stretching into Northumberland County has become my escape. Whenever I need to clear my head, I find my way back here. This area reminds me why I love this part of Ontario. There’s the open air, the small-town energy, the river and the way life slows down when you step away from a screen. It’s where I go to reconnect, paddle, breathe and explore, where the Wi-Fi is still kind of weak, one kilometre at a time.

suspension bridge on sunny day with fall colours in background

Photo credit: Kathryn Dickson

Northumberland Rail Trail near Campbellford

In this area, if there were a section of the Trans Canada Trail that my family returns to most often and that I know best, it would be part of the Northumberland Rail Trail. It’s the section in Campbellford, Ontario, that stretches over the Trent River, where you hike across the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge into Ferris Provincial Park.

My family moved to the Frankford area, on the Trent-Severn Waterway, from Belleville more than 20 years ago. Once they did, I started venturing east and north from there in my explorations, and we began to find more and more things to do in and around Campbellford. We found the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge, and it became one of our favourite places to visit in every season. It’s open year-round. We bring visitors to the area to marvel at it and impress them with the views and the construction.

waterway with white water on sunny day

Photo credit: Kathryn Dickson

An engineering feat – and a total showstopper

The Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge is one of those spots that manages to be both an engineering feat and a total showstopper. It was built by engineers from 8 Wing CFB Trenton as a training project, starting in 2002, and it opened to the public in 2004. The goal was simple: to give Ferris Provincial Park a boost. To say they nailed it is an understatement. Stretching 300 feet across the Ranney Gorge and suspended about 30 feet above the Trent River, this steel beauty weighs in at around 55,000 pounds and can hold up to 75,000. So yes, it’s sturdy enough for me, you, our friends and everyone stopping to take that “look down between the grates” photo.

At the west entrance, there is interpretive signage that tells the story of how the bridge came to be. When you cross the bridge, if you dare, look down through the open metalwork to the Trent River below. It’s a trip! Take a look up north toward Ranney Falls.

When you get into Ferris Provincial Park, the Trans Canada Trail keeps going around the woodland area and takes you towards Hoard’s Station to the Hastings County border.

We’ve made morning and afternoon trips in all seasons to Campbellford for a myriad of reasons, like picking up baked goods from Dooher’s, eating lunch at one of the restaurants and visiting Church Key Brewery, but every single time, I have to go and walk across the bridge on this section of the Trans Canada Trail.

woman and child posing on a bridge with white water and trees behind

Photo credit: Kathryn Dickson

A connection between people, places and moments

The Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge is one of those places that reminds me why the Trans Canada Trail is so special. It’s not just a connection between two sides of a gorge, it’s a connection between people, places, and the moments that make you stop and take it all in. It’s where the Trans Canada Trail reminds me that adventure doesn’t have to be far from home to feel extraordinary.

woman posing happily on a trail

Photo credit: Kathryn Dickson

Kathryn was brought up in Belleville and is now an expert traveller who inspires adventures for all. Kathryn works in television by day and explores every opportunity she gets. She’s often found on trails, in the mud or on the water, taking in every experience nature can offer and encouraging others to get outside, too. She is a co-founder of the Toronto Blogger Collective and is an award-winning travel writer.