The L&A Forest Trails in Flinton have certainly experienced their fair share of bad luck over the years.

After a great summer of trail building in 2019, completed by dedicated volunteers, the official late-September grand opening was a rainy one to say the least. With downpours aplenty, the conditions were far from ideal for those in attendance. It was an ominous start to Lennox & Addington’s newest tourism product.

Oh well, 2020 will be the year when we can really start spreading the word about our exciting new trail system. Am I right? Well, not quite. As everyone knows, the world changed in the blink of an eye and promoting our new system just wasn’t in the cards. And it was more of the same for 2021.

Then came 2022 and things were finally looking up. At long last, we could begin marketing our wonderful system of trails to cycling consumers. That is, until a high-impact derecho event swept through Ontario on the May long-weekend and left carnage in its wake, destroying about 30 acres of our 120 acre forest system. The trails were immediately closed and a slow cleanup process began.

Fast forward to 2023 and the ill fortune of the trails may finally be in the rear view mirror. We were fortunate to receive a grant to help us rebuild the trails that were completely destroyed by the storm and refresh the remainder that were mostly unused over the past 3 years.

Contracting trail building expert Hap Wilson from Eco-Trailbuilders has really helped to expedite the process. Hap and his team have completely refreshed the trails that were left largely dormant over the pas few years. They’ve also added some new built-structures and created a few new twists & turns that we know the riding community will enjoy.

Currently, our Pines Loop, Southern Dip, Dipsy Doodle and Enchantment trails are in the best shape they’ve ever been in and are now open for riding. They include a nice mix of logging roads and single-track trails designed with bermed curves, built structures and elevations that incorporate the natural terrain of the forest.

The trails found inside the Pines Loop are still a work in progress. They were the most impacted by the derecho event and still need quite a bit of work. Hap’s team will be working on them over the summer with the goal of having them ready to ride again in September.

In the meantime, riders are encouraged to make the trip to Flinton to enjoy what’s been completed so far. The open trails are in amazing shape and are ready for you to explore.

Find out more about the L&A Forest Trails.