The Butter Tart Express

The Butter Tart Express is a multi-day jaunt designed to guide bikepackers through the varied landscapes and communities of Southwestern Ontario. All the while offering plenty of services along the route. The route makes use of a combination of lusciously smooth gravel roads, fast rail trail, bounding two-track, forest singletrack, rugged unmaintained roads and just a whisper of tarmac to expose participants to all the greatest hits of the region. Hockey sticks are optional, but the butter tarts are not.

From Mennonite country to escarpment country, along the way you’ll spot tempting beaches, verdant valleys, barns old and new, deep forests, sleepy communities, expansive fields of corn and wheat, a range of wildlife, castle remnants (yes, seriously), and a few Canadian flags.

The route has its fair share of champagne gravel through idyllic countryside, but riders should come prepared for a good dose of rougher sections, steep climbs, and tricky descents. That is some good Canadian hospitality. Ontario may not have towering mountains, but this is counterbalanced by plenty of inclines with angry grades. Some of the more testy sections might involve a few minutes of hike-a-bike that, fingers-crossed, are not accompanied by an army of bugs. Those with mountain biking experience will likely find the route more manageable, particularly on the singletrack sections. Nevertheless, if you are adequately prepared, in decent physical condition, and come with a can-do attitude you will enjoy the route even if you’re not a bikepacking veteran. The route is blessed with several residents willing and eager to help out passersby with a place to rest and a cold drink to grab hold of.

As for the route name, it pays homage to the mighty butter tart – the quintessentially Ontario sweet treat that has what it takes to fuel any big day in the saddle. There is great debate about which bakery or general store serves up the best butter tart or what should or should not be included (pecans, yes or no? Maybe raisins?).

Come find out why Ontario is one of the best-kept bikepacking secrets.

Segments at a Glance

1. St. Jacob’s to Southampton (120 miles): The route commences in the village of St. Jacob’s, the heart of Ontario’s Mennonite country, and travels through rural areas featuring open farmland, big skies, and close-tied communities towards the sunny shores of Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes. Along the way, the terrain comprises of predominantly good quality gravel roads with a couple of sections of singletrack and rail trail of variable roughness to spice things up. This is classic gravel grinding. This is the flattest and least arduous section of the route, allowing riders to cover mileage more quickly. However, a dreaded headwind can slow your progress on this section.

2. Southampton to Thornbury (125 miles): Leaving the lakeside town of Southampton, it’s here where your undulating riding begins as you pass through Saugeen First Nations territory. Moving east it’s a combination of smooth and bumpy gravel roads, disorderly non-serviced roads, and forest trail as you ride through the little visited and nature-cloaked Georgian Bluffs and then onto the hilly Bayview Escarpment with its widescreen views. You’ll pass through the well-serviced city of Owen Sound before a visit to the thundering Inglis Falls. A well-maintained community trail takes you between the town of Meaford and the terminus of the segment Thornbury.

3. Thornbury to Mono Mills (142 miles): Time to get swallowed into the belly of the Butter Tart Express. A beast of a climb takes you out of Thornbury where riders will then strike through the fetching Beaver Valley making use of an abundance of gravel and dirt roads and some rougher ‘no exit’ paths. One of the routes most white-knuckled downhills brings riders into the charming village of Kimberly where praise-worthy butter tarts await at the iconic Kimberly General Store. From here, the Lower Valley road is a joy to ride, and don’t miss the opportunity to visit the photogenic Hogg’s Falls. The route then strikes back north following the path of the Escarpment- there are dirt roads everywhere in this region but some riders will emerge weary from the abundance of punchy climbs. A true highlight is the exhilarating trail riding through the verdant Kolapore Uplands. Here, you are essentially following the Niagara Escarpment, a colossal stretch of weathered ancient rock that is a preserve of natural biodiversity. A topographical feature that dominates the skyline. Now we head back south for arguably the most physically demanding section of the route that involves plenty of tough climbs on rougher (albeit beautiful) little used unmaintained roads and forest track. The unpaved bounty of Grey County and Dufferin County is on full display here. Forest riding abounds as you navigate four provincial parks, with the glide through Mono Provincial Park being one of the prettiest sections of the trip.

4. Mono Mills to St. Jacob’s (83 miles): For the most part, the final section of the Butter Tart Express oscillates between singletrack, rail trail, and gravel roads. The riding is not as demanding as the previous segment. From the crossroads town of Mono Mills, the route enters the longest section of singletrack through the Glen Haffy Conservation area and Oak Ridges moraine. These are generally not technical sections and the flow is generally on a downward slope but can slow down the riding pace and be a bit tricky to navigate. Areas can be overgrown in the weed season, so caution is needed and a ride through the area should be followed by a tick check. What follows is some additional flowy singletrack fun in Palgrave Forest and Albion Hills Conservation Area. Riders are then awarded for their efforts with a long glide on the well-maintained, and flat, Elora Cataract Trail which heads west and towards the finish line. But just when you thought the fun was over a final challenge awaits in the form of some heart-pumping vertical and tricky terrain on the Bruce Trail into Forks of the Credit Provincial Park. A long additional stretch of flat, smooth rail trail brings riders across the imposing Belwood dam and into touristy Elora, home of the mighty Elora gorge. Along the way, a butter tart from the Belwood Country Market comes highly recommended. From here, it’s a mix of pavement and gravel for the return to St. Jacob’s, a heavenly welcome at the end of a butter tart pilgrimage.

• Paved: 15%
• Smooth Gravel: 35%
• Rough Gravel: 25%
• 4×4 Road: 15%
• Singletrack: 10%

Trip Start

The designated start and end point of the Butter Tart Express is in the village of St. Jacob’s. But the route can be commenced and finished at any point along the loop that best suits a rider.

Parking

Free multi-day parking is available in the village of St. Jacob’s where the route begins. But you’ll need to obtain a permit. To obtain this, contact the route steward using the contact details in the parking POI in St. Jacob’s provided on the route file. It might be possible to arrange parking at other locations along the route.

GETTING TO THE ROUTE
St. Jacob’s is not easily accessed by public transportation. Overall, riders will have to drive or ride to St. Jacob’s. The closest international Airport is Toronto. It is possible to take bicycles on the GO Transit (https://www.gotransit.com/en/see-schedules) train between Toronto and Kitchener, and then cycle to St. Jacob’s from there, which just adds about 15km (10 miles) to the route.

Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) members can take advantage of their Bike Assist Program: https://www.caasco.com/Auto/Roadside-Services/CAA-Bike-Assist.aspx. If you are in need such as times when facing an unfixable mechanical, this service will shuttle you and your bike a certain distance for free.

Driverseat, which services a few communities along the route, has minivans that should be able to accommodate cyclists. https://driverseatinc.com/locations/

Route Direction
The route is designed to run in a clockwise direction towards Lake Huron to allow for a couple of days of flatter riding and conditioning before the more rowdy terrain begins. But there is nothing stopping riders from completing the loop in the opposite direction.

When to Ride
The route can be enjoyed from May to October, with late June offering endlessly long days of sunlight. Expect the hottest riding conditions to occur in July and August. Bug season (mosquitos, black flies, and deer flies are the triple threat) normally kicks off in mid-May and will generally subside by late July, so bring along repellent and ride fast when needed. Riding in early October can bring a riot of colors (and no bugs!) but with the promise of encountering more variable weather conditions and diminished daylight.

Food Services
Despite feeling somewhat remote at times, for the most part there are frequent resupply opportunities available along the route in the form of larger supermarkets, general stores, cafes, and bakeries. The Butter Tart Express is not a bikepacking trip where you need to carry multiple days worth of food and water. Numerous resupply options are marked on the map file, though they sometimes require a short detour off the course.

Water
Some riders will find it helpful to bring along a water filter to take advantage of the abundance of natural sources like streams that populate the route. As a rule of thumb, water that is not sourced from municipal water supplies should be filtered.

Accommodation
The Butter Tart Express has been designed so that there are accommodation options at frequent intervals along the entire route. These include paid campgrounds (parks and private), crown land camping (the Canadian equivalent of American BLM land), B&B’s, motels, and 5 star opulence if that’s how you roll. There are also several route hosts as well as Warmshowers hosts located on or near the route. During busy times such as holiday weekends, it is advisable to book ahead. The route file lists numerous accommodation options.

Technicality
Owing to the rougher roads, quantity of singletrack, and copious testy inclines, the route is fairly demanding. But not so demanding it requires elite fitness, expert bike handling skills, and hours of route planning. Of course, weather is the wild card as soggy conditions can turn backroads into swamps and heat waves (yes, Canada gets these) turning easier sections into more tiring pursuits. There is also the possibility of facing the dreaded fresh gravel.

Alternative Routing
The route file is marked in several areas with a Control Point of Interest which provides the option for a routing alternative. This can be helpful for riders who wish to take a shorter route in a particular area or to avoid the singletrack sections.
The singletrack sections are marked in blue on the route file so you are aware of where they are located and their length. In general, the trails that are used are nice and flowy without numerous technical obstacles.

What Bike?
Certainly, personal preference can dictate what ride you bring. But the task at hand can help guide your decision. There are plenty of rugged off-pavement sections in which certain bike set-ups are better suited to handle. A good argument can made that the terrain warrants a hard-tail mountain bike with tires in the 2.0”-2.4” range. Certainly, the route can be tackled on a drop-bar gravel-style bike, but ideally, it would be outfitted 29-inch or 650b wheels and fatter rubber. A mountain/gravel hybrid like a Salsa Cutthroat would be an excellent choice for this route. The route has been completed by riders using bikes with 700×32-38 wheels/tires but most people will find several sections of the route very challenging with this set-up and will feel more beat up with this wheel size and tire width, especially if carrying gear. At the very least, 700 wheels should be outfitted with a tire width of 42 or larger and should have some tread (i.e. no slicks). Skinnier tires are not faster and certainly not more comfortable on this route.

It’s recommended to use gearing that is capable of riding up steep, rough inclines. A traditional gravel road crankset (too big on the front and too small on the back) may not be ideal especially if you are carrying gear and a six-pack of butter tarts. Lower gearing like a 32 front chain ring and/or an 11-42 cassette (or larger) will give you more ability to spin up the climbs. You really can’t have easy enough gearing for this route.

A bell can be useful for popular trails, such as the Elora Cataract Trail, where you will be approaching walkers from behind.

• This route is also known as the BT 700, the 700 referring to the approximate distance in kilometers. For more information, refer to the route webpage at: www.bt700.ca
  • Due to the size of the route file with all of the POIs, Matt has provided some broken up files which can be better managed by a bike computer. Find more details here: Route Files – BT 700 BIKEPACKING
  • Also, there is a Grand Depart on this route every year if you want to enjoy it with a larger group. Details can be found here: BT 700 Grand Depart – BT 700 BIKEPACKING
• Here are a few trip reports from the route.
  • https://bikepacking.com/plog/mere-mortals-bt700/
  • ‘https://bikepacking.com/news/2019-bt-700-event-recap/
    
  • https://bikepacking.com/news/2020-bt-700-event-recap/

This route was created and is stewarded by Matthew Kadey, from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Matthew has decades of experience cycle touring and bikepacking around the globe, including Myanmar, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, and Portugal. As an adventure cyclist and bikepacking route developer, Matt has created several routes in Ontario as well as routes in Costa Rica and Colombia. He is also the founder of the Great Northern Bikepacking Route, a 9,000+ mile pedal from the West Coast to East Coast of Canada. He has also published The Bikepacker’s Cookbook: http://www.bt700.ca/bikepacking-cookbook.html

Matt has offered to be available to answer questions if you are planning a trip on this route. Please also get in touch with any updates on route conditions that may be relevant to other riders.

Please submit your questions and comments on the route via the contact form below.

This route traverses the traditional lands of the Mississauga, Attiwonderonk, Odawa, and Petun.