Cafe Gems & Gravel Rides in Hastings County

Farm Girl Cafe – Stirling

Located in Stirling about 20km north of Belleville, Farm Girl Cafe embodies this affinity for local, fresh cuisine, focusing on ingredients that are locally sourced, sustainable and that support the local community. Their beautiful green storefront is on Mill Street in downtown Stirling, a town with Victorian-era architecture, a covered bridge, public gardens, the Stirling Festival Theatre and a rich community life with annual fairs and markets.

The cafe serves coffee and other hot and cold drinks, from classic cappuccinos to elderberry hibiscus lemonade. From the bakery, everything from muffins, cookies, cinnamon buns and more are served straight out of the oven. For lunch, they have home-made paninis, soups, and salads, all with fresh and local veggies, cheeses and meats.

Stirling Area Cycling Routes

Lay of the Land – 66km – The Lay of the Land route starts and ends at historic Station Park in Stirling, which connects the village to the Trans Canada Trail. The full version (66km) is 60% unpaved and rewards ambitious riders with a scenic section along the Trent River and a loop around Oak Lake, while the light version (50km) offers a shorter but equally beautiful experience.

Cow Country – 117km – This epic gravel ride will take you west on a big loop to the beautiful Northumberland County towns of Campbellford and Warkworth, while exploring the small farming communities in western Hastings County. No surprise – expect to see lots of cows!

Cube Coffee Bar – Tweed

Located right on Tweed’s bustling main street, Cube Coffee Bar has a crisp, minimalist interior and offers possibly the widest range of food and beverages on our list. After a visit to the cafe, don’t miss a swim and the views overlooking Stoco Lake at Tweed Memorial Park, in this friendly town, gateway to Hastings County’s cottage country and ‘land of lakes’.

At the cafe, discover their extensive menu including coffee, sandwiches, salads, beer, wine, cocktails and weekly dinner specials, including Sunday dinners with guest chefs and different international themes each week. The cafe celebrates fresh, seasonal ingredients and local producers, including coffee direct from a roastery in Prince Edward County, daily-made pastries, and a range of vegan and vegetarian options like their vegan banana bread.

Tweed Area Cycling Routes

Have a Nice Day Ride – 43km – Have a nice day skirting around Stoco Lake on gravel and paved roads, criss-crossing the Moira River down to Vanderwater Conservation Area. Loop through the wooded trails before heading back up to Tweed for a post-ride treat.

Boonie Boon – 64km – This a challenging gravel route that’s over 90% unpaved. It’s a remote and scenic loop through the Canadian Shield – outside of Tweed there are no locations to restock, so make sure you’re ready with snacks, water, and battery backups for your devices. Definitely make a stop at award-winning Pottery Settlement Wines enroute, a winery and vineyard built right into the Shied.

Wattle & Daub Cafe – Bancroft

Wattle & Daub Cafe has a perfect picturesque setting in Riverside Park along the York River in Bancroft, a small town surrounded by the rugged hills of northern Hastings County. The cafe is located in a sustainably built straw bale cottage with a large outdoor patio space overlooking the park, where they also have a wood-fired pizza oven they operate on Fridays. Wattle & Daub is a not-for-profit cafe and project of local charity Bancroft Community Transit.

The cafe menu has a wide range of tasty food options like homemade soups, baked goods, sweet treats and delicious sandwiches – chicken pesto, sundried tomato and goat cheese, and ham and swiss with maple butter to name a couple. Hot and cold drinks are also on offer including coffee, tea and even slushies (a great idea after a long ride). Mouth-watering home baked goods are made fresh daily with their butter tarts, lemon tarts, cinnamon buns and donuts being some of the most-loved items.

Bancroft Area Cycling Routes

Funky Monck Out-And-Back – 40km – Head out of Bancroft down winding Monck Road, surrounded by gorgeous rolling hills and forests, with a surprising amount of elevation, and stop for a swim in Paudash Lake at North Bay Beach. Then follow the same road back and experience it from the opposite direction.

Dependable Detlor – 44km – A well-loved loop for local riders, this challenging 44km route for adventurers offers serious elevation gain with glimpses of the Canadian Shield and passes L’Amable Lake and Bay Lake. While you’ll leave Bancroft by way of the Hastings Heritage Trail, the majority of this route is completely paved, making it road bike friendly if you opt out of the trail.

Sun Run Cafe and Bakery – Maynooth

Sun Run is a made-from-scratch cafe and bakery specializing in pastries and sandwiches, located in a cute orange and yellow building on Maynooth’s main street, a small village near the south gate of Algonquin Park. The village is known as the quieter access point to Ontario’s flagship provincial park and also for its beautiful lakes, extensive trails, as well as quirky and unique shops and galleries.

The cafe’s menu is extensive, with a massive menu of homemade baked goods – cranberry coffee cake, maple pecan sticky buns, and blueberry pop tarts are some standout items, as well as a variety of gluten free and vegan options. They are famous for their breakfast sandwiches with chorizo, egg, blue cheese, chipotle mayo on a bun. Or try their noodle salad with rice noodles and daikon radish.

Maynooth Area Cycling Routes

Diamond Lake Loop – 29km – This is quite the punchy, relatively short gravel loop with almost 500m of climbing, starting and ending at Diamond Lake Beach, 30km from Maynooth, smack-dab in Hastings Highlands. With hills come rewards – expect stunning views overlooking Baptiste Lake and other smaller lakes in the region. Go for a swim in pristine Diamond Lake when you return.

Graphite Gravel – 30km – This northern gravel route starts and ends in Maynooth and takes riders on a section of the rugged Hastings Heritage trail, which can be very rough and sandy. Proceed with caution.

Hidden Goldmine Bakery – Madoc

Hidden Goldmine is a family-run bakery with real small-town charm and ambiance located in the heart of Madoc on its main street, 40km north of Belleville. Their name celebrates Madoc’s and nearby Eldorado’s gold mining history as the site of Ontario’s first ‘gold rush’ in 1866.

The bakery offers scratch-made treats like butter tarts (raisin, pecan, coconut raspberry and more), fruit pies, cookies, squares, cinnamon knots, buttermilk biscuits and their signature golden fudge nuggets. They also serve savory fare – paninis, farm-fresh frittatas, soups and salads – plus rotating cafe menu and seasonal ice cream delights at their Miners Malt Shoppe located just behind the bakery.

Madoc Area Cycling Routes

Riverside Rouleur – 62km – After an early big hill, the 85% unpaved route criss-crosses the Black River, following the river a ways before circling back to Moira Lake, just south of Madoc. From there, riders pick up the Trail of Two Lakes, bringing you back into Madoc.

Rolling Hills and River Roads – 89km – While this route starts in Tweed, it can easily start and end in Madoc using Seymour Street West and Old Marmora Road to connect to the route. This is a quiet and remote ride, with 80% on dirt and gravel roads. It’s a longer, more challenging gravel route with beautiful Canadian Shield views. Prepare for limited services and pack extra food, water and backup battery packs for devices. Be extra cautious on the 3km of the route that follow Highway 62.

The Edge Cafe – Coe Hill (Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday)

The Edge Cafe is a beloved hub in Coe Hill, a community located near Wollaston Lake in northwest Hastings County, a tight-knit former mining and logging hamlet that now charms with its natural beauty and cottage country atmosphere.

Plan Your Ride and Visit to Hastings County

With so many the unique cafes and bakeries, Hastings County is truly a place where homemade food, beverages and locally-sourced ingredients can be enjoyed. Now that you have some inspiring gravel and adventure routes to pair with these cafe stops, plan a visit and bike ride in Hastings County!

Additional Information

• Hastings County – Ride with GPS Cycling Route Collection – Find routes created by local cyclists
• Hastings.Bike – A dedicated website showcasing the gravel, adventure and bikepacking cycling routes in Hastings County
• Hastings County – Adventures – Find more adventures and things to do in Hastings, on or off the bike
• Hastings County – Where to Stay – Find local accommodations around the county, from bed & breakfasts to cozy cottages
• Hastings County – Where to Eat – Find the best places to eat around Hastings County
• Ontario By Bike – Great Places to Cycle – Hastings County – Find certified bicycle friendly businesses and more route and ride ideas

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Sponsored Content Partner: Hastings County

Article by Ontario By Bike. Photo Credits: 1 (Regional Tourism Organization 11), Photo 2 and 10 (Laura Voskamp), 3-9 (Hastings County)