Looking for a weekend bike tour complete with beautiful paved rural roads, historic towns and inns, and opportunities to enjoy the bounty of local farmland? The Oxford Cheese Trail By Bike should top your list.
Located in the heart of southwestern Ontario between Kitchener and London, Oxford County has a rich agricultural heritage and is known as Canada’s Dairy Capital, producing over 1 billion glasses of milk each year. You know what comes from great milk? Great cheese!
The Oxford County Cheese Trail is a collection of businesses and stops that showcase the incredible cheese made in the county, including eight artisanal cheese makers, attractions, restaurants and retailers with fun activities, tours, unique flavours and offerings all related to dairy and cheese.
New this year is the Oxford Cheese Trail By Bike, two cycling routes highlighting the Oxford County Cheese Trail. They include one longer cycling route (97km) and one shorter (33km), so you can choose to make your exploration of the Cheese Trail a day ride, or a weekend bike tour. Both routes are mapped alongside all of the Oxford County Cheese Trail stops, so you can explore all the Trail stops when planning your ride. Note that all routes on the Oxford County Ride with GPS Tourism Account allow for full navigation using a free Ride with GPS account and mobile app. See the interactive map below.
Oxford South – Cheese Trail By Bike – Weekend Bike Tour
If you’re looking for a two or three-day adventure exploring the Cheese Trail, the Oxford South – Cheese Trail By Bike route is your choice. This 97km paved road ride is easily split into two manageable days of riding (or three more leisurely days), with accommodations in major communities enroute.
You can easily start your ride in any of the major centres enroute – Woodstock, Ingersoll or Tillsonburg, but we’ll assume you’re starting from Woodstock, which we find works well for planning overnight accommodations based on ride distances. Plan to stay an extra night in Woodstock and request to leave your vehicle parked overnight there, or contact Tourism Oxford for more options. If starting from Ingersoll you can leave your car parked overnight at the municipal lot at 31 Charles Street East, Ingersoll.
This route visits three local cheese makers – Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese Ltd., New Galma Dairy and Red Dragon Dairy, the unique Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum, and tons of local markets and restaurants selling local cheese and dairy products.
Keep in mind that many businesses in Oxford County are closed on Sundays (including Gunn’s Hill, New Galma Dairy, and the Cheese Museum) so plan ahead if you’re visiting on the weekend. We highly recommend starting your weekend ride on a Friday or to take advantage of open attractions on Fridays and Saturdays.
Note that this is a predominantly paved road ride that is suitable for recreational cyclists comfortable sharing the road with traffic. Paved shoulders are well developed in the county, but note there are a number of county roads the route follows where speed limits are 80km per hour. Exercise caution and dress visibly when cycling.
Day 1 – Woodstock to Tillsonburg – 48km
Heading out of Woodstock, the city streets quickly turn to quiet, well paved country roads. South of the highway overpass, fly along Middletown Line enjoying the slight descent, sweeping vistas and surrounding farmland.
Your first Cheese Trail stop take you on a quick detour down Gunn’s Hill Road, to Wild Comfort Body Care for natural made body care. This rural shop smells amazing and is full of soaps and lotions to pamper yourself after a day of riding. Just down the road is Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese Ltd. Check their website for tours information or simply nosh and relax on their grounds with plenty of seating – and cheese. Continue south along Middletown Line, with convenience store items available in Burgesville, and consider making a detour to the Norwich and District Museum, or the quaint village of Otterville further south.
Once you reach Cornell Road at the 34km mark, you have the option of continuing further south and catching the 17km Oxford County Trans Canada Trail, taking this smooth rail trail all the way to Tillsonburg, or continuing on the pavement of Cornell Road.
At the 42km mark, plan a visit and break at Makkink’s Flower Farm & Bakery Café, a delightful flower farm with a range of experiences like cut-your-own-flowers, and a café featuring locally made cheeses, coffee and delicious homemade sandwiches. You can access the farm right from the Trans Canada Trail.
Once you reach town, take the Kinsmen Participark Trail into the heart of Tillsonburg, cycling along a picturesque river ravine. Once in town (48km mark), visit the Station Arts Centre, a cultural centre for the Town of Tillsonburg housed in two historic and refurbished train stations. Explore the art gallery, browse the Baggage Room Artisan Gift Shop with local hand-made items. On Saturday mornings the Centre also hosts the Tillsonburg Farmers’ Market, where you can get delicious produce and locally produced crafts and baked goods. Plan a visit to Cheese Trail shops downtown (cheese & artisan shops), and then plan have dinner at The Mill Inn & Eatery, a former Grist Mill built in 1878. For overnight accommodations, The Mill Inn is a great option, as is Seven Gables Tillsonburg Bed & Breakfast.
Day 2 –Tillsonburg to Ingersoll or Woodstock – 32 or 49km
Continuing on from Tillsonburg, whether it’s your second day or second leg of your ride, there are a number mouth-watering Cheese Trail stops to enjoy.
If you’re interested in detouring to some scenic gravel roads, there is the option to do that north of Tillsonburg, taking Cranberry Line north to the Tillsonburg Regional Airport (and Skyway Café – all day breakfast!) and west on Airport Road to Coyle’s Country Store, a craft and home goods store with a rich history, featuring many locally-made food products (roasted nuts and fudge), and continuing west of Airport Road to the paved Dereham Line. Next on the tour are two more local cheese makers – New Galma Dairy (open Friday and Saturdays) featuring award-winning Dutch specialty cheeses made on the farm, and Red Dragon Dairy, open every day of the week. Their speciality is sheep milk cheeses including Welsh, Spanish, Italian, Swiss, Greek varieties plus cream cheese, curds and yoghurt. They also offer Welsh baked goods, plus a range of imported British products. On a hot day relax on the porch with a 99 – a soft serve ice cream (local) with a Flake bar.
The town of Ingersoll is your next stop of the Oxford County Cheese Trail and the must-visit Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum. As you would expect, the museum details the rich history of dairy and cheese production in the county, and has some interested old barns with recreations of historic cheese production equipment. Another unique highlight of the museum are the exhibits and bicycle equipment on display of Ingersoll native Douglas Carr, a ground-breaking bicycle tourist who travelled by 3-speed bike for 2 years through Europe and to the tip of Africa. His canvas panniers and bags definitely put modern bicycle touring equipment in perspective.
You can ride from the museum, past the arts centre into Downtown Ingersoll via the Thomas Ingersoll scenic trail, a 2km journey through 4 parks. Once downtown you will find the Wine Cellar and Cheese Shop, Patinas (known for Canadian Pottery), café’s, diners and plenty of small-town shops.
If you’re interested in a shorter 32km cycling day, we highly recommend staying the night in Ingersoll at Elm Hurst Inn & Spa, a stunning Victorian mansion with 45 guest rooms, a fine dining restaurant (also a stop on the Cheese Trail), and a deluxe spa with massages and a sauna available. The restaurant (with a patio) is also open to the public if you want to book ahead and visit for brunch, lunch or dinner.
Day 2 continued or optional Day 3 – Return to Woodstock – 17km from Ingersoll
After exploring all that Ingersoll has to offer, follow Charles Street East as it leaves town, turning into Beachville Road, which follows the Thames River for much of the way back to Woodstock, rounding out your Cheese Trail by Bike adventure. While Beachville Road can be a little busier, it has some good stretches of paved shoulders and Share the Road signs. While not on the Cheese Trail, take a break at the beautiful grounds Beachville District Museum and learn some interesting facts and history of the area.
Roll back into Woodstock and enjoy this bustling and historic town’s main street, with more Cheese Trail options to choose from featuring local dairy and cheese – breweries, bakeries and even a chocolate and ice cream shop using local ingredients, Habitual Chocolate. For a downtown soup and sandwich check out Whisk and Roll Bakery, The Cheesy Cow, or to go from Your Farm Market. If staying the night for dinner visit one of two local breweries or reserve the chef’s table at sixthirtynine restaurant, an unpretentious but upscale establishment specializing in local farm-to-table cuisine with seasonal menus.
Whether over one, two or three days of cycling, the Oxford South – Oxford Cheese Trail By Bike is a weekend cycle touring route that you need to check out this year.
If you’re looking for a shorter introduction to the Cheese Trail By Bike, consider riding the 33km Ingersoll-Woodstock – Cheese Trail By Bike route, which follows the final leg of the Oxford South loop from Ingersoll to Woodstock or vice-versa, and looping back on Clark Road, where you will enjoy a pleasant countryside pedal passing picturesque farmsteads.
While you are coming for the wheels you find so much more to explore in Oxford County. Relax and recharge at two Nordic Spas or slow down with an immersive cultural or culinary experience. Wander through galleries, unique museums and Canada’s largest antique mall. There is so much to explore in this rich agricultural and cultural hub in southwestern Ontario. Come explore the Oxford Cheese Trail By Bike!
For more information on planning your Oxford Cheese Trail by Bike adventure, visit:
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Sponsored Content Partner: Tourism Oxford County
Article by Ontario By Bike. Photo Credits: Dudek Photography (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8) and Trish Eileen Photo (4)
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