The best cycling routes around Middlesex Centre

The Trafalgar Street underpass allows hikers and bikers on the paved multi-use trail system to pass safely beneath the busy Trafalgar Street. It is also the area where the Kiwanis parkrun takes place.

Kiwanis Park - Central South is a scenic 16-hectare green space sitting in the Pottersburg Creek corridor. This park is popular for its tree-lined and well-maintained paved pathways. It has an open picnic shelter, public parking, and accessible routes that are loved by local walkers, runners, and families. Just to the north sits its twin park, Kiwanis Park - Central North.

North London Athletic Fields is one of London's finest outdoor sports complexes with an expansive lineup of grass fields including 3 full-sized soccer fields with lights, 3 mid-to-full sized fields, 6 mini soccer fields, 4 beach volleyball courts, a cricket field, 1 regulation baseball diamond, and 2 minor baseball diamonds. The park also has Thames Valley Trail access, a free parking lot, alongside a pavilion featuring a concession stand, team dressing rooms, and seasonal public washrooms.

The Thames River winds through southwestern Ontario, flowing for approximately 260 kilometres from its headwaters near Woodstock to Lake St. Clair. It’s London’s defining waterway, flowing beautifully through the city and connecting many of its parks, trails, and natural areas. The river’s forested banks, wetlands, and floodplain habitats support a diverse range of wildlife and create an important green corridor within the urban landscape. As a designated Canadian Heritage River, it is recognized for both its ecological significance and its role in the history of southwestern Ontario.

Thames Valley Parkway is London’s primary multi-use trail system, following the Thames River and its branches through parks, woodlands, and beautiful riverside green spaces across the city. Spanning roughly 45 kilometres and connecting to more than 150 kilometres of additional pathways, it provides ample opportunities for walking, cycling, and running, with multiple access points. Despite its urban setting, most of the route offers beautiful river views, runs along mature forests, and provides access to some of London’s most notable parks and natural areas.

Pottersburg Park is a beautiful mix of open fields, wooded trails, and riverside green space nestled along the Thames River. The park’s easy walking paths are a great place to enjoy views of the river corridor, mature trees, and local wildlife within an otherwise urban setting. It’s also home to one of London’s largest off-leash dog areas, making it a popular spot for dog owners, so you’ll likely get a chance to meet a few furry friends while you’re here.

Fanshawe Lake is the focal point of the conservation area, stretching through a broad valley surrounded by forests, wetlands, and walking trails. Created by the construction of Fanshawe Dam, the lake is now a popular spot for paddling, rowing, fishing, and wildlife watching. This section offers wide views across the water and a chance to appreciate just how much green space surrounds the lake despite its proximity to London.

Circling the entire Fanshawe Reservoir, the Fanshawe Lake Trail is a roughly twenty-kilometre loop that passes through mature forest, open meadows, shoreline sections, and a handful of creek crossings along the way. Built as a multi-use trail for both hiking and cycling, it offers a constantly changing mix of scenery rather than a single destination. The route follows the edge of the reservoir for much of its length, with regular views of the water and plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife in the surrounding wetlands and woodlands.