There’s a historic landmark along The Kawartha Trans Canada Trail in Ontario and its views are stunning! Doube’s Trestle Bridge is worth a visit, especially this summer.

It is located 90 minutes away from Toronto in the Kawartha Lakes region, and has a fascinating history. Doube’s Trestle Bridge was originally built in the 1880s to provide a missing rail link between Peterborough and Lindsay.

According to Maryboro Lodge Museum, Doube’s Trestle became a local landmark after it was converted into a hiking trail following its abandonment.

It is now one of the most popular lookouts in the Kawartha Lakes, per the site.

Visitors enjoy the view of farm fields and a creek meandering through its valley.

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It was originally made of wood and spanned 1,500 feet. It included a stone culvert to channel the stream beneath, according to the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association.

Later, the central part of the bridge was converted into a steel structure with nine spans totalling 572 feet in length.

It underwent further upgrades in 1923 to accommodate heavier steam engines and later diesel locomotives.

This train line was an essential passageway for both freight trains and passengers until the 1970s.

The last steam train on the Lindsay-Peterborough line operated in 1975, and the Doube’s Trestle was officially put out of commission in 1978.

Kawartha Rail Trail then took over and transformed it into a recreational trail known as The Great Trail, which is now part of the Trans-Canada Trail.

It’s considered one of Ontario’s latest and greatest remaining railway attractions. And though we can’t explore it via train, it is still a lovely, historic experience.

Time to take your summer adventures to new heights!

Doube’s Trestle Bridge

Where: Trans-Canada Trail, Kawartha Lakes

Karen Doradea

Karen Doradea

Managing Editor, Toronto – Karen is a multimedia journalist based in Toronto. With a strong knowledge of reporting and editing through all forms of media, she has a true passion for storytelling. She carries several years of journalistic experience and has covered the Toronto scene from local stories to national news. When Karen isn’t publishing fire content, you can find her binge-watching sitcoms on Crave, at a must-try restaurant, or scrolling endlessly on TikTok looking for the next best thing – News never sleeps.

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