Collins Lake Loop – 10.1 km (including out and back) – Intermediate
Direction of Travel – Counter Clockwise
Collins Lake Loop can be hard to find for beginners, so be sure to ask someone to show you. It is located down a long farm road, to the north of our main property, and we keep the driveway hidden for a reason. You will see no signs until you are well down the farm road from the main road, short of a small fencing stake with an arrow, and a clearly worn bicycle track on the ditch side of the mailbox at the driveway’s end. Please park at the main MTB Kingston parking area, and do not drive down the farm road leading to the Collins Lake Loop.
The out and back portion of this loop follows our main driveway, then this farm road for 3.3 km each way. The actual loop is split into two halves, beginning with the slightly more technical east portion. As you enter this half, you will go over a small rock drop then wind your way through the woods on a trail that’s far more natural than Home Loop, but not too difficult. Along this trail, you will find several natural features as ridable technical options, with ride-arounds. When you reach the first split in this trial, the right option is longer and more difficult, with many ridable rock options. The left option avoids these rocks and is significantly shorter. Once the trails rejoin, you will then come to another split, as the trail reaches the embankment down to the lake below. Taking the left option here is the easiest route with the option to the right an advanced trail that skirts the edge of the steep embankment.
After yet another split in the trail, each of them a similar distance and difficulty, both will lead you to the end of the east portion of the loop, in a clearing with a large deck overlooking the lake. Directly across this clearing is the beginning of the west portion of the Collins Lake Loop.
The west portion of the Collins Lake Loop is shorter and winds its way through the woods, over a large log roll, then up a technical limestone climb, before finishing at where you began the first half. Miss the distance we once had? Lap it following the correct direction of travel, and take some of the different options on the second pass. You won’t be disappointed with Collins Lake Loop!