Macnamara Trail Extension

Extending Arnprior’s Natural Heritage

Named after local naturalist Charles Macnamara, the 4.5 km Macnamara Nature Trail is located on 280 acres owned by Nylene Canada in the Nopiming Game Sanctuary by the Ottawa River. Accessed from McNab Street, it’s part of Arnprior’s Millennium Trail System and operated by the Macnamara Field Naturalists’ Club.

We’re Building an Extension to the Trail

We completed Phase 1 in November 2018, installing a Dockmaster boardwalk that spans over 60 metres of swamp called the West Link. It connects our current trail on the south side of the property to the new 1.5 km Nopiming Loop trail on the north side. In August 2019, we finished adding trail markers, signs, and a bench. The next step is to identify interpretive information areas and add these to our trail guide.

What will the trail extension look like? Read Imagining a Walk Along the Future Macnamara Trail Extension.

Want to know more about the project? We have more information at Macnamara Trail Extension Project Description.

We completed a bio-inventory of the anticipated extension in late May 2017.

Woods, Water and Well-Being

Walking in nature is healthy for the body, mind, and spirit. Many use the trail for physical activity: walking, snowshoeing, skiing, running. Seniors enjoy the gently rolling paths for a peaceful stroll among the trees and wildflowers. Schools conduct projects and field trips to the forest and wetland.

Preserving a Part of Arnprior’s Heritage

McLachlin Lumber employee Charles Macnamara successfully lobbied the provincial government in 1920 to create the Crown Game Reserve on which the trail lies. The McLachlin Lumber Company’s old lime kiln, built in the mid- to late 1800’s, is located by the trail. It was used to char local marble or limestone to make slaked lime.

It’s a Community Project: You Can Help

– Donate to the Trail Extension Project. The Club is a registered charity.
– Post your trail experiences on our Facebook group: Friends of the Macnamara Trail.
– Join us! Become a club member. Sign up on our Membership page.
– Want to add a commemorative bench to the trail? Contact us.