This trail starts in Riverside Park in Guelph and runs to Victoria Road and all the way into Guelph Lake. Starting at the north end of Riverside Park, the trail goes across Woodlawn Rd. near the retirement home at a traffic light. Cross Woodlawn at the light, go east on Woodlawn across the bridge and turn immediately north on a paved sidewalk that quickly turns to gravel. When you get to Victoria Rd. you can retrace your steps or continue on to the dam.
I find it more interesting to leave the wide gravel trail with my dog as soon as I can, taking any trail going off towards the river. You can pretty well walk right beside the river all the way to Victoria Road instead of staying on the boring gravel trail. Bikers have built some strange structures in these woods. However, these side trails sometimes peter out and you end up back on the gravel trail. Look for ways to get off and back to the river.
Lots of walkers and bikers here. Not everyone likes to see the dogs off leash.
You need to get your dogs on leash when you can start hearing the roads on either end of the trail.
October 2010: new signs posted at the start of the trail at Woodlawn Road saying this is an off leash area. I can't figure out where the off leash area ends: there are no signs that I can see telling you that you are now leaving the off leash area.