The Great Trail, Canada
Vermillion Lake, Banff, Alberta (Andrew Penner)
country: Canada
length: 15,000 miles
Starts / Ends: The four starting points of the Great Trail of Canada are: Mile Zero East – St. John’s, Newfoundland; Kilometer Zero West – Victoria, British Columbia; Kilometer Zero North – Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories; Kilometer Zero South – Windsor, Ontario.
Number of days to complete: The Great Trail is a nationwide network of trails. So far there is no record of anyone having made a single crossing. Those who crossed the country divided their journey into several sections. We know of a person who has been on the road for almost 800 days.
What’s so great about that?
Hiking along Lake Superior, Ontario (Cedric and Magee)
It’s Canadian variety at its finest. Canada will introduce the largest network of multipurpose trails the world has ever known. The incomparable trail will connect 15,000 communities and show everything there is to love about Canada and its vast landscapes.
With more than 500 trails to choose from, everyone can enjoy the Great Trail regardless of their fitness level, length of stay or the Canadian province they are visiting.
The Great Trail or Trans Canada Trail (Sentier Transcanadien) encompasses urban, rural, and wild landscapes on the greenway, waterway, and roadway. This diversity makes for an unparalleled variety of experiences from Vancouver’s Seawall to the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, including the Northern Lights of the Yukon, the High Rockies of Alberta, Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, and the fall foliage of Quebec.
The Great Trail is a national network of many unique land and water trails that promote a total of six preferred activities: hiking, biking, paddling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.
To top it off, entry to all of Canada’s national parks will be free in 2017 as part of Canada’s 100th anniversary celebrations.
Key sections
Fundy National Park Coastal Path (Parks Canada & Province of New Brunswick)
Confederation Trail (Prince Edward Island), Kettle Valley Railway (British Columbia), Le Petit Train du Nord (Quebec), and Cowichan Valley Trail (British Columbia) are all recommended, but there are many more.
Best travel time
Sentier des Caps, Quebec (Laval Poulin)
It is possible to explore Canada’s diverse hiking trails all year round, with different weather conditions and different activities possible depending on the season and region.
Top tip
Stand Up Paddleboarder in Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan Tourist Board)
Canada is big. There are over 500 trails to choose from online. Plan your adventure in a specific region, your preferred climate, the type of landscape you enjoy spending time in, or a specific activity such as paddling, hiking, biking, or horse riding that you would like to do along the way.
practical information
Ridge Road Heritage Trail, Yukon (Greg Skuce / Yukon Government)
Contrary to some online reports, The Great Trail is not a long “car-free” road or a continuous bike or hiking trail. It is made up of sections that span greenway, water and road routes. Designated activities depend on the trail segments owned and operated by trail groups or communities in each Canadian province and territory.
Use The Great Trail’s planning and tracking tools. The interactive map allows you to locate specific hiking trails and download or print custom maps.
Also use The Great Trail iPhone app to plan and measure a hike. The app shows local amenities such as parking spaces and services. An Android version will be released in early 2017.
Contact the provincial hiking trails or tourist boards for information on a specific provincial network and surrounding services such as hotels, etc.
Many sections of the trail begin and end in large cities. When planning your trip to Canada, you don’t have to fly to a secondary airport to get close to the trail. Select one or more provinces and then book a multi-city flight, e.g. B. London Heathrow to Calgary and Vancouver for a hike through the High Rockiesies
See www.thegreattrail.ca for more information and planning resources.
Publication date
The trails that make up The Great Trail are already open and work is underway to connect all of the trails together.
The full connection will be established in 2017 on the occasion of Canada’s 150th anniversary. The 100% Connection Celebration will take place on August 26, 2017.
Main image: Sea to Sky Panorama Ridge, British Columbia (Cedric and Magee)
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