Canada’s ‘Great Trail’ Is Finally Connected

[SavingWithBabies]

Given the interest in long distance hiking here, it seems appropriate to post the news that Canada now has a trail from coast to coast just in time for the 150th birthday (of the country). It is also the longest trail in the world.

Canada’s ‘Great Trail’ Is Finally Connected
Canada's 24,000 km Path Across The Country Is Now 100% Fully Connected

It even has a mobile app: Great Trail app

Updated 125th -> 150th per the conversation below.

[Toska2]

I was on this trail between Muskoka and Gravenhurst.

That part was completed around 95-98. When I was there in 2008-9 it was hardly there. My one of my best memory was two 2x6s laid across the swamp grass mounds. Another was an unusable park bench facing a frozen lake.


I plan to go back. I might do The La Cloche mountains on my way. I did 450 miles of the Bruce Trail which is the best marked trail ever.

[SavingWithBabies]

Would it be possible to do coast to coast in one season in Canada? The trail appears to have a big loop at one point so one could skip that loop that takes you out of the way. Just idle curiousity not making any plans.

[JuliusFC]

I have been on parts of this trail in BC. Keep in mind this is not a trail like most of us think of trails. On parts of it you are on roads or even highway shoulders. The government made an effort to eliminate as many of these sections as possible in time for the 150th birthday this year (the trail was started for the 125th birthday), but from what I've heard and seen they're years away from that. That said, Canada is enormous, so there are many parts of the trail where you can walk for days and days and only be on beautiful, traditional trails.

If someone walked it in one season (eliminating the northern loop), I would be in awe! There was a guy who did only the southern part a few years ago and I think he took about 9 months. A woman completed the entire trail just this year, including the northern loop, and she took about two years.

[7Wannabe5]

How awesome. I would love to attempt some section some time.

The wooded acreage my BF recently purchased includes part of an old trail/logging road which Google Maps makes to look like a real thing, but it is actually almost completely inaccessible and unmarked. There are miles and miles of clearly marked and maintained public trails in the area, so unlikely, but within realm of possibility, that somebody (besides the bear!) might attempt egress. I was totally freaked out the time a bear growled very loudly within scant meters of me when I was hiking near Ketchikan, but I try to be brave.

[SandyKaryOke]

I just saw this. This is awesome!