Trails in Ontario
12 mapped routes in Ontario: 5 hiking trails, 4 scenic drives and 3 cycling routes. Together they cover 659 km with 3,183 m of climbing, and the highest point reaches 554 m. Every route has a GPX download, elevation profile, gradient and surface analysis.
- Mapped routes
- 12
- Total distance
- 659km
- Total climbing
- 3,183m
- Highest point
- 554m
- Water crossings
- 14
Destination guide
About trails in Ontario
Ontario's routes range from lakeshore city paths to Canadian Shield wilderness. The Western Uplands Backpacking Trail, Day 2 covers 21 km of lakes, hardwood ridges and portage-style terrain in Algonquin Park, and farther north the Josephine Mine Hike in Algoma and rides around Hearst and Sudbury show the rock-and-spruce country of the north.
In the south, the Niagara Escarpment gives the flat lakeshore its only real climbs. The Grimsby Escarpment Ride and the Red Hill Valley Trail Hike in Hamilton both work that limestone ridge, and the Eldred King Tract Hike wanders the forests of the Oak Ridges Moraine north of Toronto. The Toronto Waterfront Walk and Toronto Waterfront Trail Ride follow Lake Ontario through the city's parks.
- Best time to go
- June to mid-October is the main season, with fall color peaking in Algonquin in late September and early October. Blackflies and mosquitoes are fierce in the north in May and June, and winter brings deep snow.
- Terrain
- Mostly gentle, with the highest point on these routes near 550 m. Expect rocky, rooty Shield trails and short, steep escarpment climbs.
- Permits & access
- Backcountry camping in Algonquin requires a permit reserved in advance through Ontario Parks, and provincial parks charge day-use fees. Northern drives cover long distances between services, so plan fuel stops.
Difficulty spectrum
How hard are trails in Ontario?
- Easy
- 42%5 trails
- Moderate
- 50%6 trails
- Hard
- 8%1 trail
Signature routes
Limitless routes in Ontario
Interactive map
Map of trails in Ontario
Hiking trails in Ontario
View all 5 →Scenic drives in Ontario
4Cycling routes in Ontario
3Keep exploring
More regions in Canada
Take it offline
Navigate Ontario with TrailX
Download any route as GPX, or open it in the TrailX app to follow it on the trail and record your own.