Ontario Becoming Best Trail Destination Worldwide
La Cloche Silhouette Trail
If you are planning your summer hiking excursion, you may want to add Ontario to your short list. Over the past couple years, Ontario has become one of the leading trail destinations worldwide. If you search trail information on Twitter, chances are, you’ll run across a number of trail-related Twitterites in Ontario. In general, Ontario provides a robust outdoor recreation scene with trails as one of their main focuses. Although hiking and backpacking trails make up the lion’s share of their trail system, bike trails are also beginning to pop up throughout the province. Whereas certain cities such as Amsterdam, Portland, Denver and Minneapolis are well known for biking and other areas such as Colorado, California and British Columbia are noted for hiking, Ontario is quickly and quietly becoming Trail Central by providing great trail opportunities including biking trails, hiking trails and backpacking trails. What sets Ontario apart among the various worldwide trail opportunities is their trail infrastructure and trail support system such as that provided by organizations such as Ontario Trails Council.
Trail Access via Parkbus
So what is trail infrastructure? Of course it includes the construction and maintenance of trails themselves, but where Ontario seems to have a distinct edge is trail access. A region can have thousands of miles of trails, but without access to those trails, many people will be left out of the loop. Consider that most trail users are quite environmentally conscious and big supporters of alternative transportation. Therefore, the idea of driving cars to trailheads goes against the environmental ethos of many avid trail users. That’s where a service such as the non-profit Parkbus initiative, in Ontario Canada, is way ahead of the game. Parkbus links major urban areas such as Toronto and Ottawa to nearby outdoor playgrounds such as Bruce Peninsula, Killarney, Georgian Bay Islands, French River and Grundy Lake. The Parkbus service is a boon to hikers, backpackers, canoeists and bicyclists.
Park and Trailhead Access
Take a look at the Parkbus website, and you’ll notice an award-winning system that connects both locals and tourists to the great Canadian outdoors. Start by checking out the pull-down menu below their DESTINATIONS link to find out information about recreational and trail opportunities in Algonquin Provincial Park, Killarney Provincial Park, Bruce Peninsula National Park and more. Each web page features useful information about outdoor recreation packages, canoe trips, backpacking information, campground availability, lodging and trail information. You will find information about everything from short day hikes to the spectacular La Cloche Silhouette Trail in Killarney Provincial Park. At 78 km (49 miles) this is truly one of the best long distance loop hiking trails in North America.
