Bruce Trail

Bruce Trail is a hiking and backpacking trail located in Ontario, Canada. The trail explores the eastern shoreline of the Bruce Peninsula on the shores of Georgian Bay down to Queenston, Ontario on the shores of Lake Ontario. It is said to be the oldest and longest hiking trail that explores along the Niagara Escarpment.

The Bruce Peninsula section of the trail stretches from Tobermory to Wiarton, Ontario, Canada measuring 160 kilometres. It is recommended to schedule 8-9 days to complete the trail. This is is you plan on hiking 18-22 kilometres a day. Plan for longer if you plan on taking side trails to some of the sightseeing destinations.

The total trail measures 885+ kilometres plus 400+ kilometres of side trails. The trail is very well maintained and marked. Sections of the trail range from easy going to very challenging. For the active backpacker the trail would take about 30 days to complete end to end. This is possible if you hike 8-10 hours a day covering 25 -30 kilometres a day.

There are about 300 different access points on the Bruce Trail enabling short day hikes to key attractions and long haul backpacking trails connecting to wilderness campsites and developed campgrounds. The developed campgrounds are accessed by vehicle. The trail also connects to communities and to services like restaurants, accommodations and general stores.

The iconic sightseeing trail explores the Niagara Escarpment which is recognized as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve since 1990. Along the route are some some amazing views of cliffs, valleys, streams, caves, potholes, sandy beaches, hidden coves, flowerpots, wildflower meadows, forests, lighthouses and heritage sites.

Some of the key highlights on the Bruce Peninsula section of the trail include Lookout Tower (Tobermory Parks Office), Singing Sands, Devil's Monument (Cape Chin), Bruce Caves (Wiarton) and Skinner's Bluff. After the Bruce Peninsula section of the trail there are highlights like Saugeen Rail Trail, (Port Elgin), Chesley Heritage Trail, Georgian Bluffs Trail (Owen Sound), Trout Hollow Trail (Meaford) and Bognor Marsh.

The Bruce Trail explores many parks along the route as well. Some of the best parks and conservation areas to explore include the Dundas Valley Conservation Area (Dundas), Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area (Milton), Crawford Lake Conservation Area (Milton), Mono Cliffs Provincial Park (Orangeville), and the Bruce Peninsula National Park (Tobermory to Wiarton)

Explore The Bruce Trail, Grey - Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada