Ontario Expands Free Public Access to Hiking Trails
New investments will create more opportunities to enjoy hiking trails across Province
The Ontario government is expanding access to trails across the province by investing $20 million over four years into the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program. For 2024/25, 15 projects will open up over 1,650 acres of land, including trails, for the public to enjoy at no cost. These projects, including three along the Bruce Trail, will make it easier for people to explore nature close to home while supporting local tourism and businesses.
“This program is about opening more trails and giving people the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors close to home,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “By supporting projects like those along the Bruce Trail, we are supporting tourism in our own backyard and ensuring that more people can experience the joy of hiking and the benefits of spending time in nature — free of charge.”
These latest projects – selected through a competitive process by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) – leverage the government’s four-year $20-million investment with private sector dollars to protect nature close to home through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program.
One of the requirements for the program is that projects need to provide some form of public access to give visitors the opportunity to engage in more outdoor activities. For example, the Bruce Trail Conservancy will be able to secure and protect over 150 acres (61 hectares) of land contained within the Niagara Escarpment UNESCO World Biosphere thanks to the program. Much of this land adds new portions to the Bruce Trail, Canada’s oldest and longest marked footpath. Currently, over 70 per cent of the Bruce Trail is on permanently protected land.
Partnering with conservation leaders is one of the ways the Ontario government is providing people with more opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors close to home, while supporting local tourism in communities that have some of the best hiking trails in the world.
