Trans Canada Trail
Photo: madmack66 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/madmack/, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Trans Canada Trail is the world's longest network of recreational trails that are available for walking/hiking, cycling, paddling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The trail stretches 28000 km (as of 2024) through every province and territory of Canada connecting the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.
The main cross-country trail has been completed; some portions of secondary routes have not been completed.
In practice, much of the trail is in rough condition and significant portions of the "completed" sections are along roads and highways that may not be safe for walkers or cyclists. Parts are along waterways without parallel land routes (especially the northern portions and parts along Lake Superior), meaning you will have to get a canoe or kayak, or suitable boat, for those legs. The trail is routed along 8,500 km of roads and highways, 5,000 km of trails of various kinds, and 7,000 km of waterways including Lake Superior. Several people have hiked the trail from Atlantic to Pacific, and have had to detour to parallel routes to do so.
UnderstandThe project was begun in 1992 to celebrate Canada's 125th anniversary, was completed for Canada's 150th anniversary in 2017.
PreparePDF maps are available from the Trans Canada Trail website. The trail is poorly marked, so downloading a map is strongly recommended, even for fairly short distances.
Stay safeBecause so much of the trail is along roads, hikers and cyclists have been known to be killed by a car.
Get inThe trail is accessible from many cities and towns — 80% of Canadians live within a 30-minute drive of a section of the trail. To travel the trail from end to end, you should start at either Victoria or St John's.
GoThe trail in Newfoundland is best-suited to ATV quads, motorcycles and snowmobiles. It is not designed for cyclists, and even hiking it is difficult. The surface is generally deep piles of loose stones.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Trans Canada Trail" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: madmack66 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/madmack/, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons