Last autumn Julia Rosien and her husband, Stacy, ushered their four kids into the minivan and set off from their Kitchener, Ont., home for an afternoon outside. It was a gorgeous, sunny cool day, perfect for a walk in the woods, and Ms. Rosien had a plan.
A short 45-minute drive later, the whole family was tramping along the celebrated 800-kilometre Bruce Trail, ducking into huge foliage-drenched crevasses and running along rock faces. The children, ages 10 to 18, also enjoyed some family time — unplugged.
"When we all go on a hike like that, the kids get Mom and Dad without BlackBerrys or cellphones," Rosien says.
She is just one of thousands of people from Canada, the United States and Europe who throw on a pair of sturdy shoes or boots, grab a map and head for the Bruce Trail each year.
The trail, which follows the edge of the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario, is one of only 12 UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves in Canada. It runs from its southern tip in Queenston, Ont., near Niagara Falls, north to Tobermory, passing through provincial and national parks, conservation areas and private land. The trail boasts rolling hills, stunning vistas and waterfalls galore.
"You put your feet on the path and you can explore the whole Niagara Escarpment from one end to the other. It's the thread that pulls all these wonderful natural things together," says Beth Kummling, executive director of the Bruce Trail Conservancy in Burlington.
The goal: preservation
Building a public footpath was not the founders' original goal back in 1967 when the trail opened. As houses, industry and quarries began snaking their way up the hills of the escarpment, volunteers decided to build a path to raise awareness. "They hoped all of these people would come, would love it — and want to save it, too," Kummling says.
More than 40 years later, the trail is still one of Canada's most walkable, due, in part, to its 8,300 supporters, some of whom maintain the path. After joining one of nine local clubs, volunteers build bridges over streams, install stairs and switchbacks to make climbing slopes easier, and build stiles over fences.
What they don't do, however, is maintain campsites. So don't expect to pitch a tent along the way.
In fact, almost 50 per cent of the Bruce Trail is on private land, so illegal camping is a definite no-no even though some hikers do it, Kummling says.
"That's really unfortunate because that can harm our relationship with the landowners who give us permission to put the trail there," she says.
Instead, try one of the many hotels, resorts and bed-and-breakfasts that dot the areas not far from the path.
For example, Pretty River Valley Country Inn near Collingwood, has studios and suites with wood-burning fireplaces and Jacuzzi tubs to ease those aching muscles after a day on the trail.
In the stunning Bruce Peninsula area, the Bruce Gables Bed & Breakfast is only 500 metres from the trail. Ask the owners for a packed lunch. They even provide a drop-off and pickup service.
For a list of all the accommodations that offer similar services in the peninsula area, contact the Home to Home Bed and Breakfast Network, at www.hometohomenetwork.ca.
End to end
Some hikers are after a quick hit of nature, but others want to enjoy the trail end to end. While not everyone is up for hiking the entire length, many end-to-enders hike one club's section in its entirety.
On May 24, the Peninsula club offers its first day of end-to-end hiking. Pay a $10 donation per hike, and you too could trek one weekend a month (two in September).
Some days are tougher slogs than others; the shortest hike is six km, while the longest is 22 km. Either way, hiking with a group is great if you like to combine talking with walking.
"It's amazing to see the bonding that goes on year after year," says Marlene Rothenbury, hike co-ordinator for the Peninsula Bruce Trail Club near Tobermory.
"Everybody has a story, and there's a lot of sharing."
But before joining an end-to-end group, know what you're signing yourself up for. Some, like Rothenbury's group, take a more leisurely pace. Others break into a run.
Stay on the trail
No matter how you tackle the trail, hikers can make the most of the experience by heeding a few recommendations, Kummling says.
Buy the most recent version of the trail map — and use it. (Old versions may not reflect current conditions or trailhead locations.)
Bring plenty of food and water. Wear the right footwear; sore feet ruin a hike.
And above all? Stay on the path.
"People have to remember it's an 800-kilometre-long cliff. If you stay on the trail, you're going to be safe, but some people don't," Kummling says.
Rosien, who has taken her kids on the Bruce Trail for years, says she loves it because it's close, convenient and simply a magnificent place to hike.
"It's just one of those trails right there waiting for you."
Special to The Globe and Mail
