The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail.
The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail is a series of interconnected trails that stretch from the shore of Lake Ontario to Quebec. It consists of various off-road and on-road faculties that cater to both casual commuters and thrill-seekers. It spans over 3,000km and connects hundreds of communities, which includes members of Canada’s First Nation.
Which Areas Does It Cover?
The trail commences in Niagara-on-the-lake and stretches to Brockville in Ontario. A recent expansion to this trail along (former) Highway 2 extends it to the border of Quebec. The Martin Goodman trail ensures the route serves Toronto residents.
Most of the waterfront of the great lake in paved to serve cyclists, hikers, skaters and other commuters. Off-road enthusiasts can also delight in an unmatched experience. The trail along St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario is 30% off-road. The different routes are mostly paved. But also consist of gravel roads and unpaved passes.
What Can You See On The Trails?
The Great Lakes Trail is one of Canada’s bastion of hope in its nature conservancy efforts. The over 140 communities can commune with nature as they enjoy various activities. Here is a list of sights you can see while on this trail:
- 3 major wine growing regions
- Over 200 beaches
- Canada’s premier urban national park
- 5 rivers
- 3 of Canada’s Great Lakes
- Hundreds of waterfront parks
- Biospheres
- 23 national heritage sights
It is also worth noting that the region covered by this trail has 21 beaches that enjoy Blue Flag status. This trail also has over 16 bike-friendly areas. Such areas have hundreds of businesses that are easily accessible via bicycle.
What Can You Do On The Trails?
There are various activities aside from cycling this great trail. For one, you can get off your bike and cool off with some ice cream in the general stores along the trail. You can skip stones off the various lakes and rivers to kill some time.
The trail along Niagara Falls offers wine-loving cyclists the chance to satisfy both cravings. Such a journey starts at Niagara-on-the-lake and ends at St. Lawrence’s Seaway. This trail takes you through quaint hamlets and towns that have the best wines, eateries and accommodation.
Ontario host some of the best water parks in the world. Most of them are found along this trail. There plenty of national parks that you can also cycle into to commune with nature. When you finally get tired of all these venturings, you can support the local economy by visiting one of the restaurants.