The Bruce Trail

The Bruce Trail is Canada’s oldest marked trail.

It stretches 890 km (553 miles) long from southern to northern Ontario. So, it’s not something that can be hiked in just one day.

Instead, we tend to hike small sections of the Bruce trail; depending on which part of Ontario we’re in. The small sections of the Bruce Trail to choose from are like small trails that happen to be a part of the larger Bruce Trail.

Key Things to Know About the Bruce Trail

  • You can buy a map, or trail guide on the Bruce Trail Conservatory website here, the costs will be $35-$45. Or, check out my ideas below.
  • There’s a Bruce Trail App, but it’s only free for your first 7 days. Afterwards, it costs $2.99 per month or $29.99/year

Best Places to Hike the Bruce Trail

1. Blue Mountains

There are many trails in the Blue Mountains area, near Collingwood, Ontario where you can hike along the Bruce Trail.

In this area, there are:

  • lots of geological rock formations, including caves
  • lookouts that give you incredible views of Georgian Bay.
Scenic caves Blue Mountain

There are a few options for hiking the Bruce Trail near Collingwood:

  • Beaver Valley Loop Trail, an 8km (13-mile) loop trail, with lots of Georgian Bay lookout views. See details here.

2. Mono Cliffs Provincial Park

Mono Cliffs Provincial Park is located along the Bruce Trail. From the summit of the Lookout Trail, you can even make out the skyline of Toronto on a clear day.

Mono cliffs provincial park

Read about the best trails in Mono Cliffs park here.

3. Bruce Peninsula National Park

The Bruce Peninsula National Park near Tobermory contains a huge chunk of the northern part of the Bruce Trail.

The Bruce Trail in the Bruce Peninsula area has a number of scenic lookouts of Lake Huron, which looks turquoise blue on a sunny day.

tobermory grotto

Part of the Bruce Trail includes the Grotto and Indian’s Head Cove, which are right beside eachother and some of the most popular tourist attractions in Ontario.

4. Hamilton, Ontario

A few of the waterfalls near Hamilton, Ontario – specifically, Sherman and Tiffany Falls- contain sections of the Bruce Trail.

They’re available off of side trails that can be accessed from the Bruce Trail.

Sherman Falls