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Hard Hiking Trails near Toronto

We track 10 routes that match this search near Toronto. They average 69.4 km and 1,528 m (5,013 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 254 km.

That is 20 percent of the 50 routes we map near Toronto. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 69.4 km against 17.3 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,528 m (5,013 ft) on average versus 381 m (1,250 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Expert

Oak Ridges Trail

Ontario · Canada

Distance
254 km
/ 158 mi
Elevation gain
5,597 m
Typical duration
68 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Guelph Radial Line Trail

Ontario · Canada

Distance
37.1 km
/ 23.1 mi
Elevation gain
816 m
Typical duration
9 hr 37 min
  • Mountain
Expert

Etobicoke Creek Trail

Ontario · Canada

Distance
36.4 km
/ 22.6 mi
Elevation gain
800 m
Typical duration
9 hr 25 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Hard

PATH

Ontario · Canada

Distance
26.4 km
/ 16.4 mi
Elevation gain
581 m
Typical duration
6 hr 43 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Bruce Trail - Toronto sectionOntario49.2 km1,082 m12 hrExpertApril to October
Bruce Trail - Caledon Hills sectionOntario70.7 km1,556 m18 hrExpertApril to October
Bruce Trail - Iroquoia sectionOntario119 km2,610 m31 hrExpertApril to October
Oak Ridges TrailOntario254 km5,597 m68 hrExpertApril to October
Guelph Radial Line TrailOntario37.1 km816 m9 hr 37 minExpertApril to October
Etobicoke Creek TrailOntario36.4 km800 m9 hr 25 minExpertApril to October
PATHOntario26.4 km581 m6 hr 43 minHardApril to October
Bruce Trail - Toronto section side trailsOntario61.6 km1,355 m16 hrExpertApril to October
Bruce Trail - Caledon Hills section side trailsOntario20.9 km460 m5 hr 14 minHardApril to October
Humber Valley Heritage Trail - Bolton ChapterOntario19.0 km418 m4 hr 42 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Bruce Trail - Toronto section, Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section, Bruce Trail - Caledon Hills section. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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