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Hiking Trails Under 5 km in Canada

288 routes in Canada qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 2.3 km and 65 m (213 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 4.9 km.

That is 56 percent of the 515 routes we map in Canada. They are shorter than the local average, 2.3 km against 20.9 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 65 m (213 ft) against 472 m (1,549 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Short routes for a spare couple of hours, an evening walk, or a day when the weather only gives you a window. Most of these are on the gentler end, which makes the list a good starting point if you are new to the area.

Trails

Easy

Mica Hill Trail

Nova Scotia · Canada

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
185 m
Typical duration
58 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Easy

Cavell Meadows Trail

Alberta · Canada

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
94 m
Typical duration
1 hr 2 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
  • Alpine meadow
Easy

Smelt Brook Trail

Nova Scotia · Canada

Distance
3.5 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
46 min
  • River
Easy

Sommet Singer

Quebec · Canada

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
47 m
Typical duration
31 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Easy

Middle head

Nova Scotia · Canada

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
53 m
Typical duration
35 min
Easy

Port Joli Head Trail

Nova Scotia · Canada

Distance
4.5 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
99 m
Typical duration
1 hr 5 min
Easy

Voyageur Trail

Ontario · Canada

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
44 m
Typical duration
29 min
Easy

Lower Falls Side Trail

Ontario · Canada

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
33 m
Typical duration
22 min
  • Waterfall
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Salt Mountain Trail

Nova Scotia · Canada

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Sentier Frontalier 2

Quebec · Canada

Distance
4.5 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
100 m
Typical duration
1 hr 6 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Hike: Ranger Summit

Alberta · Canada

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
289 m
Typical duration
1 hr 17 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Easy

Le Sommet

Quebec · Canada

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
25 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Easy

Arab Lake Gorge Trail

Ontario · Canada

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
27 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • Lake
  • Canyon and gorge
Easy

Mayflower Lake Trail

Ontario · Canada

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
27 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • Lake
Easy

Brook Trail

Nova Scotia · Canada

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
33 m
Typical duration
22 min
  • River
Easy

Sentier les Parages

Quebec · Canada

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
27 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • Forest
Easy

Chute à Ovide

Quebec · Canada

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
39 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Waterfall
Easy

Des Cascades

Quebec · Canada

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
61 m
Typical duration
40 min
  • Waterfall
Easy

Grande Chute Trail

Quebec · Canada

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
12 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Waterfall
Easy

Hidden Falls Trail

Nova Scotia · Canada

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • Waterfall
Easy

Luskville Falls Trail

Quebec · Canada

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
65 m
Typical duration
43 min
  • Waterfall
Easy

Field Trail

Nova Scotia · Canada

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
15 min
Easy

Homesteader Trail

Ontario · Canada

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
63 m
Typical duration
41 min
Easy

Laura Secord Trail

Ontario · Canada

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
25 m
Typical duration
16 min
Easy

Scout Trail

Nova Scotia · Canada

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
40 m
Typical duration
26 min
Easy

Sentier du Verger

Quebec · Canada

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
15 min
Easy

Tablelands

Newfoundland and Labrador · Canada

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
29 min
Easy

The Highlander

Nova Scotia · Canada

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
90 m
Typical duration
19 min
Easy

Beach Grove Trails

Prince Edward Island · Canada

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
50 m
Typical duration
33 min
  • Coastal

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
Sentier de l'Estrie, Mont ÉchoQuebec3.5 km77 m50 minEasyApril to October
Mica Hill TrailNova Scotia3.3 km185 m58 minEasyApril to October
Sentier de l'Estrie, Zone Chapman, AccèsQuebec1.1 km24 m16 minEasyApril to October
Sentier de l'Estrie, Zone Glen, AccèsQuebec1.4 km868 m1 hr 35 minModerateApril to October
Sentier de l'Estrie, Zone Richmond, AccèsQuebec1.3 km868 m1 hr 34 minModerateApril to October
Sentier de l'Estrie, Zone Sutton, AccèsQuebec1.3 km868 m1 hr 34 minModerateApril to October
Cavell Meadows TrailAlberta4.3 km94 m1 hr 2 minEasyApril to October
Sentier de l'Estrie, Zone Écho, Point de vue Mont ÉchoQuebec0.5 km868 m1 hr 24 minModerateApril to October
Smelt Brook TrailNova Scotia3.5 km28 m46 minEasyApril to October
Sommet SingerQuebec2.1 km47 m31 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Sentier de l'Estrie, Mont Écho, Mica Hill Trail, Sentier de l'Estrie, Zone Glen, Accès. 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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