You Can Now Walk Coast To Coast In Canada

Canada is now home to the longest recreational trail in the world, stretching over 22,000 kilometers (over 14,000 miles) across the country. The Great Trail took around 25 years to plan, coordinate, and connect, and now it links all 13 of the country’s provinces and territories. The trail is composed of a network of cycling, hiking, and canoeing routes that together make up the ultimate scenic tour of Canada.

The Great Trail, formerly called the Trans-Canada Trail, has come to be through the hard work of almost 500 provincial, local, and volunteer organizations across the country. The trail also incorporates sections of highways and other roads, boardwalks, rail trails, and more. In the winter, people can even go snowmobiling and cross-country skiing on parts of the trail.

Here are some quick facts about the Great Trail:

15,000 communities: The number of communities across Canada that organizers say the trail now connects.

2,185 meters (7,168.6 ft): The highest point of elevation along the Great Trail, through Kananaskis Country in Alberta.

1,659.5 kilometers (1,031.1 mi): The length of the trail’s longest water route, which flows from the Northwest Territories through the Yukon.

477 groups: The approximate number of trail-building groups and organizations at the local or provincial level who have helped build the trail, connecting 432 distinct sections, since 1992.

The completion of the project has coincided with the same year that Canada is celebrating its 150th anniversary as a country. It is still a work in progress, however. Signs must go up, and funding must be raised for maintenance. Of course, people must come out and make use of it as well.

Along the Trans-Canada Highway in rural Ontario

You can check out the interactive map of the trail in order to get a better sense of its full extent and to plan the endless possibilities of your trip—whether you’ve got a cross-country goal in mind or just want to access the part of the Great Trail closest to you for an outdoorsy day trip. There’s also an app that gives users the opportunity to interact.

The Torngat Mountains and Nachvak Fjord, Labrador

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.