Update, October 7, 2025:
Ontario Nature Trails was started by Don Knight. He had a real passion for the outdoors and loved nothing more than exploring Ontario’s trails — and then sharing them so others could experience that same joy. This site was his way of helping people connect with nature, and discover just how much beauty is right here in our own backyard.
Sadly, Don passed away in early 2025, but his spirit and vision live on. As a family — his wife Mel, daughters Kelly and Barb, and son Geoff — we’re excited to continue the work he started.
Geoff Knight will be leading the way on the website, and together we’ll make sure Ontario Nature Trails stays a place where people can find inspiration, information, and a reason to get outside.
To every hiker, explorer, and nature-lover who visits, contributes, and shares these paths—thank you! By exploring these trails, you’re helping to carry on Don’s legacy — and we know he would be so happy to see that. Together, we can ensure that Ontario Nature Trails remains a place where people come to connect with nature and with each other.
From Don:
ONTARIO NATURE TRAILS had its inception, in 2016, out of a passion for hiking by Don Knight. Not the strenuous back country type of trekking, but the shorter variety along trails ranging from 1K to 10K. Hikes where the main motivation is a walk within, and a bonding with, nature. Launch was May 1, 2017.
Don out on the trail!
Now, I’ve hiked the Bruce Trail from end to end (albeit in shorter sections at a time) and revelled in the challenge. But I much prefer the shorter jaunts.
So, thus the idea to put together a database of such shorter hikes for those of you who enjoy that kind of excursion and for those who want a respite from the longer jaunts.
It has been a fun filled time of considerable effort and length to accumulate the trail data and descriptions that fill this website. Many thanks to the many trail groups and municipal contacts that have contributed material and permissions to bring you the nature trails listed. And closer to home, many thanks to wife, Mel, for inputting a lot of the material – a task I would much rather delegate.
It has been difficult to decide which trails to include and which ones to leave out. Idealism was motivation at the beginning. I wanted to use only trails that fit a certain definition of a “nature trail”.
This definition was:
A “NATURE TRAIL” IS A PATH THROUGH A FOREST, COUNTRYSIDE, OR THE LIKE, ESPECIALLY ONE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OBSERVING AND LEARNING ABOUT THE FLORA AND FAUNA, AND WHICH IS IDEALLY PROVIDED WITH INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE. A “NATURE TRAIL” WOULD BE PEDESTRIAN BASED YEAR ROUND WITH SNOW SHOE AND SKI ACCESS IN WINTER MONTHS.
Well, unsurprisingly, the reality is that the ideal is not the norm, not by a long shot. Although many municipalities and trail groups are moving in this direction.
As a result, the trails listed in our database of nature and hiking trails in Ontario is not limited to this “ideal”. There are many other trails that deserve inclusion. We will endeavour, however, to assess each trail to ensure as much “naturalness” as possible. For example, you might not see trails that are comprised almost entirely by paved or asphalt pathways. At the same time, there might be a trail listed that is of a longer length but that we thought merited inclusion. We make no apologies for this. And some shorter trails – usually less that .5K may not be included – regardless of the similarities to our definition.
At all times, however, we would welcome comments and advice on trails we haven’t included and ones we have included.
We also have a limit on our altruism. Labours of love are fine but ya gotta pay the bills.
Please, then, take a look at our advertisers ads and, if something strikes your fancy, click on an ad and take the ride to our “affiliate” partner retailer to check out their product offerings and perhaps make a purchase. And please patronize the retailers who have graciously agreed to advertise on our Accommodations, Dining, and Trail Related/Other advertising slots.
We would also direct you to read our DISCLAIMER and our TRAIL USERS CODE.
