Wondering where to go for your next hike in Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais, elsewhere in Quebec or Ontario, or beyond? Looking for reviews of hiking gear or trails? Eager to find fellow hikers? Well, my outdoorsy friends, this is the list for you.
The websites below will provide you with endless sources of hiking inspiration, whether you’re looking for a casual afternoon stroll in the woods or a serious multi-day hike. Happy trails!
Girl Gone Good
Run by Victoria, an Ottawa adventure writer and military veteran, Girl Gone Good offers an extensive selection of trail reviews, wellness tips and inspirational challenges. There’s even a challenge club for kids! If you’re looking for a trail in Eastern Ontario or West Quebec, chances are high that you’ll find information about it on this comprehensive site. A wonderful bonus: the site donates its profits to charity.
Adventure Report
Another excellent Ottawa-based hiking and adventure site, Adventure Report offers trail guides, challenges, a gear library and more. Since site creator Meg also has a young daughter, you’ll find lots of family-friendly hikes here.
Ontario Trails
Ontario Trails, an in-depth site managed by the Ontario Trails Council, lets you search for hikes across the province based on a variety of factors, including region, nearest town, and types of activities offered on the trail or nearby (such as canoeing or skiing). You can also find out about hiking clubs, conferences and more.
Ontario Hiking
Created by Lauren, a Southern Ontario-based travel writer, Ontario Hiking offers ideas for hikes all over the province, broken down by region. You’ll also find tips on gear, apps and hiking challenges, and the site has an active Facebook group.
Explore
Explore magazine is a good source of information on all sorts of outdoorsy adventures (not just hiking) all over Canada. Here’s the publication’s 2021 list of Ontario’s 25 best hikes, as well as another recent post, 10 amazing hikes near Montreal.
Get Out There
Not to be outdone, Get Out There magazine—another Canadian publication focused on outdoor adventures—offers this 2021 post, 24 of our favourite Ontario hiking trails and a 2021 guide, 25 of the best places for a day hike in Quebec.
Quebec Adventure Outdoor
Quebec Adventure Outdoor, an association of outfitters, parks and other service providers, can point you toward trails and guides across the province of Quebec.
Bonjour Québec
The hiking section of the website of Bonjour Québec, the province’s tourist board, lets you search for trails by your hiking style (such as “Adventurer” or “Urban”).
Trail Finder
For my American readers (and Canadians, when the border re-opens!), Trail Finder will point you to hiking trails in Vermont and New Hampshire.
These are just a few of the sites I’ve discovered in my travels. I’m going to keep expanding this post, so if I’ve missed your favourite resource, please let me know!
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