The Waterfront Trail can be enjoyed for a few minutes from a scenic vantage point, a few hours on a waterfront stroll, or for a few weeks on an end-to-end cycling adventure. There are 86 communities to explore on foot, by bike or by car.

On this page, we have a range of guided and self-guided itinerary suggestions developed by the Waterfront Regeneration Trust and great partners like CAA, Ontario By Bike, Velo Quebec and Adventure Cyclists.

Family-Friendly Ideas

Welcome to Great Lakes Waterfront Trail Adventures family-friendly ideas section.  We have put together a list of places connected to the trail for the best possible experience. This section is full of ideas suitable for anyone that enjoys parks, trails, and lakeside events. Over 16% of the 3,000 km Trail is off-road with another 10% using quiet neighbourhood streets and sidewalks.

Regional Loops

The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail is the beginning of many wonderful regional loops created by our community partners. While cycling is the chief trail use, there are some wonderful hiking experiences as well.

Some of our favourites are listed below (east to west):

Lake Ontario

Lennox Addington County (Greater Napanee, Loyalist) — about 2 hours from Toronto and Ottawa and 3 hours from Montreal.
http://www.lennox-addington.on.ca/explore/county-trails [Lake Ontario and Hay Bay]

Northumberland County (Port Hope, Cobourg, Alnwick/Haldimand) –about 90 minutes east of the Toronto area
www.NorthumberlandTourism.com/CyclingLoops [Lake Ontario and Rice Lake]

Durham Cycle Toursa pdf map showing 14 fantastic cycling loops that include the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail (off-road from Pickering to Oshawa!) and the Greenbelt Route. It describes over 700 km of cycling! Download GPS and PDF versions of the map at https://www.durhamtourism.ca/cycletours.

St. Lawrence River (100 km of great riverfront!) — The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail running alongside the 1000 Islands Parkway provides a traffic-free option for cyclists to enjoy the stunning water and island views that make the stretch between Brockville and Gananoque a popular touring route. This cycling adventure begins in the beautiful city of Brockville, on the St. Lawrence River, and heads west along the Waterfront Trail, connecting to the off-road cycling trail just past Butternut Bay. Plenty of beach, swim, picnic and lookout stops will easily see you through till sunset, with recommended stops at Brown’s Bay, Mallorytown Landing, Rockport and picturesque Ivy Lea. Our thanks to the RTO9 for developing the itinerary. Includes MapMyRide mapping https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/64644620. Download pdf maps 6-7 to 6-10: https://waterfronttrail.org/maps/wt-zone6.pdf

Hikers will love the Durham Region Trails Guide filled with great walks in the Durham area including the Trans Canada Trail and Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. Check out the interactive map here. http://image.durham.ca/TrailsMap/default.html

Greater Niagara Circle Route-140km loop that follows Lake Ontario, the Niagara River, Lake Erie and the Welland Canal system. Check out Niagara Cycle and Stay–a group of B and Bs who will move your gear ahead to the next stop.
https://www.niagararegion.ca/government/initiatives/gncr/

Lake Erie

Haldimand County 

About 90 minutes west of Toronto. Several routes taking you along Lake Erie and the Grand River.
http://www.haldimandcounty.on.ca/Visitors.aspx?id=13158 [Lake Erie and the Grand River]