Hiking and biking trails near Barrie, Ontario

Background:

Something a bit different here - a page devoted to the many hiking and biking trails in and around Barrie Ontario. For more details on the other hikes in the area, take a look at Official Tourism Site for Barrie, Ontario Hiking and Walking Trails page.

Once you're done, be sure to check out the rest of our Bruce Trail and Ontario Hikes

Maps of the area

I found the following PDF map on the Simcoe County Trails website very useful as a starting point to get a sense of where the trails are north of Barrie: http://www.simcoecountytrails.net/nsrt/NSRTmap.pdf

The Huronia Trails and Greenways Trails page has links to excellent maps of the following linear trail maps:
  • Collingwood Waterfront
  • Midland Rotary Waterfront
  • North Simcoe Rail Trail (see below)
  • Orillia Millennium
  • Oro-Medonte Rail Trail
  • Penetanguishene
  • Penetanguishene Waterfront
  • Ramara Trail
  • Tay Shore Trail
  • Thornton-Cookstown
  • Tiny Trail (see below)
  • Uhthoff Trail
  • Wasaga Beach Trail

There is also an interactive map available from the County of Simcoe - follow the 'Trails Map' link on this page.

Specific trails

Ganaraska Hiking Trail

Location and points of interest:
The main Ganaraska Hiking Trail website has a high level map of the entire 500 km route. Near Barrie the best place to pick up the trail is at Fort Willow - take Grenfel Road north of County Road 90.
History:
The trail was opened in 1968, stretching 400km from Port Hope in the south east, north through Lindsay, Fenelon Falls, the Ganaraska Forest, over Lake Simcoe in Orilia, with a sidetrail up towards Midland. The main trail heads south towards Barrie then west through Creemore and and the Niagara Escarpment before heading north to Wasaga Beach. All told the trail covers about 500km.

9 Mile Portage Historic Route

Location and points of interest:
There is a PDF map of the 15 km historic route at http://www.barrie.ca/WCMAdmin/Images/wwwbarrieca/images_comm/9MP-ROUTE.pdf.
History:
Brad Rudychyk's 7 page history is available on line as a PDF and covers the many people that have used the trail, including:

North Simcoe Railtrail

Location and points of interest:
The Simcoe County Trails website has a detailed PDF map of the trail, at http://www.simcoecountytrails.net/trails/lineartrails/maps/North%20Simcoe%20Rail%20Trail.pdf. The south end of the 30 km trail is just north of County Road 90 and Pinegrove Road and works its way north and east through Elmvale, and passes the following points of interest. See their Points of Interest page for more details. The north end of the trail connects to the Tiny Trail (see below).
History:
From their website: "The North Simcoe Railtrail follows a railway line built in 1879... [and] abandoned in 1991...In November of 1992, a coalition of user groups offered to operate and maintain a shared use recreational trail at no extra cost to the Township. "
Photos:
See the gallery on their website for photos of the trail.

Tiny Trail

Location and points of interest:
The Simcoe County Trails website has a great PDF map of the trail, at http://www.simcoecountytrails.net/trails/lineartrails/maps/Tiny%20Trail.pdf In the south it starts where the North Simcoe Railtrail ends (see above) at the Tiny/Flos Townline just east of County Road 6, north of Elmvale. As you head north you'll see: You can also see my description of the trail, here.
History
A continuation of the North Simcoe Railway, with many bridges, especially at the northern end, towards Penetanguishene.
Photos:
I ride this trail often, and have a few pages of photos:

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(End of hike details from )