Category: Guides

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Environmental and Conservation Initiatives Guides Outdoor Activities and Recreation

What Are Switchbacks in Hiking (and Why Should You Use Them)?

An adult hiker pauses on a steep forest hillside trail where zigzag switchbacks help the path climb safely.
Estimated read time 15 min read

A switchback is a zigzag trail feature designed to help hikers ascend or descend steep terrain safely and efficiently. Instead of charging straight up a mountainside, the trail folds back on itself in a series of angled segments, creating a manageable grade that saves your knees, conserves energy, and protects the landscape from erosion.
If you’ve ever wondered why trails seem to take the long way around instead of going straight to the top, there’s solid science behind the design. Those gentle S-curves you’re walking aren’t there to frustrate you or add mileage. They’re carefully engineered features …

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Accessibility and Inclusion Guides Visiting Parks

Why Learning Hiking Terms in Spanish Opens Up Ontario’s Trails to New Friends

Two hikers on a green Ontario forest trail, pointing along a winding path with backpacks and hiking gear, conveying friendly outdoor connection.
Estimated read time 12 min read

Learning Spanish hiking vocabulary takes about an hour to master the basics, and it instantly opens up trails across Latin America, Spain, and multicultural communities right here in Ontario. Whether you’re planning a trek through the Spanish Pyrenees, connecting with Spanish-speaking hiking groups in Toronto, or simply want to enrich your outdoor vocabulary, knowing terms like “sendero” (trail), “cima” (summit), and “mochila” (backpack) transforms how you experience the outdoors.
The practical benefits go beyond travel. Ontario’s hiking community is beautifully diverse, and you’…

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Guides Itineraries and Routes Outdoor Activities and Recreation

What Is the Best Hiking Near Toronto (and How to Choose Your Trail)?

A hiker on a forest hiking trail near Toronto with cedar trees and a distant limestone escarpment lookout in the background.
Estimated read time 19 min read

Hiking trails near Toronto are maintained pathways and routes within 1-2 hours of the city that range from flat, family-friendly boardwalks to rugged escarpment climbs with elevation gains over 100 meters. These trails give urban dwellers quick access to forests, waterfalls, lookouts, and wilderness without the need for overnight travel or advanced backcountry skills.
Why this matters right now: Toronto residents have rediscovered local trails as go-to weekend destinations, and the variety is far greater than most people realize. You can walk alongside waterfalls in the morning and be back home for lunch, or challenge yourself on …

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Guides Park Logistics and Planning Visiting Parks

Hunt Lake Trail Isn’t Actually in Blue Lake Provincial Park (But Here’s Why Ontario Hikers Are Searching for It)

A hiker walking along a forest path beside calm blue-gray lake water, with pine and cedar trees along the shoreline.
Estimated read time 9 min read

If you’ve been searching for Hunt Lake Hiking Trail expecting to find it in Ontario’s Blue Lake Provincial Park, here’s the truth: Hunt Lake Trail is actually located in Whiteshell Provincial Park, Manitoba, near the Ontario border by West Hawk Lake. This 12.6-kilometre out-and-back route winds through cedar and pine forest along the eastern shore of Hunt Lake before reaching beautiful West Hawk Lake, where you’ll find a picnic shelter at Indian Bay before retracing your steps.
The confusion is understandable. Hunt Lake sits tantalizingly close to the Manitoba-Ontario border, and many Ontario hikers stumble …

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Environmental and Conservation Initiatives Family and Group Experiences Guides

Why Families Are Flocking to Old MacDonald Camping This Summer

Family camping on a rural farm where a parent helps a child feed a goat, with a child holding fresh eggs near a tent and barnyard in the background.
Estimated read time 11 min read

Old MacDonald camping brings the beloved nursery rhyme to life by combining family-friendly farm stays with classic outdoor camping experiences. Popularized by Ol’ MacDonald’s Resort in Alberta, this camping style lets kids meet barnyard animals, collect fresh eggs, and fall asleep to the sounds of the countryside while parents enjoy the slower pace of rural life. Think of it as agritourism meets traditional camping: you get the tent-pitching adventure or cozy cabin retreat alongside authentic farm experiences like feeding chickens, petting goats, and learning where food actually comes from.
The concept taps into …

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Gear and Outfitters Guides Outdoor Activities and Recreation

7 Best Salomon Hiking Shoes for Ontario Parks in 2026, Tested

“Mud-speckled Salomon hiking shoes on wet Ontario Shield granite near a muddy portage puddle with a blurred forest trail background.”
Estimated read time 20 min read

After logging hundreds of kilometers across Ontario’s Shield rock, muddy portage trails, and root-tangled paths from Algonquin to the Bruce, we’re confident the Salomon X Ultra 5 GTX is the best hiking shoe for most Ontario hikers in 2026. Its exceptional grip on wet granite, lightweight agility for all-day comfort, and proven waterproofing through our spring and summer testing make it the clear winner at $209.95 CAD, even as stock fluctuates with more inventory coming soon.
We put six Salomon models through real-world conditions this season: …

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Guides Outdoor Activities and Recreation Park Logistics and Planning

Scramble Hiking in Ontario: Where Trails Meet Rock and Adventure Begins

“Hikers scrambling on a granite ridge in Ontario at golden hour, with a hand braced on rock for balance and forested landscape in the background.”
Estimated read time 15 min read

Scramble hiking sits somewhere between a forest trail walk and a technical rock climb, and if you’ve been itching for something more adventurous than your usual Sunday hike, this might be exactly what you need. Picture yourself pulling your body up over boulders, testing handholds on granite slabs, and navigating steep terrain where the trail occasionally disappears beneath your boots. No ropes required, but you’ll definitely use your hands.
This style of hiking has exploded across Ontario in 2026, partly because people got bored with the same flat trails and partly because social media made scrambling look incredibly …

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Gear and Outfitters Guides Park Logistics and Planning

Why Your Next Backcountry Adventure Depends on the Right Hiking Sleeping Pad

Ultralight hiking sleeping pad unrolled on the ground next to a tent in a pine forest campsite, with a backpack and trekking poles in the background.
Estimated read time 15 min read

Your first night on the trail shouldn’t mean waking up with a sore back and regret. The sleeping pad you bring hiking is fundamentally different from what you’d toss in the car for a weekend at Algonquin. We’re talking about gear that needs to fold down smaller than a water bottle, weigh less than your lunch, and still keep you warm when you’re sleeping on granite in Killarney.
I learned this the hard way during a spring trip to …

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Guides Park Logistics and Planning Safety and Survival Skills

What Your Kids Really Need in Their Hiking Backpack for Ontario’s Backcountry Trails

Child wearing a properly fitted hiking backpack on an Ontario backcountry trail with a water bottle and trail essentials.
Estimated read time 16 min read

Start teaching your kids trail responsibility early by letting them carry their own gear, even if it’s just a lightweight pack with a water bottle and snack on your first Algonquin Provincial Park day hike. A five-year-old beaming with pride over their tiny backpack quickly becomes a confident ten-year-old who can handle navigation tools and emergency supplies on backcountry routes.
The right kids hiking backpack transforms family trips from “Are we there yet?” marathons into genuine outdoor adventures. I learned this watching my seven-year-old niece on the Highland Backpacking Trail. Once she had her own properly …

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Guides Park Logistics and Planning Visiting Parks

Why Ontario Campers Are Crossing Into Quebec for Lac Lafontaine (And What You Need to Know)

“Tent pitched on a wooded lakeside campsite with a fire pit and calm clear lake at Lac Lafontaine in Quebec.”
Estimated read time 16 min read

Just 90 minutes from Ottawa, tucked along the quiet shores of the Gatineau region, Camping Lac Lafontaine has become one of Quebec’s best-kept secrets for Ontario campers seeking something different from the usual Provincial Parks circuit. If you’ve ever refreshed the Ontario Parks reservation page at midnight only to find Bon Echo and Algonquin completely booked, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why more campers from the Ottawa Valley and Eastern Ontario are crossing the border to discover this family-run gem.
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