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Bruce Trail

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The Bruce Trail is a hiking trail in southern Ontario , Canada, from the Niagara River to the tip of Tobermory, Ontario . The main trail is more than 890 km (550 mi) long and there are over 400 km (250 mi) of associated side trails. The trail mostly follows the edge of the Niagara Escarpment , one of the nineteen UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves in Canada. The land the trail traverses is owned by the Government of Ontario , local municipalities, local conservation authorities , private landowners, and the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC). The Bruce Trail is the oldest and longest marked hiking trail in Canada. Its name is linked to the Bruce Peninsula and Bruce County , through which the trail runs. The trail is named after the county, which was named after James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin who was the Governor General of the Province of Canada from 1847 to 1854.

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33-668: The idea for creating the Bruce Trail came about in 1959 out of a meeting between Ray Lowes and Robert Bateman, of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists . Ray Lowes' vision was of a public footpath that would span the entire Niagara Escarpment. On September 23, 1960, the first meeting of the Bruce Trail Committee took place, consisting of four attending members—Ray Lowes, Philip Gosling, Norman Pearson, and Dr. Robert McLaren. Each member became instrumental in building

66-631: A quarterly magazine called ON Nature, formerly called Seasons . Bruce Peninsula National Park Bruce Peninsula National Park is a national park on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario , Canada. Located on a part of the Niagara Escarpment , the park comprises 156 square kilometres and is one of the largest protected areas in southern Ontario, forming the core of UNESCO 's Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve . It

99-555: A result, they tend to prolong milder temperatures in the fall and cooler temperatures in spring. Summers are warm, with an average temperature of 16.8 °C (62.2 °F) while winters are cool, averaging −6.7 °C (19.9 °F). Summers are dominated by hot, humid air masses from the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. In winter, Pacific air masses predominate, bringing in warm and humid air although cold, dry air from

132-501: A typical climate for lakeside Northern Ontario , though the surrounding bodies of Lake Huron moderate the temperates. The park has a humid continental climate ( Dfb ), with warm to hot summers and cool winters. In the coastal northern parts of the peninsula, the climate is among the most temperate in Ontario. The climate of the park is influenced by both Georgian Bay and Lake Huron , which significantly moderate temperatures. As

165-530: A weather and tourist information station CBPS-FM which operates at 90.7 FM. The station was launched in the mid-1990s. The Niagara Escarpment runs from near Rochester , New York, to Tobermory , then on to Manitoulin , St. Joseph Island and other islands located in northern Lake Huron where it turns westwards into the Upper Peninsula of northern Michigan, south of Sault Ste. Marie . The escarpment then extends southwards into Wisconsin following

198-437: Is a natural feature exposed by human activity, namely farming. The Bruce Trail and the escarpment run through some of the most populated areas of Ontario, with an estimated 7 million people living within 100 km (62 mi). Golf courses, housing, and quarries are all examples of the threatening impact that this many people have on the natural environment. The popularity of the trail itself, especially near urban areas, and

231-605: Is a non-profit organization based in Toronto that promotes the preservation and conservation of wild species and spaces in the Canadian province of Ontario . It was established in 1931 as the Federation of Ontario Naturalists and changed its name to Ontario Nature in 2004. Ontario Nature maintains its own system of 24 nature reserves , totaling 2,788 hectares. It creates parks and nature reserves . It also provides public education about nature. Ontario Nature publishes

264-408: Is an important habitat for massasauga rattlesnakes and one of the last places where they can be found. A variety of natural habitats are found in the park. These include mixed-wood forests, wetlands, alvars, talus slopes, and cliffs. The park is known for its wildflowers and has many species of algae, mosses, and lichen. There are over 32 species of ferns and 34 species of orchids that are found in

297-490: Is evenly distributed throughout the year with fall (September–November) being the wettest. Precipitation is slightly lower than inland areas due to the limited influence that the narrow peninsula has when air masses travel over it compared to more interior locations. Animals that inhabit this national park are chipmunks , squirrels , red foxes , raccoons , coyotes , black bears , porcupines , snowshoe hares , skunks , white-tailed deer , snakes and frogs . The park

330-463: Is marked with the BTC logo, a white lozenge with black text and drawings for the Bruce Trail and an upward pointing arrow, which does not act as a part of a navigational marker. The actual blazes for the main trail are white markings, approximately 3 cm (1 in) wide by 8 cm (3 in) high, with turns indicated by stacking two blazes off centre to indicate the direction to take. The blazes for

363-540: Is open year-round and offers visitors vistas to view either the sunrise or sunset, the rocks of the Niagara Escarpment, and the wildlife, which includes black bear , many species of birds, wild orchids , massasauga rattlesnake , and much more. The park was the subject of a short film in 2011's National Parks Project , directed by Daniel Cockburn and scored by John K. Samson , Christine Fellows and Sandro Perri . The Bruce Peninsula National Park has

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396-551: The Door Peninsula and then more inland from the western coast of Lake Michigan and Milwaukee ending northwest of Chicago near the Wisconsin-Illinois border. It forms the backbone of the Bruce Peninsula and shapes the northern boundary of most of the park and provides the park with some of its most spectacular scenery. The rock of the escarpment is very old. Approximately 400 million years ago, this area

429-662: The Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail , Mount Nemo Conservation Area , Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area , Crawford Lake Conservation Area , Mono Cliffs Provincial Park , and the Bruce Peninsula National Park , which is located between Georgian Bay and Lake Huron near the northern tip of Bruce Peninsula. Its northern terminus is in Tobermory , the jumping off point for Fathom Five National Marine Park . Approximately half of

462-496: The 300 km (190 mi) of associated side trails are similar, except they are blue. The BTC regularly holds events called end to end hikes. These events, which are sometimes held over two to three days, challenge hikers to walk over long sections of the trail daily in order to hike the entire length of the trail within one of the Bruce Trail clubs. The Bruce Trail has also attracted long-distance runners who attempt to run its entire length. The first Fastest Known Time (FKT)

495-487: The Arctic highs can occur, bringing in colder and drier conditions. Warm air masses coming from the Gulf of Mexico are rare during winter but are responsible for bringing January and February thaws. Spring and fall are characterized by complex weather patterns with contrasting and rapidly changing influences from the different regional air masses. The park receives 900 mm (35 in) of precipitation per year. This

528-654: The Blaze Race set a new end-to-end relay record of 3 days, 23 hours, and 10 minutes. In 2012, adventure seekers Fred Losani, Peter Turkstra, Mark Maclennan, and Teemu Lakkasuo went on a quest to raise funds and awareness for inner-city food and nutrition programs in Hamilton, as well as the Bruce Trail Conservancy as they celebrate 50 years. The adventure began on September 24, 2012, in Queenston, in

561-556: The Bruce Trail. Trail Director Philip Gosling was responsible for gaining access to the Niagara Escarpment. With a team of volunteers, he visited major towns along the proposed route to discuss their vision of the trail and to solicit help from landowners. Their efforts were successful, and by 1963 regional clubs were established along the length of the Trail. Each club was responsible for obtaining landowner approvals, organizing trail construction, and maintenance efforts within their region of

594-453: The Bruce trail, where streams or rivers flow over the Niagara Escarpment. Niagara Falls , by far the most famous water feature in the area, can be reached by a side trail of the Bruce Trail proper. There is also a wide range of plant and wildlife along the trail, including slow-growing centuries-old coniferous trees right on the limestone lip of the escarpment itself. The Cheltenham Badlands

627-604: The Niagara region, and ended approximately one month later in Tobermory. Along the way the hikers had the opportunity to walk with students, interact via live webcam and satellite phone transmissions, and educate students about the importance of proper nutrition, healthy living, and maintaining the Bruce Trail. 43°30′26″N 79°55′44″W  /  43.50722°N 79.92889°W  / 43.50722; -79.92889 Federation of Ontario Naturalists Ontario Nature

660-588: The careless attitude of some of its users also paradoxically threaten the quality and viability of the trail. The trail begins in the Niagara Peninsula of Southern Ontario in Queenston, Ontario , on the Niagara River , not far from Niagara Falls . The cairn marking its southern terminus is in a parking lot, about 160 metres (520 ft) from General Brock's Monument on the easterly side of

693-785: The monument's park grounds. From there, it travels through St. Catharines , where it passes through wine country near the Short Hills Bench . It continues due north through the major towns or cities of Hamilton , Burlington , Milton , Halton Hills , Walters Falls , Owen Sound , Wiarton , and finally Tobermory . It passes through parks operated by various levels of government, including Woodend Conservation Area in Niagara-on-the-Lake , Battlefield Park in Stoney Creek , Dundas Valley Conservation Area in Dundas ,

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726-513: The park, including the eastern prairie fringed orchid , which is one of the rarest species native to North America. The park hosts half of the world's dwarf lake iris , which is considered a vulnerable species. Forest cover includes eastern white cedar, spruce, fir, birch, poplar, maple, and beech. Bruce Peninsula National Park is open year-around with limited services during the off-season. The park offers many activities such as hiking, swimming, bouldering, camping, canoeing, and kayaking. During

759-451: The rock of the escarpment cliffs along Bruce Peninsula National Park's Georgian Bay shoreline. At Niagara Falls, the dolomite "caprock" is more resistant to erosion than the rock below it, creating the sculptured cliffs for which the area is famous. Since the last ice age , water levels in the region have undergone great changes. Softer limestone has been eroded away by water action, leaving magnificent overhanging cliffs at various points along

792-487: The route in the early 1960s, and the responsibility for maintaining the trail was assumed by the nascent Bruce Trail Association; as of 2007, it is called the Bruce Trail Conservancy. Currently headquartered at 55 Head Street in Dundas , the BTC marks and maintains the main trail as well as many side trails. Trail maintenance includes building bridges over streams and gullies, building stairs and switchbacks to climb slopes, building stiles over fences, and rerouting portions of

825-517: The shore. These are the big attraction of the Cyprus Lake trails. Where erosion has cut more deeply, caves have been formed, such as the famed "Grotto" on the shore between the Marr Lake and Georgian Bay Trails. Great blocks of dolomite, undercut by wave action, have tumbled from the cliffs above and can be clearly seen below the surface of the deep, clean waters of Georgian Bay. The park has

858-463: The trail runs through public land. In order to make a complete connection, the trail runs partly on private property and partly on road allowances. When going through private property, the BTC has made agreements with landowners to allow trail users to pass through. Using roads is not the best route for the trail. In these sections, the BTC is involved in acquiring land along what it calls the "optimum route." The Federation of Ontario Naturalists surveyed

891-406: The trail that have become worn through overuse. The trail is subdivided into nine sections, each with a subsidiary club: Volunteers inspect, repair, and build footbridges, retaining walls, stiles, and handholds along their section of the route. The BTC and subsidiary clubs offer badges for those hikers who complete the whole trail or any of its sections under prescribed conditions. The main trail

924-599: The trail. On March 13, 1963, the Bruce Trail Association was incorporated in Ontario, and the first edition of the Association's newsletter, Bruce Trail News, was published that same year. Membership grew to 200. Dr. Aubrey Diem, an assistant professor of Geography at the University of Waterloo, compiled the first guidebook in 1965. The cairn at the northern terminus of the Bruce Trail in Tobermory

957-557: The winter season, activities such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and winter camping are also available. Bruce Peninsula National Park was designated a Dark Sky Preserve in 2009 and is one of three places in southern Ontario where visitors can stargaze in naturally dark skies. In 2006, a new visitors' centre opened to serve Fathom Five National Marine Park and the Bruce Peninsula National Park. Designed by Andrew Frontini of Shore Tilbe Irwin + Partners ,

990-491: Was covered by a shallow tropical sea teeming with life in the form of plant-like animals, crustaceans , living corals and mollusks . It would have looked much like the present-day Great Barrier Reef of Australia . When the sea began to dry up, the minerals dissolved in it became more and more concentrated. Magnesium in the water was absorbed into the limestone , which then became a harder, slightly different sort of rock, called dolomite . The harder dolomite forms much of

1023-517: Was established in 1987 to protect the rock formations and shoreline of the Niagara Escarpment. The park offers opportunities for many outdoor activities, including hiking , camping , boating , and bird watching . The park has trails ranging in difficulty from easy to expert, and connects to the Bruce Trail . Bruce Peninsula National Park is known for its crystal clear blue waters, cobblestone beaches, rocky cliffs and karst formations. The park

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1056-526: Was set in 1995. During the COVID19 pandemic, a number of runners broke the FKT from 2017. The Highlands Trailblazers Nordic Ski Team completed a relay-style run of the entire trail in 8 days, starting in Tobermory on June 24, 2008, and finishing in Queenston on July 1, 2008. This run was both a training event as well as a fundraiser for the team. In 2009, two 10-person teams running continuously in an event called

1089-594: Was unveiled in 1967 to coincide with Canada's Centennial Year. In August 2021, the Bruce Trail Conservancy purchased nearly 400 acres of land known as the Maple Cross Nature Reserve, its largest acquisition to date. The new protected area allowed the Bruce Trail to be extended an additional 1.8 kilometers in the Cape Chin area on the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula . There are many waterfalls along

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