Voyageur Hiking Trail, Wilderness hiking trail in Northern Ontario, Canada
The Voyageur Hiking Trail is a long-distance hiking trail in Northern Ontario, Canada, running along the northern shores of Lake Huron and Lake Superior. The route crosses rocky outcrops of the Canadian Shield, passes through boreal forest, and is divided into named segments that together form a continuous path.
The trail began taking shape in 1973, when Harold Brain brought together a group of volunteers to build a hiking path across the Canadian Shield. Since then, the Voyageur Trail Association has maintained and gradually extended the route over the following decades.
The name refers to the French-speaking fur traders who once paddled the Great Lakes by canoe, following routes that this trail loosely traces through the same northern landscape. Walking here gives a sense of moving through territory that was once a working highway for trade.
Much of the route passes through remote forest, so it is worth downloading offline maps before heading into areas without mobile signal. Members of the Voyageur Trail Association can access the Ondago app, which helps with navigation along the trail.
The Casque Isles segment runs directly along the rocky cliffs above Lake Superior's northern shore, making it one of the few parts of the trail where open water is visible from the path. This section is often walked as a standalone trip by hikers who do not attempt the full route.
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