Hike Ontario, founded in 1974, is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of all hikers and walkers in the Province of Ontario. The membership of Hike Ontario consists of 25 long distance trail associations and hiking clubs with memberships totaling over 13,000 people across Ontario . Hike Ontario also welcomes individual memberships.
Hike Ontario is the umbrella organization that provides these province wide associations with resources and services to build on these long established local and regional initiatives in a way which compliments and enhances them.
Recent Accomplishments
- Launched a new website, accessible on mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets.
- Partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario, and Conservation Ontario to deliver the Mood Walks program across the province.
- Provided 400 copies of the 374-page Young Hikers Manual to eco-schools across the province.
- Published two books on hiking trails within Southern Ontario with over 14,000 copies sold: the Hike Ontario Guide to Walks Around Toronto and the Hike Ontario Guide to Walks in Carolinian Canada (Boston Mills).
- Developed three provincially recognized leadership certification courses: Certified Hike Leader, Wilderness Day Hike Leader and Wilderness Trip Hike Leader.
- Created a comprehensive Young Hikers Program.
- Provided volunteer labour in the construction and maintenance of over 3,000 km of private/public trail systems.
- Introduced a Long Distance Hikers Award Program.
- Coordinated of a liability insurance program for most of the hiking trails in Ontario.
- Acting as a liaison with provincial government in the areas of health, recreation, tourism and natural resources while providing policy, advocacy and issue research.
- Hike Ontario also represents Ontario's hiking community on the Ontario Trails Council, Hike Canada En Marche, the Trans-Canada Trail and the Ontario Trails Strategy.