A trail is being built that will open up an entire country. It will provide a means for people to enjoy all sorts of recreational activities on nearly 22,000 kilometers (13,670 miles) of trails. The Trans Canada Trail (TCT) will be the longest trail network in the world, and is on track to be completed in time for Canada’s 150th Anniversary of Confederation in 2017.

When complete, the TCT will link three oceans, Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic, by running from “Mile 0” in St. John’s, Newfoundland in the east to Victoria, British Columbia in the west. Near Edmonton, Alberta, a long spur will run northwest to the Arctic coast in the Northwest Territories. Along the way, it will also link close to 1,000 communities and 33 million Canadians.

Made up of close to 400 individual trails, the TCT has sections in every province and territory of Canada except Nunavut. Funded by individuals, corporations and the Canadian government, the trail is intended to inspire Canadians of all ages to get active and keep fit. The trail will be available to a wide variety of recreational uses, motorized and non-motorized. Its entire length will be marked with trail signs and directional arrows, as well as with interpretive panels. Eighty-six pavilions along the way will provide more information, as well as recognitions for the trail’s donors and funders.

The TCT website (www.tctrail.ca) has a great deal of information about the trail. It includes a link for obtaining maps and GPS data; Trail Finder, a listing of links for obtaining information about the various trails in each province or territory which comprise the TCT; and opportunities for you to donate to support the trail’s completion. Stories from the Trail is a sporadically updated blog with news about the TCT.

In the TCT on-line store, you can find trail gear, posters and games, clothing, and books and maps. If you are interested in exploring all or part of the trail, there are trail guidebooks for Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba, and British Columbia. The books include information on the history and culture of the areas, trail conditions, maps and more.

If you live in Canada or are visiting nearly anywhere in the country, look up a TCT trail near you to investigate. I’m adding a coast-to-coast-to-coast bike ride to my bucket list, but until then, I hope to be able to do some short explorations of my own. What a phenomenal resource to be able to take advantage of.

Ride safe and have fun!