More than 12,000 Canadians participate in Trans Canada Trail’s Great Canadian Hike

Montreal – Trans Canada Trail‘s second annual Great Canadian Hike challenge has come to a close, and TCT is proud to announce that 12,171 participants logged an astounding 122,525 hours on the trail, exceeding the goal of 28,000 hours by more than 337 per cent.

This year’s edition of the hike also saw an increase of 1,874 participants over the inaugural Great Canadian Hike in 2020.

 From Sept. 15 to Oct.31, Trans Canada Trail invited people in all 13 provinces and territories to disconnect from screens and reconnect to nature and to one another, by spending 28,000 hours on Canada’s 28,000 kilometre-long national trail. Canadians embraced the challenge, with people from every province and territory taking part – hiking, walking, rolling, paddling or biking along the trail.

In addition to the 122,525 total collective hours, participants logged a combined 379,036 kilometres on the trail this year, more than tripling last year’s collective kilometre total of 108,000.

 Additionally, more than 1,400 people shared their hike experiences across the country through incredible images posted in the Great Canadian Hike photo gallery.

“We started the Great Canadian Hike last year during the onset of the pandemic, as an invitation to Canadians to safely gather and connect in physically distant – yet socially together – ways, in the outdoors and on the Trans Canada Trail,” said Eleanor McMahon, president and CEO, Trans Canada Trail. 

“We knew that Canadians were out on their local trails in increasing numbers as a result of the pandemic, and our research has shown that trail use is up across the country. We know too, that Canadians care deeply about nature and the world around them and trails are a way to access both. That people have embraced the Great Canadian Hike so deeply and wholeheartedly over the course of these past weeks, affirms how profound the trail is as a connector of people to nature, to friends and family and to communities,” McMahon added.

 “In addition, 95 per cent of Canadians told us that enhancing their mental and physical health is driving their increased trail use,” said McMahon.

 “As we continue to navigate the pandemic, we know that the trail will remain vital as a tool for the physical and mental well-being of Canadians. While the hike has wrapped for 2021, I encourage everyone to continue to care for their mental, physical and social health by spending time on the Trans Canada Trail.”