The World’s Longest Trail Offers A New Way to See the Country
One of my favourite ways to explore a new destination is simply through walking, and it’s usually the first thing I do when I arrive. I check into my accommodation, drop my bags and go for a walk (often in search of something to eat). I like the way walking strips away the curated tourist experience and lets a destination reveal itself at a slower pace.
That’s how I kept finding myself on the Trans Canada Trail. I would wander onto a riverfront trail or a forested loop and be halfway through a walk or hike before realizing that the trail I was exploring was part of Canada’s national trail system. Now I actively seek out the Trans Canada Trail in every destination I visit, because I’ve learned it’s the best way to really get to know a place. The trail is as varied and diverse as Canada—no two sections are the same.
British Columbia: Capilano River Regional Park
Some of my best trail experiences have been accidental. On a warm spring afternoon, I wandered into Capilano River Regional Park in North Vancouver for a casual walk. I was drawn in by the verdant trees, the quiet and, eventually, a bench with a view overlooking Capilano Lake. I made it all the way to Cleveland Dam before turning back.
It felt like a quiet escape from the city, even though it was in the heart of a busy metropolitan area. I didn’t realize it was part of the Trans Canada Trail until later. It just felt like a walk through the forest.
Alberta: Cochrane, Lacombe and the Open Prairies
I’ve lived in Alberta my whole life, so I’ve had more time than most to explore the Trans Canada Trail in my home province—and I still haven’t seen all of it.
Some of my fondest memories involve cycling the flat stretch of trail that connects my hometown of Lacombe with Blackfalds—passing farmers’ fields, livestock, open prairies and sparkling lakes. Then there’s the High Rockies Trail, also part of the Trans Canada Trail system and vastly more rugged—requiring a mountain bike rather than a road bike. The contrast between the two trails says a lot about how massive and varied the Trans Canada Trail is.
Closer to my current home, I regularly take my two dogs to walk in Jim Uffelman Memorial Park. It’s a fantastic stretch of the trail that winds along the Bow River and is a designated off-leash area, so my dogs can roam where they please and even take a dip in the river on hot summer days. I’ve done that loop more times than I can count and it never gets old.
New Brunswick: Fredericton’s Riverfront Trails
On a recent trip with extended family to Fredericton, New Brunswick, we left our downtown hotel to walk to a restaurant for dinner and ended up on a beautiful pathway along the St. John River. Colourful flowerbeds and foliage lined the path. It was one of those moments where you slowly feel yourself falling in love with a city.
We hadn’t planned to explore the Trans Canada Trail—we just started walking and the city opened up around us. Canada’s national trail has a way of turning an ordinary evening into something unforgettable.
Seeing Canada through the Trail
From coastal rainforests in British Columbia to riverfront city pathways in New Brunswick, the Trans Canada Trail doesn’t just cross Canada—it reflects it. The trail offers something different in every destination you visit, showcasing the true diversity of Canada, not only in landscapes, but also in how people use and explore the trail across the country.
I’ve stopped thinking of the Trans Canada Trail as something I stumble across by accident. Now, it’s something I actively plan for. I’m looking forward to discovering more sections of Canada’s national trail in the future.
