Fans of the book and movie Wild, which chronicled Cheryl Strayed’s 1,100-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, don’t have to travel to the U.S. to complete their own epic journey. With some careful planning and organization, the ambitious goal of hiking all 890 km of the Bruce Trail can be achieved. The Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) recognizes “End-to-Enders” with an official end-to-end badge.
According to the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Fund:
“It is possible to complete the Trail in one go, in as little as 30 to 60 days. This requires a good level of physical ability, as it means hiking for around 4 to 8 hours, or an average of between 15 and 30 km, per day. It will also require a lot of advance planning to organize places to stay and meals. Don’t worry though; help is available. The Bruce Trail Conservancy lists a selection of inns, B&Bs and other accommodations, as well as a list of over 40 campsites, along the various sections of the Trail. Detailed PDF maps are also available for purchase at the BTC online store. Planning out your journey in advance will help you achieve your goal.
If you want to pace it out, another option is to complete the Trail in stages. There are nine Bruce Trail clubs, each representing their own section of the Trail, and offering organized end-to-end hikes of their own Trail sections. The hikes generally take place over a couple of weekends in the summer. Registration is required and there is usually a fee, but there are also water and snack stations along the way and you’ll earn your club badge at the end. This option allows you to complete the 9 sections over a number of weekends, and once you’ve earned all your club badges you will eligible for the coveted end-to-end badge.”
Learn more about the End-to-End hikes.
