Active Living
The Severn Sound watershed has an exceptional network of trails and is working on improving this network. Trails offer the opportunity to connect communities and provide significant tourism and economic advantages.
In the Severn Sound watershed:
- Local and regional trail systems include over 175 km of municipally-owned trails.
- Major trail is the Ganaraska Trail, a 400 km hiking trail that connects Port Hope to Barrie, Orillia and the Bruce Trail. A 100 km spur trail links Midland and Wasaga Beach to the trail.
- Municipal planning documents address trail development in the watershed:
- Official Plans
- Parks & Recreation Master Plans
- Corporate and Strategic Plans (e.g., Orillia)
- Regional Plans such as Charting Our Future
- Community groups are involved in promoting, developing, maintaining and enhancing trails in the watershed:
- Huronia Trails & Greenways has a program called Help Trails Grow, a Vehicle Recycling Program that uses the funds towards trail initiatives
- Take Heart Muskoka supports a wide range of programs, including trail mapping and promotion and developing Active Transportation initiatives
- Ganaraska Hiking Trails Association has a number of clubs, each associated with an area of the trail