Lake Huron

Roughly 500km (301 miles) from Sarnia to Tobermory and Wiarton, including both coasts of the Bruce Peninsula

• Connects 14 municipalities and First Nations. Most communities have amenities.
• Family friendly/offroad sections in: Sarnia, Grand Bend to Pinery Provincial Park, Port Elgin to Saugeen Shores.
• Highway 6: The route follows some sections of Highway 6 in the Bruce Peninsula where there were no other roads to achieve a continuous route.. While there are moderate paved shoulders on these sections, the road is seasonally very busy, especially in summer and specifically around Chi-Cheemaun ferry arrival/departures in Tobermory. The road has a posted limit of 90km/h and cyclists should be comfortable riding near traffic, including truck traffic. Use caution.
• In Huron County, County Roads have a posted speed limit of 90km/h (55mph), and not all of these roads presently have paved shoulders.
• Gravel: Only 16km of the entire 500km route on Lake Huron consists of gravel roads. These lie primarily along rural roads in Northern Bruce Peninsula (North of Pike Bay and Hope Bay). The longest stretch of continuous gravel is roughly 4.5km, roughly a 20 minute ride at a leisurely pace.
• While the Trail connects some urban pockets, many of the communities connected by the route are not large. When visiting some of these lovely communities, we recommend timing your trip to arrive before 5pm to give yourself time to gather necessities and settle in for your night’s rest. Many communities will have businesses open later, but not all.
• While it’s possible to cycle from Lion’s Head to Tobermory and back in a day, we recommend planning for an extra day and staying to see the sites.
• The Trail can be very scenic and peaceful, however you should plan for roughly 20-30km distance between most amenities. Pack extra water and snacks for your trip. The route distance between Lion’s Head and Tobermory is roughly 62km.
• There is a 36km gap in the official route between Grand Bend to the Bayfield River. We recommend following locally promoted routing to navigate this gap in the route.
• Junctions: The Trail directly connects to the G2G (Goderich to Guelph) trail (Goderich), Saugeen Rail Trail (Southampton), and connects in many locations with some of the most spectacular sections of the Bruce Trail.

Trail Gaps

There are 4 gaps in the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail on Lake Huron:

Kettle and Stoney Point First Nation / Lambton Shores

• Length and location: 2 short gaps totalling 6km exist between Army Camp Road and Outer Drive and Port Franks Road.
• Future: The proposed future connection will make use of Highway 21, which does not have presently have hardened shoulders in this area. The ministry of transportation has recently announced a design and study that could see these gaps closed as early as 2020. A proposed detour is included on our interactive map, however this detour is lengthy and includes long distances on gravel. Experienced cyclists do travel this stretch of Highway 21, but exercise caution.

Municipality of Bluewater

• Length and location: Roughly 36km between Main Street in Grand Bend and the Bayfield River (Bayfield).
• Future: We recommend following locally promoted cycling routing to navigate this gap in the route. The WRT still hopes to achieve full connectivity through the Municipality of Bluewater and will work with local stakeholders to identify and map this route as opportunities allow.

Kincardine

• The Kincardine Trails Association (KTA) and local and regional stakeholders to completed the Kincardine to Inverhuron Provincial Park (KIPP) Trail, connecting the municipal centre of Kincardine with the communities of Kinhuron and Lorn and Inverhuron Provincial Park. Formerly a gap in the Trail, this exceptional achievement provides a vital link for commuters and recreational travellers alike, providing an off-road alternative to Bruce County Road 23.

Background of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail in Lake Huron

The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail came to communities between Sarnia and Tobermory in two phases. Work on the Trail began as part of a greater expansion initiative connecting 16 communities between Niagara-on-the-Lake and Grand Bend, achieving connectivity in 2013. The second phase continued the connection north in 2018 with funding from the (then) Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport along the shores of Lake Huron to Tobermory and Manitoulin Island to Espanola and along Georgian Bay to Collingwood connecting a further 22 local and regional Municipalties and First Nations.

This all part of a historic link joining together the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail in Southern Ontario and Northern Ontario via the Chi-Cheemaun Ferry.