Guelph Hiking Trail Club upcoming events

Long Weekend Bird Hike (16 May 2026)

Sat, 16 May 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Join Mike van den Tillaart and Jane Bibby for a morning bird hike during spring migration.

We'll meet at the Covered Bridge and carpool to the parking lot at Barber Scout Camp. The hike will follow the beautiful Eramosa River along the OR Sidetrail to the Reformatory Ponds and back again. We'll take a slow pace with lots of time to stop and watch for birds.

Don't forget your binoculars! If you don't have any, then you can borrow some from the Guelph Public Library. We also have a couple of pairs to lend to the first two folks who let us know they need them.

Hike Details:

Date: Saturday, May 16

Time: 7:00-11:00am - please arrive a few minutes early so we can organize carpooling and head out by 7:00am

Meet location: Covered Bridge, Guelph

Hike location: OR Sidetrail and OR Loop Sidetrail

Level: 2

Pace: Slow

What to bring:

Snacks and water
Hiking boots or running shoes that can handle a little mud
Rain gear
Hat
Sunscreen
Bug repellent
Hiking poles if you like using them
Binoculars or a camera

No dogs on this hike!

Hike Leaders:

Mike van den Tillaart - vdtm8@icloud.com

Jane Bibby - jane.bibby@guelphhiking.com (cell for morning of hike: 519-841-9197)

Radial Line and Side Trails Series #3 (17 May 2026)

Sun, 17 May 2026 12:45:00 GMT

Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026

Radial Line and Side Trails Series #3

Time: 9:00-11:45am – meet at 8:45am for check in and meet and greet time.

Hike description: Starting at Gate C, we will walk along the Dave Hull side trail then join the main Radial Line, cross over Arkell Rd., hike on the Starkey Hill side trail then cross back over Arkell Rd. and join the Arkell Springs side trail then follow the Radial Line trail back to Gate C. The trails on the Arkell Springs grounds are relatively flat with uneven terrain. Starkey Hill has several hills to go up and down and uneven terrain. Due to weather conditions, we may encounter muddy and wet trails.

Pace: 4 km/hr, approx. 9 km, 2 ¾ hrs (includes time for a short break)

Parking: roadside parking by Gate C at 662 Watson Rd. S. Puslinch (there is a billboard with a Canadian flag across from Gate C).

Required: hiking footwear, dress for the weather, I.D.

Recommended: water, hiking pole(s), snack, small first aid kit

No dogs please.

If you have any questions, please contact the hike leader

Hike leaders:

Michelle Lebon : milebon231@gmail.com

Mike van den Tillaart - vdtm8@icloud.com

Ignatius Jesuit Centre Trails (18 May 2026)

Mon, 18 May 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Hike name: Ignatius Jesuit Centre Trails

Location: Ignatius Jesuit Centre

When: May 18, 2026

Time: 9:00am - 10:30am

Check in at 8:45am for a 9:00am start

Hike description: We will mostly follow the trail around the perimeter including through the forests, by the meadows and gardens. The trail varies with sections of dirt with rocks and roots and grassy lanes.

Pace: 4 km/hr – approximately 5.5 km, 1 ½ hr

Parking: 5420 Hwy 6, Guelph (north of Woodlawn Rd) – enter and drive through along the laneway – use the second lot

What3words https://what3words.com/standard.dairy.secretly

Required: hiking shoes, dress for the weather, I.D

Recommended: water, snack, sunscreen, bug spray

No dogs please.

Hike leaders:

Michelle Lebon, milebon231@gmail.com

RichardWeppler, richardweppler3@gmail.com 519-994-0255

Late Afternoon Arboretum Hike (19 May 2026)

Tue, 19 May 2026 21:30:00 GMT

Join me for a relaxed hike around the Arboretum. We'll explore the lovely Mtigwaaki Forest and then follow the McCrae Trail into the enchanting Wild Goose Woods. From there, we'll make our way back to the Arboretum Centre along the Ivey Trail where we'll likely see a number of trees and bushes in full bloom.

It will be possible to go on this hike and then head into the Arb Centre for the Trek & Tell presentation. You can also choose to head home right after the walk - your choice!

If you do decide to join us for the Trek & Tell presentation, please register in advance to save your spot.

Date: Tuesday, May 19

Time: 5:30 pm

Hike location: Arboretum

Meeting location: Hales-McKay Shelter (see map here to find the shelter) right next to the parking lots - enter the Arboretum from College Avenue

Level: 2

Pace: Leisurely to moderate (3 kph)

Some trails may be muddy, so wear appropriate footwear. We may encounter a few black flies, so bug repellent would be a good idea. Water and a light snack are recommended. Trekking poles are optional.

No dogs, please.

Wednesday hikes (20 May 2026)

Wed, 20 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Wednesday hikes by leaders: Gitta, Mary, Michelle and Tuula

About 2 hrs, speed moderate, level 1/2, starting 9:30 am. Registration will be open and details closer to the date.

YogaHikes with Rhonda (21 May 2026)

Thu, 21 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

YogaHikes are BACK

Take your yoga outdoors.

Urban and Nature Yoga Hikes combine the cardio benefits of well-paced hiking with the stretching and strengthening moves of yoga for an group workout that is accessible to yoga practitioners of all levels. Yoga Hikes are led by a certified yoga instructor who will keep you moving and guide you on routes that combine hills, stairs, and approx. 5km distance for a great overall workout. Yoga Hikes are limited to 12 participants to foster a fun social atmosphere and ensure that you have the attention you need for the best possible experience. So if you are looking for something awesome to do outdoors, or just love taking on new fitness challenges, come join us for a #YogaHike!

Distance: Approx. 5km

Pace: easy/leisurely

YogaBreak - Approx. 20 minutes - mat not necessary, but we will be on the ground at times. Practice will happen mid-hike or at the end of the hike (terrain consideration)

Suitable for ALL experience levels (beginners welcome)

Dogs are welcome, that said, they will have to be attached to you or secured during the yoga practice.

Wednesday hikes (27 May 2026)

Wed, 27 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Wednesday hikes by leaders: Gitta, Mary, Michelle and Tuula

About 2 hrs, speed moderate, level 1/2, starting 9:30 am. Registration will be open and details closer to the date.

Rock the Wood “Vita Parcours” (30 May 2026)

Sat, 30 May 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Rock the Wood “Vita Parcours”

When:      Saturday, May 30, 2026
          9:30 AM – Approx. 12:30 PM

Location:    Rockwood Conservation Area, 161 Fall Street South, Rockwood.
            Meet at 9:15 in parking lot on the left past gate

Limit:     18 hikers

Difficulty:    Level 1 - moderate pace, approximately 6-7 km.
Trail is mostly hard packed with a couple small hills.

Recommended:
Bring water, snacks, personal first aid kit, health card/identification, sunscreen, hat, insect repellent. Dress for the weather. No dogs please.

Details:
Enjoy this beautiful hike on the Cedar Ridge Trail and Pothole Trail, on both sides of the Eramosa River in the Rockwood Conservation Area.   Towering limestone cliffs, caves, glacial potholes and the ruins of the Harris Woolen Mill are a few of its natural wonders.

We will have fun participating in “Vita Parcours” fitness/exercise stations throughout the hike, that will improve our strength, cardio and flexibility using natural surroundings. A few Yoga stations will be added this year! These exhilarating, functional movement fitness stations will combine exercise, fresh air and vitamin “N” (Nature). Be prepared to find your “Inner Child” on this creative circuit!

There is no park fee since the leaders will have three valid GRCA (Grand River Conservation Authority) passes. Each pass will admit 6 “energetic” people. The Rockwood Conservation Area has kindly given us permission to park inside the conservation area.

Hike Leaders:    Marie Burland burlandmc@gmail.com
                            Tanya Simpraga tsimpraga@yahoo.com
              Or text Tanya at 226-791-4565
                            Tom Rielly t.rielly@rogers.com

Carpool Option:    Meet Tom at the Covered Bridge at 8:40 am for an 8:50 departure to the Rockwood Conservation Area.

Note: If you register and cannot make the hike, please CANCEL Your REGISTRATION by logging on to the GHTC website, click on your name, then click on the “My event registrations” tab & select the event you wish to cancel.

YogaHikes with Rhonda (4 Jun 2026)

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT

YogaHikes are BACK

Take your yoga outdoors.

Distance: Approx. 5km

Pace: easy/leisurely

YogaBreak - Approx. 20 minutes - mat not necessary, but we will be on the ground at times. Practice will happen mid-hike or at the end of the hike (terrain consideration)

Suitable for ALL experience levels (beginners welcome)

Dogs are welcome, that said, they will have to be attached to you or secured during the yoga practice.

BT Iroquoia E2E - Day 8: Killbride to Rattlesnake Point (6 Jun 2026)

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Date: Saturday June 6, 2026

9 am to 2:30 pm

Where: The Bruce Trail Reference, Edition 30, Maps 10/11.
Length: Approx. 16 km
Category: Linear with car shuttle.
Pace and duration: Moderate, 3.25 km/hr. About 5 hours + car shuttle time.
Hike level: Moderate to difficult. Some hilly sections and uneven terrain. Some road walking. Be also aware of the length of the hike and spring conditions.

Hike description:
Series of End-to-End (E2E) hikes through the Iroquoia section of the Bruce Trail. This is a series of 9 hikes, to complete ~ 122 km of this section, running from Grimsby to Milton along the Niagara Escarpment. Come and hike with Joanna, earn a badge or just have fun and, socialize. The Iroquoia section has lots to offer: beautiful waterfalls, few wineries, spectacular views specially passing near Hamilton, Mount Nemo and Kelso, and a varied terrain. For those whose goal is to earn a badge we will create a log. Badge cost is 10$ for BTC members or 15 for non-members. Note, you need to hike the full length of Iroquoia section to earn a badge, but if you are not able to join us on one of the hikes, you can re-do the hike on your own.

Day 8: Killbride to Rattlesnake Point will take us through Yaremko-Ridley Park / Crawford Lake Conservation / Rattlesnake Point Conservation Areas. There will be gorgeous views. We will also walk the Nassagaweya Canyon. We will also include a short detour to Crawford Lake - a rare example of meromictic lake. Car shuttle involved. See note below about car shuttle.

Carpooling meeting point: 8:15 am at Carpool Lot Hwy 401 exit 299 Morriston Queen St/Brock Rd S (Hwy 6), (43.451406, -80.120985). Leaving at 8:25 at the latest. Carpooling is an option. Please communicate to hike leader if you will meet there. Please note: this is a linear hike we will need to make car shuffle. If you carpool, please make sure to have 2 to 3 spots free in your car.

Parking and departure: All participants meet at 9:00 am at Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area parking lot (43.469506, -79.913648). From there we will car shuffle to the start of the hike, parking lot behind the Killbride School at the north end of Panton St. (43.427756,-79.937991).

Park Fees: If you have Conservation Halton Parks membership your entry is free. If not please purchase the entry online / or at the gate. Click here to learn about entry fees. We will communicate this again 1 week before the hike to those who registered.

Car shuffle: All participants will be expected to take turns either driving to the start or driving the drivers back at the end of the day. Carpooling to our meeting spot with 2 to max 3 people in the car is generally ok but we would like to minimize and equalize the driving/shuttling as much as possible so it is fair for all participants.

Directions: Please use your favourite GPS app to obtain directions.

What to wear and bring: This is a spring/early summer hike, please dress according to weather; bring a hat and sunscreen. Wear good hiking boots. Bring rain gear. Bug repellent might be needed. Hiking poles if you like using them. Bring water, snacks and pack a lunch - we will stop for lunch around noon.

Leader contact info Joanna Mazur, 519-497-2254 or hugyourday@gmail.com

YogaHikes with Rhonda (18 Jun 2026)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT

YogaHikes are BACK

Take your yoga outdoors.

Distance: Approx. 5km

Pace: easy/leisurely

YogaBreak - Approx. 20 minutes - mat not necessary, but we will be on the ground at times. Practice will happen mid-hike or at the end of the hike (terrain consideration)

Suitable for ALL experience levels (beginners welcome)

Dogs are welcome, that said, they will have to be attached to you or secured during the yoga practice.

BT Iroquoia E2E Series: Repeat of first hike - Grimsby to Macdui Drive (27 Jun 2026)

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Saturday, June 27, 2026

Where: Grimsby area: The Bruce Trail Reference, Edition 30, Maps 5/6.

Limited to 10 hikers

Hike Description: Day 1 Repeat: Grimsby to Macdui Drive will take us through the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area, and past the Beamer Falls, past Woolverton Conservation area. We will also go by McNeilly West Falls and Vinemount Falls which hopefully we might see. Maybe some other cascades on the way. But as this is a June hike - they might not be big. This is a repeat of the first hike (Iroquoia E2E series). Car shuttle involved. See note below about car shuttle.

About this series of hikes: Join Tanya on this repeat of the first hike from series of 9 hikes: End-to-End (E2E) hikes through the Iroquoia section of the Bruce Trail, to complete ~ 122 km of this section, running from Grimsby to Milton along the Niagara Escarpment. The Iroquoia section has lots to offer: beautiful waterfalls, few wineries, spectacular views specially passing near Hamilton, Mount Nemo and Kelso, and a varied terrain.

Carpooling meeting point: 8:00 am at Carpool Lot Hwy 401 exit 299 Morriston Queen St/Brock Rd S (Hwy 6), (43.451406, -80.120985). Leaving at 8:10 at the latest. Carpooling is an option. Please communicate to hike leader if you will meet there. Please note: this is a linear hike we will need to make car shuffle. If you carpool, please make sure to have 2 to 3 spots free in your car.

All meet at 9:00 am on Macdui Dr. (43.207598,-79.712827) east of DeWitt Rd off Dundee Dr. Roadside parking. From there we will organize car shuttle to the start of the hike parking lot at Grimsby Lions Community Pool (enter at 1 Elm St at the South end of Coronation Park); (43.193201,-79.565301).

Car shuffle: All participants will be expected to take turns either driving to the start or driving the drivers back at the end of the day. Carpooling to our meeting spot with 2 to max 3 people in the car is generally ok but we would like to minimize and equalize the driving/shuttling as much as possible so it is fair for all participants.

Directions: Please use your favourite GPS app to obtain directions.

What to wear and bring: This is an early summer hike, please dress according to weather; bring a hat and sunscreen. Wear good hiking boots. Bring rain gear. Bug repellent might be needed. Hiking poles if you like using them. Bring water, snacks and pack a lunch - we will stop for short lunch around noon.

Length: Approx. 16 km

Pace and duration: Moderate, 3.25 km/hr. About 4.5 hours + car shuttle time. Hike level: Moderate to difficult. Some hilly sections and uneven terrain. Some road walking. Be also aware of the length of the hike.

Hike leaders: Tanya Simpraga: tsimpraga@yahoo.com text: 226-791-4565
Claude Balthazard: claudebalthazard1@gmail.com
Brandon Correia: brandoncorreia_2003@hotmail.com

This is a cooperative hike with the Grand Valley Hiking Club

BT Iroquoia E2E - Day 9: Rattlesnake Point to Hilton Falls (18 Jul 2026)

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Date: Saturday July 18, 2026

9 am to 2:30 pm

Where: The Bruce Trail Reference, Edition 30, Map 11.
Length: Approx. 15 km
Category: Linear with car shuttle.
Pace and duration: Moderate, 3.25 km/hr. About 5 hours + car shuttle time.
Hike level: Moderate to difficult. Some hilly sections and uneven terrain. Some road walking. Be also aware of the length of the hike and spring conditions.

Day 9: Rattlesnake Point to Hilton Falls. This is the end of our journey on the Iroquoia section of BT. We will start at Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area, continue towards Kelso and end up in Hilton Falls. There will be ~ 3 km of road walking. At the end of the hike we shall celebrate - maybe ice cream in Cambellville! It is summer after all! Car shuttle involved. See note below about car shuttle.

Meeting point: All meet 8:30 am at Carpool Lot Hwy 401 exit 299 Morriston Queen St/Brock Rd S (Hwy 6), (43.451406, -80.120985). We will carpool and car shuffle from this location. Leaving at 8:45 at the latest. Please note: this is a linear hike we will need to make car shuffle.

Parking and departure: From meeting point we will drive to Hilton Falls Conservation Area parking lot (43.505705, -79.961589). From there we will all car shuffle to Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area parking lot (43.469506, -79.913648).

Park Fees: If you have Conservation Halton Parks membership your entry is free. If not entry can be purchased online / or at the gate. Click here to learn about entry fees. We will communicate 1 week before the hike to those who registered about the carpooling and organize the car shuffle, as well regarding the park fees.

Directions: Please use your favourite GPS app to obtain directions.

What to wear and bring: This is a summer hike, please dress according to weather; bring a hat and sunscreen, sunglasses. Long pants are recommended. Wear good hiking boots. Bring rain gear. Bug repellent might be needed. Hiking poles if you like using them. Bring water, snacks and pack a lunch - we will stop for lunch around noon.

Leader contact info Joanna Mazur, 519-497-2254 or hugyourday@gmail.com