User:Sdominy/Voyageur Trail, Ontario, Canada

New article name is Voyageur Hiking Trail, Ontario, Canada

The Voyageur Trail is a public hiking trail between Sudbury and Thunder Bay in northern Ontario, Canada. The name honours the early European fur traders of the region who traveled largely by canoe and were known as 'voyageurs’ or ‘coureurs des bois’ (runners of the woods) The trail is used by all ages and levels of experience, from the day hiker to the hardy backpacker.

The trail dates to 1973, and is a work in progress that has involved hundreds of volunteers, private sector and government supporters. It is designed for foot traffic in summer and snowshoe/ski traffic in winter

Over half the linear trail has been completed (some 600 km) plus numerous side trails. The hiking trail crosses the vast privately- and publicly-owned forests of this rugged wilderness. The largest city on the completed trail is Sault Ste. Marie, situated between two of the Great Lakes – Lake Superior and Lake Huron – and bordering on the state of Michigan. The route parallels these two great bodies of water, frequently touching on the shoreline or affording glimpses from distant promontories. The trail passes through many other communities along the route including Spanish, Elliot Lake, Iron Bridge, Wawa, Marathon, Terrace Bay, Schreiber, Rossport and Nipigon.

While most of the trail has been built and maintained by volunteer members, portions within Provincial and Federal Park lands have been included with the consent of those agencies. The Voyageur Trail Association was created as a not-for-profit entity consisting of a collection of individual clubs; members are responsible for the footpaths within their areas. Each active club is represented on an elected Coordinating Council that oversees the affairs of the Association. Clubs offer scheduled outings as a way to meet fellow hikers and explore new trails. The Association is one of 27 formal hiking organizations across Ontario represented by Hike Ontario, the provincial voice for hikers.

A trail guidebook provides trail users with up-to-date maps and descriptions of the available trails.