ontario hiking trails

Someone created a map of 2,000 trails in Ontario and is working on visiting all of them

Alex Oberkovych knows the importance of fresh air.

The 23-year-old Mississauga resident, who's out at a new trail at least three times a week, started avidly hiking about four years ago.

"I've always had a passion and enthusiasm for nature and fresh air. I can spend a lot of time in nature alone and just walk," Oberkovych told blogTO.

"But my love for it really started when my friends and I started road tripping here and there to the basic spots Webster, Tews Falls, Dundas Peak."

Inspired by his and his friend's weekend adventures, once even going as far as Sleeping Giant Provincial Park about two years ago, Oberkovych decided to start a map to keep track of the spots he's visited, as well as the spots he plans to.

"I just kept building on it and building on it, and now I have close to 2,000 spots. About 400 I've visited and the rest are green flags that I still have to visit," he says.

"Finding these spots and marking them all down gives me something tangible whenever I do go drive somewhere. I can open up my map and go head out to the nearest spot that I find."

Most recently, his transport mode of choice on the trails is his bike. 

"I went from hiking to rollerblading all around Toronto when the pandemic hit and then mountain biking all of southern Ontario and the GTA." 

Oberkovych shared his adventure trail map in the Ontario Hiking group on Facebook recently in hopes to inspire more people to get outdoors.

And it seems to be working with lots of people joining in the conversation to say that they now want to start one of their own.

"Normally I wouldn't share with anybody. I tend to keep it as a closely guarded secret," he says.

"But I wanted to show people what's possible and maybe even to inspire some people. I love inspiring, sharing cool things and spreading the love I guess." 

If you're feeling inspired to go for a hike, remember to leave the park how you found it by picking up after yourself and respecting social distancing on the trails. 

Photos by

Alex Oberkovych


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