Hiking Clubs in Toronto

There's no shortage of hiking clubs in Toronto but finding one that's right for you can be a bit of a challenge. Finding a club is one thing - finding people that you'll want to spend all day with is another matter altogether! That's why we're breaking down the different Toronto hiking clubs to help you decide which is best for you.

Toronto Outdoor Club

Toronto Outdoor Club (or TOC) is one of the best established hiking clubs in the city and has an extremely busy calendar with something on almost every day. Hikes tend to be within easy distance of the city, or within it so expect more hiking of the urban or rural variety rather than more adventurous wilderness hikes where you may not see anybody else.

TOC's average member is over 40 years old so if you're looking for a younger crowd, it may not be the best choice for you.

Let's Hike T.O.

Let's Hike T.O is a more recent hiking club that has a focus on people of colour and newcomers. They have a pretty active schedule and some really thoughtful programming that highlights black and indigenous voices. Their hikes tend to be centred around Toronto or within about an hour of the city so you can expect a more leisurely outing.

The Bruce Trail Club

The Bruce Trail Club is a very well established club focused on preserving and promoting the Bruce Trail, Canada's oldest and longest footpath. Stretching across Southern Ontario, the trail offers a variety of natural landscapes and is a haven for hikers. While the club organizes frequent hikes, educational events, and conservation efforts, it's important to note that its activities are confined solely to the Bruce Trail. Another point to consider is that the membership base leans towards a slightly older demographic. There are many incredible hikes along the Bruce Trail but unless you're planning the End to End, you may want to add other clubs into the mix!

High Park Hiking Club

The High Park Hiking Club is a community-based organization dedicated to exploring trails and nature spaces, with a focus on the High Park area in Toronto. Offering a regular schedule of hikes and social events, the club brings together outdoor enthusiasts for local adventures. While the club provides a great way to get to know High Park in depth, it's worth mentioning that its activities are primarily limited to this specific area. Additionally, the membership composition may lean toward an older crowd, which could affect the pace and difficulty of the hikes. All in all, the High Park Hiking Club is an excellent platform for those particularly interested in this iconic Toronto park, but it may not suit those looking for a wider range of hiking locations or a younger community.

Wilderness Union

We do so many hikes that it's reasonable to think of Wilderness Union under the umbrella of hiking clubs. Unlike any of the other clubs I've mentioned here, we're unique in that we vet new members and are focused on building community. This means that you're more likely to find people that you get on with and become friends with in Wilderness Union. Our members tend to be between 20-40 with a pretty even split between women and men and an incredibly diverse range of backgrounds. We have many newcomers in the group but plenty of folks who've grown up in Canada too.

A few other things that makes Wilderness Union unique:

• We have our own transport. Figuring out transport is one of the biggest hassles organizing outdoor adventures so we solved that with our safe, comfortable and fully insured van.
• We do all sorts of activities. We go throughout the year with our activities changing along with the seasons, from hiking to camping, snowshoeing, paddling, skating and pretty much anything else you can thing of!
• We organize socials. Wilderness Union is as much about finding new friends as it is getting out on the trails so we create opportunities to really get to know each other.

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