Trails
Within St. Catharines, you can find a network of more than 90 kilometres of City of St. Catharines trails, the Bruce Trail and trails within Short Hills Provincial Park just waiting to be explored!
Our Parks Policy Plan outlines our path to providing a balanced and integrated system of parks, open spaces and trails for the community, along with strategies for their planning, maintenance and management. Contact us if you have any trail maintenance questions or concerns.
Trail cyclists can visit the Niagara Cycling Tourism Centre for bike resources, maps, routes, events, accommodations and cycling networks.
Trail Map
With more than 90 kilometres of city trail networks, there is an outdoor experience for all types of trail enthusiasts in St. Catharines!
View a complete St. Catharines Trail System Map and check out the City of St. Catharines' interactive trails map below to view each trail and their descriptions.
Complete your trails experience with the Trail Passport
With the City of St. Catharines Trail Passport, you can download and print out individual trail cards for popular trails and document your memories and experiences on each. This includes the nature you observed, favourite moments, time completed, season, terrain, difficulty level, distance, personal rating and more.
The passport includes cards for:
- 9/11 Memorial Walkway
- George Nicholson Trail
- Green Ribbon Trail
- Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail
- Merritt Trail
- Participark Trail
- Terry Fox Trail
- Walker's Creek Trail
- Welland Canal Parkway Trail
Trail Rules, Safety and Courtesy
It's important to follow all trail rules and etiquette to ensure a safe, respectful and enjoyable trails experience for yourself and others using community trails. City trails are open from dawn until dusk.
Trail rules
- Pedestrians (walkers, runners and hikers) always have the right of way on a trail. Cyclists must yield to both pedestrians and inline skaters. Inline skaters must yield to pedestrians. Remember, "wheels yield to heels".
- No motorized vehicles are permitted.
- In areas where the trail crosses a roadway, all trail users must yield to vehicular traffic.
- When travelling along a roadway, cyclists must obey traffic laws. Pedestrians must use the municipal sidewalk or travel on the shoulder of the road facing oncoming traffic.
- Travelling along the Canadian National (CN) Railway mainline is strictly prohibited.
Exercising caution
- While using trails, you should be aware of your surroundings at all times and remain alert.
- Always stick to established paths and watch your footing.
- During winter months, trails may not be regularly maintained or cleared, so be cautious with your stability and watch for slippery areas.
Tick safety
Ticks are very small and range in size from a poppy seed to a small grape. Normally found in forested areas or areas with long grass, ticks like to attach themselves to humans and pets passing by. The majority of ticks are harmless, but a small few can carry and transmit bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
Learn more about how to identify ticks, tick prevention and removal, and what to do if you are bitten by a tick.
Trail etiquette and courtesy procedures
- Always pass other users on the left when possible.
- Cyclists and inline skaters must pass other users with care and caution.
- Do not litter and dispose of your garbage and recycling in proper disposal containers.
- Respect the privacy of those living along trail routes.
- Dogs must be leashed, and owners must clean up after their dog.