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Logging has started in the Simcoe County Forest Rathburn tract east of Orillia. As a result, a small section of the Orillia trail is temporarily unavailable for use. It is very important to obey, at all times, the county signs indicating areas that are off limits for hiking. The attached map shows the affected location. An update notice will be posted when we receive notification that logging has been completed and the signs removed.
2023.03.23 Update – Logging has been completed so this section is now open for use. Trail maintenance to clear the trails of any debris from the logging operation is yet to be done, so be careful if hiking through this section in the near future.
2023.02.10 Original Post: There is currently an active logging operation in Simcoe County Forest that affects the Barrie trail east of Gill Road (the Orrock Creek South tract). Please avoid this section of the trail and stay out of the areas indicated by the county signage in the forest. An update to this notice will be posted when logging is completed.
2023.03.23 Update – Logging has been completed so this section is now open for use. Trail maintenance to clear the trails of any debris from the logging operation is yet to be done, so be careful if hiking through this section in the near future.
2023.01.11 Original Post: Logging operations have started in Simcoe County Forest on the south side of Bass Lake Sideroad at Line 7N in Oro-Medonte. The Orillia Club Ganaraska trail goes through this area, as well as many other trails frequently used by hikers and bikers. It is best to avoid the affected area until notice is given that logging has been completed, and obey all signage indicating restricted areas if on the trails near Bass Lake Sideroad and Line 7N.
A section of the Barrie main trail near the Minesing Wetlands runs across property owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). We have just finished working with NCC representatives to reroute our trail on their property to avoid foot traffic on some ecologically sensitive areas and also to avoid some areas where the invasive garlic mustard has been found. If you are hiking southbound from Baldwick Lane the trail changes when you come to the first stile. Previously you would have gone right (west) across the open field but now you veer slightly left. The new trail is actually quite nice, going through cedar forest, over some small streams, and along a ridge providing great views of the open fields looking towards Minesing Wetlands. The new trail is fully blazed and ready to use. It is very important to stay on the trail through this section as garlic mustard can be found close to the trail and it is important not to spread it by carrying seeds on your boots. Both Ondago and our website downloadable maps will be updated in the near future.
On June 6 of this year we announced changes to the Barrie main trail between the parking lot on Gill Road and the Midhurst Community Centre. Due to a new landowner request we had to move a portion of this trail onto Gill Road. There are now two new side trails to recapture some of the best features of the trail section that had to be moved. From the Gill Road parking lot, the Bear’s Creek side trail provides a 3.6 km loop that goes over a picturesque creek and runs along an interesting (and hilly) ridge beside the creek. In the middle of the forest the Heather Dalton Memorial side trail provides a 1.3 km loop (also with hills) that has multiple tree mounted memorial displays for a local person that loved to hike the trails in the area. Ondago has been updated and our website downloadable maps will be updated soon. Try them out.
On 2022.07.23 we made the announcement posted below. As of today the Simcoe County Forestry map does not show any activity logging operation in this area. There will likely need to be some clean-up and re-blazing (to be done asap) but the trail is open – enjoy.
Previous Announcement: We have received notice from the Simcoe County Forestry organization that logging has started in the Orrock Creek South tract. This means that there is an unusable section of the Barrie trail between Old Second South and Gill Road, as shown in the attached map. Hiking in this area from either the Old Second South parking lot or the Gill Road parking lot would still be possible, but it would be necessary to turn back as soon as the logging operation signs are reached (do not hike in the signed area even if the logging operation isn’t active when you get there). The duration of the logging operation isn’t known, but a future posting will announce when the trail is fully open again.
Effective immediately, a section of the Barrie trail running south from the Gill Road parking lot (KM 24.9 on the Ondago and Trail Guide maps for the Barrie Club) is no longer available. A private landowner has acquired property that had our trail running through it and has asked that we discontinue hiking on the property. The trail now runs south from the Gill Road parking lot on Gill Road for about 1.5 KM and then re-enters the forest. The new route is 0.3 km shorter than the previous trail (2.3 km versus 2.6 km).
The following map shows the change. Our Trail Guide and Ondago mobile app will be updated in the near future.
Our map names in the Ondago mobile app catalog have been changed to make it easier to see the trail section names and to give each section it’s own map. Previously, our maps in Ondago were listed as follows.
Ganaraska (0 of 8) – End-to-End
Ganaraska (1 of 8) – Pine Ridge
Ganaraska (2 of 8) – Kawartha
Ganaraska (3 of 8) – Wilderness
Ganaraska (4 of 8) – Orillia
Ganaraska (5 of 8) – Barrie
Ganaraska (6 of 8) – Mad River
Ganaraska (7 of 8) – Wasaga Beach , Tiny
Ganaraska (8 of 8) – Oro-Medonte, Midland
We removed the Ondago end-to-end map and made Wasaga Beach, Tiny, Oro-Medonte and Midland individual maps rather than having them grouped. The new Ondago catalog of Ganaraska trail maps now looks like this.
Ganaraska – Barrie
Ganaraska – Kawartha
Ganaraska – Mad River
Ganaraska – Midland
Ganaraska – Orillia
Ganaraska – Oro-Medonte
Ganaraska – Pine Ridge
Ganaraska – Tiny
Ganaraska – Wasaga Beach
Ganaraska – Wilderness
Previously downloaded maps will still work, but over time you will want to update your downloaded Ondago maps to the latest versions. Enjoy the trails!
The Ganaraska Forest Centre has announced that hiking will not be allowed on their cross country ski trails between January 1 and March 31. This announcement affects the Pine Ridge Club trail through the forest. The attached diagram shows an alternative road walking route to avoid the ski trails. The affected area can be found on the Ondaga app for the Pine Ridge Club between the 31.1 KM marker and 39.7 KM markers on the map. We ask that all users of the Ganaraska hiking trail watch for, and comply with, trail usage instructions as posted by the Ganaraska Forest organization.
We have just received confirmation from the Simcoe County Forestry organization that logging operations in SCF Crawford Tract are now complete and the trail is open and available for use. This is the section of the Barrie Club trail in Oro-Medonte between Lines 5 & 6 just south of Sugarbush Estates (south of Horseshoe Valley Road). There is a bit of trail clean-up and maintenance to be done but the trail is useable. Enjoy!