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Logging operations have started in in SCF Breedon Tract which affects the Orillia Ganaraska Hiking Trail between Lines 8N and 9N in Oro-Medonte. Please avoid this area until logging operations are completed.
Logging operations will be starting soon on private land east of Line 11N in Oro-Medonte that hosts the Orillia trail. This section of trail should be considered ‘off-limits’ until the logging is completed and the landowner notifies us that trail use can resume. If hiking in the area, please obey all signs posted on the trail.
The Ganaraska Hiking Trail in Midhurst (part of the Barrie Club trail) is temporarily unavailable due to logging operations in SCF Midhurst Tract. ‘Do Not Enter’ signs are in place both at the trail access point at the Midhurst Community Centre and at the access from Gill Road. Please avoid this area until the ‘all clear’ is announced (date unknown at this time).
Note that the section of the GHTA Kawartha Club hiking trail between Monck Road (KM 63.6) and Buller Road (KM 74.0) remains closed due to damage from the March ice storm. All trail users are asked to avoid this section of trail until further notice. Trail maintenance events are planned for September but the schedule for re-opening the trail is unknown at this time. A future NEWS posting will announce when this section of the trail is once again available for use.
A 2024.07.01 post announced a ‘temporary’ closure of the section of the GHTA Barrie Trail between the Doran Road / Belmont Cresent intersection and Highway 27 in Midhurst. The detour that was announced at that time is no longer available due to construction activity. For the foreseeable future, trail users will need to stay on Doran Road until it reaches Hwy. 27 and then walk along Hwy. 27 back to where they can rejoin the trail. The attached map (a marked up screen shot from Ondago) explains the new detour. Please take care walking along the Hwy. 27 shoulder – this is a busy road with high speed traffic.
On 2025.08.05 Simcoe County Forestry advised that logging operations were about to begin in SCF Tustin Tract. This tract is between Line 5N and Sugarbush Estates in Oro-Medonte and the GHTA Barrie trail runs through it. The entire tract will be closed until the logging operation is complete. Please avoid this tract and obey all signage if you choose to hike in the area.
The following is extracted from the 2025.08.05 SCF notice for reference.
“We have just been notified that operations will be starting up tomorrow in the Tustin Tract (Oro-Medonte). The operator will be establishing his landing off the Line 5 road allowance.
I do not currently have the exact stands he will be completing the salvage operations in, but as the pine is throughout several stands in Tustin, the entire Tract will be closed for these operations.
Signs will be installed tomorrow morning.”
On 2025.08.06 we received a notice from Simcoe County Forestry that they are conducting road work in SCF Miller Tract and there will be heavy machinery there for “the next week or so”. The GHTA Barrie trail enters the Miller Tract going south from Pinegrove Road. Please avoid using this area until the work is complete and the heavy machinery removed.
Due to the hard work of many volunteers, and multiple trail inspection and maintenance events, the GHTA Kawartha Club trail is now open from Crosswinds Road (KM 0.0 on Trail Guide map #5) through to Monck Road (KM 63.6 on Trail Guide map #12).
The remaining section from Monck Road to Moore’s Falls (KM 79.3 on Trail Guide map #12) will be worked on next. Approximately 5 km of the remaining trail section is on roads. However, the other 10 km is more difficult to access and navigate bush trails with many swamps, beaver dams, etc.
Confirmation has been received that the side trail in Tiny Marsh to Mole Mountain is open and ready for hikers to use. To add to the good news, there are currently great displays of blue flag iris and yellow water lilies (with white lilies coming in the near future). With this news the entire GHTA Tiny trail is open end-to-end. Enjoy!
After a lot of hard work by a lot of volunteers, the Midland Club trail is open except for the 4.1 km stretch between Vasey Road and Hogg Valley Road (Trail Guide Map #32) and the Tiny trail is open except for the side trail in Tiny Marsh that goes to Mole Mountain (Trail Guide Map #29 & #30). Further updates will be posted as these trail sections are inspected and cleared.
A caution reminder – All trail users should remember that even though the trails themselves are clear there may still be risks in forested areas due to overhead broken branches or leaning or weakened trees due to the ice storm. Hike with caution and watch for overhead and nearby hazards. All trail users must accept personal responsibility for their own safety.