Mad River trails open

A small but dedicated group of volunteers has been working to clear the Mad River section of the Ganaraska Hiking Trail.
Working carefully and at a safe distance, volunteers achieved their goal of tidying the local section of the trail, which hasn’t seen any maintenance in five years.
New club president Sharon Striegl said the crew finished up a final section of the trail near Brentwood on Wednesday.
The trail begins in Port Hope and runs north to a terminus in Glen Huron before branching off into two trucks. It is more than 500 kilometres total, with about 300 of those located within Simcoe County. The 50-kilometre Mad River section of trail goes from Angus to Glen Huron.
Striegl said the trail crosses private property, uses former railways, and Simcoe County forests, and since the forests have remained open through the pandemic, the trail was never officially closed but it was closed for spring maintenance.
The crew has been clearing brush and marking new wayfinding blazes, in time for spring.
The Mad River Club is active all year round, with hikes, snowshoeing and social activities. Membership costs $25 for the family, which helps to cover the costs associated with trail maintenance and includes liability insurance, and a newsletter.
Find Ganaraska Hiking Trail – Mad River Club on Facebook. Membership and maps are available online at ganaraska-hiking-trail.org. The trails will also be available on the Ondago app in the near future.
For more information about trails, outings and membership, contact Sharon Striegl at 705-351-1571 or president_madriverclub@ganaraska-hiking-trail.