I'm stuck in Toronto but want to go hiking on the weekend.
I think the best route is actually to go south to Niagara falls, then south to hike in western new York.
Just wondering what the best trails are within a few hours of Toronto, in particular western New York or northern PA?
I've been to trails on the Ontario side and they're all dog shit, just some forests surrounded by farm fields with flat terrain.
I want something challenging and ideally with a mountain / lookout. Not just a flat trail.
It's another hour and a half of driving each way, but all I am familiar with is northern PA, and for. a hike with a lookout, I'd recommend Minister Creek Trail, or Twin Sisters trail (from the north end if you don't want to be hiking all day to get to the overlook).
The hiking isn't very challenging in Western New York and there are no actual mountains, only hills. For a real challenge, you will want to drive further east to the Adirondacks that have some of the steepest and most rugged mountain trails that you will find anywhere on the continent.
no, there's plenty of tough ass steep slopes in northern pa that you can climb up and down if you think it is easy
>northern pa
Some trails do get steep in the Pine Creek Gorge but the elevations on the plateau max out between 2k and 2.5k feet. Because of that, you're not getting the CONSISTENT incline over miles and miles like you do in the ADK (which isn't that much further of a drive for someone coming from Canada).
For decent hiking with a shorter drive from Toronto, I would recommend the western Finger Lakes around Naples, New York. Closer than Northern PA for the OP and similar difficulty.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/stid-hill-launch-site-trail-trai
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/bristol-hills-trail
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/clarks-gully-from-sunnyside-road
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/conklin-gully-12-falls-trail
Conklin and Clark Gully may not look too bad in terms of elevation and mileage but you are climbing over waterfalls and cliffs which can make for a treacherous outing if you don't know what you're doing.
https://nyfalls.com/waterfalls/clark-gully-upper/
The Niagara Gorge right across the border from Canada has some stairs that provide a nice workout. Devil's Hole, Whirlpool, Artpark State Park. There's a nice view of the Niagara River's Class VI rapids at the bottom plus some small caves you can walk into.
Zoar Valley south of Buffalo would've been my top recommendation years ago but the state restricted all the good climbing areas because of people dying and needing rescues. You can try to sneak into the good spots but just know that it's not legal anymore.
https://www.frankbroughton.us/zoar_valley.html
Do you have any examples of rugged trails in the Adirondack? I went to Google images and it all looks pretty gay. I doubt it's the most rugged on the continent
>I doubt it's the most rugged on the continent
its not even close to anything west of the mississippi, but it is the most rugged on the eastern half barring just doing the entire app trail
>its not even close to anything west of the mississippi
Neil Luckhurst whose mountaineering experience mogs PrepHole to the next galaxy and back recently said that the Adirondacks provide a tougher challenge than the Canandian Rockies. He has extensive experience in both places.
https://adkhighpeaksfoundation.org/winter-through-hike-2024/why-am-i-doing-this/
>the Adirondacks provide a tougher challenge than the Canandian Rockies
could you elaborate why, purely curious
ADK trails were built without switchbacks and have relentless inclines over steep, rocky, eroded terrain. They are poorly-maintained compared to just about everywhere else. The rare flat sections are usually flooded and filled with deep pits of thick mud. Some trails resemble fast-flowing rivers more than typical hiking trails. You constantly have to climb over steep boulders that can become extremely sketchy when slick. The ruggedness of the Adirondack high peaks are unmatched anywhere I've hiked. Other experienced hikers have posted the same sentiments online. A few examples and there are plenty others:
https://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-mountain-hiking/515352-do-the-adirondacks-have-many-of-the-worst-hiking-trails-on-planet-earth
https://www.reddit.com/r/Adirondacks/comments/huyp8o/typical_high_peak_trail_i_truly_believe_we_have/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Adirondacks/comments/17p3v9o/dont_be_this_person/?rdt=53061
https://goeast.ems.com/14k-vs-4k-the-adirondacks-are-harder-than-the-rockies/
This is not taking anything away from the Canadian Rockies, the American Rockies, or anywhere else. It's just that the ADK are a whole different animal, even compared to other rugged areas in the northeast like New Hampshire and Maine.
interesting, thanks for the reading material
the trails dont have switchbacks, compared to popular trails in the west theyre far more rugged
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/mount-colden-via-trap-dike-route
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/lower-upper-wolfjaw-armstrong-gothics-loop-trail
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/haystack-basin-saddleback-trail
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/great-range-traverse
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/dix-range
the trap dike is pretty awesoome
>going south instead of north
NGMI
Look at letchworth state park lots of trails and very mountainous. They call it the Grand Canyon of the east coast. It’s not too far from Buffalo.
Letchworth is a gem. I wouldn't call it mountainous or challenging though. The trails range from easy to barely moderate. Still worth a visit for the waterfalls and gorge. He could do the tourist trails at Letchworth and Stony Brook one day and then head to Hi-Tor for the real adventures the next day. That's a solid weekend trip for someone coming from Toronto.
Is it true that Toronto is the most diverse city in the world now? New global capital?
>I've been to trails on the Ontario side and they're all dog shit, just some forests surrounded by farm fields with flat terrain.
You have to go to areas where there used to be mountains. Bruce trail. Nottawasaga Lookout is a good one.