Summer Hiking at Blue Mountain Resort: Trails and Practical Info

The trail network

Blue Mountain Resort describes its Explore Park as a hiking and biking trail network: 30 km of trails in all and 18 hiking trails, from beginner to advanced. Nine of those trails are listed as hiking only; the other nine are shared with bikes. The resort says most trails are 1 to 2 km long and suggests planning about one hour of hiking per 5 km at an average pace.

A few trails to start with

• Apple Bowl Lookout: intermediate, 1.9 km, 50 minutes. The resort presents it as a trail with views of Georgian Bay; you climb to the summit along the purple blazes, near the Open-Air Gondola.
• Woodview: easy, 1.2 km loop, 30 minutes, starting from the mountaintop (Trail Head 18, a short walk from the P5 parking lot). It follows the gravel path that hosts AGORA Path of Light in the fall and Mountaintop Skating in the winter.
• Sticks and Stones: easy, 1.0 km loop, starting at Trail Head 27 on the mountaintop, a short walk from Summitview Restaurant.
• Route 66: easy, 1.6 km, 20 minutes. This trail, shared with bikes, runs along the top of the escarpment.
• Cascade and Village Way: rated difficult, at 1.2 km (40 minutes) and 1.3 km (40 minutes). Both lead to the summit along the purple blazes.

Trail types and blazes

Blue Mountain sorts its trails by colour: blue for multi-use trails shared by hikers and bikers, purple for the main hiking trails (hiking only, point to point), yellow for side and connecting trails, and orange for loops. On a purple trail you can return the same way, take another trail, or ride the Open-Air Gondola down. A 2 km section of the Bruce Trail, marked with white blazes, runs along the top of the mountain.

The gondola

You can reach the summit on foot or by the Open-Air Gondola, which is included with day tickets and passes. According to the gondola page, it offers 360-degree views of the escarpment and Georgian Bay and runs weather and conditions permitting. Pets are not permitted; service animals are, with proper documentation.

Before you go

A day ticket or a season pass is needed to use the trails; you can buy it in advance and pick it up at Guest Services, or buy it in person. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. Blue Mountain recommends hiking boots or shoes with ankle support and good traction, enough water (the Columbia Hydration Station is available, and bottled water is sold at Grand Central Eatery at the base and at the Coca-Cola Concession near the top of the gondola), staying on marked trails, and checking the Mountain Conditions Report before heading out.

A picnic area sits across from the gondola at the top, next to the Coca-Cola Concession. Tables are limited to 60 minutes, and grilling, hot plates and open flames are not permitted.

Plants and wildlife

The resort warns about poison ivy, wild parsnip, giant hogweed and stinging nettle, and recommends long pants or sleeves. It also mentions white-tailed deer, red fox, often seen near the Woodview Activity Centre, and wild turkeys, and asks hikers to keep their distance and never feed animals.