- About ORTA
Enhancing the trail
One Moraine. One Trail.
We want to hear what matters to you! Where are there opportunities to improve connections, safety, and the overall trail network? What places, landscapes, and experiences should the Trail help people access and discover? What would make the Trail more enjoyable, welcoming, and accessible.
The Oak Ridges Trail Association (ORTA), in collaboration with the Greenbelt Foundation, is leading the first major public engagement process in more than two decades to strengthen the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail.
The engagement runs from August 10 to October 12, 2026 and includes an online survey and in-person community workshops at three locations along the Trail. We are interested in engaging with and hearing from a wide range of individuals and organizations – kids, adults, seniors and everyone in between as well as trail users, municipalities, conservation authorities, tourism organizations, chambers of commerce, community groups, and others!
Share your feedback and insights with us!
Why connecting the Trail matters
The Oak Ridges Moraine Trail has the potential to become one of Ontario’s signature trail experiences – connecting communities, nature, and the landscapes that make the Moraine unique.
Today, the 268 km Trail includes road sections and gaps that can make it challenging for people to experience it as one connected journey. Improving connections along the Trail can create more opportunities for people to explore the Moraine, spend time outdoors, and build meaningful connections with this important landscape.
As we look to the future of the Trail, we want to understand what matters most to the people who use it and care about it. Your input will help identify opportunities to create a Trail that is more connected, accessible, welcoming, and enjoyable for everyone.
Ultimately, this public engagement is answering one question: What would make the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail a better trail for people to explore, enjoy, and return to for generations to come?
Goals of the engagement process
Your input will help shape the future of the Oak Ridges Trail.
We want to:
- Hear from a wide range of people including regular trail users, people discovering the Trail for the first time, nearby residents, private and public landowners, First Nations, and others who care about the Oak Ridges Moraine.
- Better understand how people experience the trail today and what they’d like it to become.
- Increase awareness of the Oak Ridges Trail and the role it plays in connecting communities and natural landscapes.
- Build awareness and excitement about the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail and the experiences it can offer.
- Build a shared vision for its future.
How to participate
Take the survey: Share your feedback and ideas with us! – click here
Attend a Community Workshop: Learn more and dig deeper into the discussion by participating in one (or more!) in-person community workshops!
UXBRIDGE
Thursday, September 17, 2026
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Uxbridge Senior Centre
75 Marietta Street, Uxbridge
RICHMOND HILL
Saturday, September 19, 2026
2:00 – 4:00 pm
Elgin West Community Centre
11099 Bathurst Street, Richmond Hill
PORT HOPE
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Jack Burger Sports Complex
60 Highland Drive, Port Hope
Registration for the Community Workshop(s) is appreciated, but not required. Register through Eventbrite – click here.
Project Contact: info@oakridgestrail.org
This project is part of implementing the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail Strategy:
The Trail’s Optimum Route was developed by ORTA staff and volunteers in 2003 through discussions with municipalities and conservation authorities. At the time, a key objective was to move the trail from private lands onto publicly owned lands wherever possible. More than two decades later, much has changed. Growth and development pressures, evolving community needs, changing recreation trends, and the recent release of the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail Strategy have created an opportunity to revisit the route and consider a broader range of perspectives and priorities.