A Great Lakes Trail

You may not often think about the intersection of the Great Lakes and environmental law, 

but Professor Melissa K. Scanlan does.

Scanlan is the Director of the Environmental Law Center at Vermont Law School and she recently published a paper exploring the need for and the feasibility of a hiking trail tracing the shoreline of all five Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.

While writing this paper, Scanlan contacted me about the feasibility of establishing this trail. I was able to give her data and feedback on the accessibility of the over 2,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline I had hiked. 

Giving people MORE access to the shoreline can only benefit our connection to these vast lakes and encourage conservation of these vital waters.

From the intro of the paper:

BLUEPRINT FOR THE GREAT LAKES TRAIL 

by: Melissa K. Scanlan 

The Great Lakes are vast yet vulnerable. There is a need to focus the public’s attention on the significance of the lakes for the region as a cohesive, binational whole. To address this need, build on existing water law, and engage the public, this Article provides a blueprint to establish a Great Lakes Trail on the shores of the Great Lakes. The Trail will link together 10,000 miles of coastline and provide the longest marked walking trail in the world. It will demarcate an already existing, yet largely unrecognized, public trust easement and engage the public with their common heritage in the lakeshore.


Read the full paper HERE.

Waterfront Trail Part 2

Here are some more images from the Waterfront Trail in Ontario.  These photos span the distance between the cities of Port Hope and Scarborough.

Port Hope, Ontario

Old meets new along the waterfront trail

Not exactly the most scenic part of the trail...

That's right, the trail goes through the nuclear power plant's land!

It may seem odd to put the trail through these industrial areas, but part of the purpose of the trail is to bring attention to the waterfront and to make people aware of what is going on along the shoreline and to assist in the protection and regeneration of Lake Ontario. 

And underneath high voltage wires!

All power plants have a "buffer zone" around them to minimize their impact on surrounding populations. The trail winds through some of these areas giving bikers and hikers a close-up look at these installations.

And right up to GM's Canadian headquarters

There are also some natural areas

The Pickering Nuclear power plant

View from the overlook near Scarborough

Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail Part 1

The Waterfront Trail stretches from the city of Niagara-on-the-Lake to the Quebec border in Ontario, Canada. 

I hiked 146 miles of the trail last month from the city of Belleville to Toronto.  

From the Website for the trail:

Do More on the Shore!

The Waterfront Trail has been an instrumental part of Lake Ontario’s regeneration. Along it you will find a 900 km [that's about 560 miles!] celebration of nature and culture - where peaceful countryside, small towns and big cities are linked in bringing Lake Ontario to this province's residents and visitors, alike. Enjoy it for a day. Or make it a summer-long adventure. The Waterfront Trail will let you discover the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River waterfront...and what it can mean to you.

The Waterfront Trail represents a whole new way of thinking about the Lake Ontario and St Lawrence River waterfronts that emphasizes the links between ecological health, economic vitality, and a sense of community. It has helped inspire people to rediscover and improve the lakeshore, and been part of a transformation of under-utilized and environmentally degraded lands to vibrant places with businesses and jobs, parks and recreational facilities, natural habitats, cultural venues and attractions.

The trail is marked with this symbol along the way

Helpful signage at a turn

View from the trail west of Port Hope

I always stopped at fruit stands along the road!

Me and Lake Ontario!