6 Friday, November 18, 2022brooklintowncrier.com Did you know that Brooklin is minutes away from one of Ontario's great hiking trails? The Oak Ridges Trail Association ORTA) is a volunteer based charitable hiking organization with a mandate to build and maintain a public hiking trail system on the Oak Ridges Moraine. As a newly transplanted Brooklinite, I was thrilled to find such an abundance of hiking and walking trails in the Durham region and jumped at the opportunity to get involved with this great group of people who share my love for the outdoors. The ORTA offers guided hikes of all difficulties and lengths, weekdays and weekends, and opens its trails to individual selfguided hikers. Some of the guided hikes are targeted at families; others are oriented towards adults; others have a strong nature focus. The ORTA trail spans about 275 km starting in the west at a junction with the Bruce Trail, and extends eastward through Peel, York, and Durham Regions and Northumberland County. For us in Brooklin, there are several great access points to the trail system at Lake Ridge Rd, Ashburn Rd, and Purple Woods Conservation Area. The Moraine is a special geological feature that provides the region with safe drinking water, healthy ecosystems and provides a beautiful space for recreational use. So, get out there and get hiking! ORTA memberships are available at nominal cost to those who would like to financially support the organization while and volunteers are welcome to help with trail maintenance and stewardship. I can be reached at scugog@oakridgestrail.org Visit oakridgestrail.org for more information including maps, guided hike dates, and volunteer opportunities. Oak Ridges Trail A Little Known Nearby Wonder By Mike Baker, Chair, Scugog Chapter, Oak Ridges Trail Association