Thanks to the foresight of the municipalities of Essa and Innisfil, the abandoned CN railline through both municipalities was set aside for trail use, as sections of the national Trans Canada Trail.

The trail  runs on an abandoned rail line where the rails and ties have been removed, leaving a raised bed of gravel that lends itself well to upgrading to a shared use trail.

The Thornton – Cookstown section of the Trans Canada Trail starts at the 5^th sideroad of Innisfil (near Georgian Downs) and just north of Innisfil Beach Road and angles west and slightly south, crossing Hwy 27 and Innisfil Beach road diagonally, just north of the village of Thornton. In Thornton, at the trail entrance on Robert Street, you may encounter a very artistic "tree spirit", courtesy of local carver, Colin Partridge.

The trail then winds its way, roughly parallel to Hwy 27, through the scenic countryside and crosses back and forth over the 11^th line of Essa. Just north of the 5^th sideroad of Essa it joins the Cookstown Creek and follows its valley through cedar thickets and meadows, crossing over 4 scenic bridges before it enters Cookstown.

In Cookstown the trail can be easily accessed at the old abandoned station lands at Wellington Street (close to IGA), and also at Victoria Street just west of the Royal Oaks Estates. A beautiful pavilion, built to commemorate the year 2000, sits adjacent to the trail on the south side of Hwy 89.

South of Cookstown the trail follows the rail bed over two more trestle bridges, the southern one having a span of 80 ft and towering about 30 feet over the creek below. The trail ends just before the 14^th sideroad of New Tecumseth.

Currently this section of the Trans Canada Trail is land locked while routes are being confirmed to connect through New Tecumseth with the Caledon Trailway to the South, and north through Barrie to connect with the other sections of the Trans Canada Trail, such as Barrie’s Waterfront Trail and the North Simcoe Railtrail.

To walk or cycle between the villages of Thornton and Cookstown is about 9 kms and on foot it takes about 2 hours at a moderate pace. The surface is gravel and sand packed hard enough to allow mountain biking. The 6 trestle bridges have been decked and railed for safety and offer stunning views of the creek as it meanders its way through the scenery. In the winter the trail is groomed and patrolled for snowmobile use by the Southern Zone Snowmobile Club from Victoria Street in Cookstown northward. Walkers and cross-country skiers are welcome to enjoy the trail but are reminded to be alert for snowmobile traffic and step to the side to allow the machines to pass. Also, dog owners are encouraged to pick up after their pets!

Development and maintenance of the Thornton – Cookstown section of the Trans Canada Trail is the responsibility of two committees of local volunteers who were appointed by the Municipal Councils of Essa and Innisfil. These committees are working jointly to repair and upgrade the current rail bed and bridges to ensure user safety and enjoyment. This project is a community effort involving partnerships with individuals and groups (ie: Chambers of Commerce, Service Clubs, Boy Scouts & Girl Guides, Southern Zone Snowmobile Club, Trillium Foundation, and others) contributing time, services or funding. Funding permitted, further upgrades to the trail will take place, incl. surface upgrades to the trail sections through the communities of Thornton and Cookstown, access control (to stop vehicular traffic), repairs to culverts and bridges, erosion control, parking facilities, safety and educational signage, fencing where needed, safe farm crossings, weed control and placement of benches. Funding for this project depends a great deal on donations from the public and the fundraising efforts of the committees.

If you still would like to know more about the Thornton-Cookstown Trail, volunteering your time and expertise, or making a donation please contact Petra Hewson 705-458-9922, or Frieda Baldwin at 705-458-4037, or e-mail tctrail@simcoecountytrails.net