The Trans Canada Trail is a cross-Canada system of greenways, waterways, and roadways that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans.

The Trans Canada Trail has been funded largely by Canadian federal and provincial governments, with significant contributions from corporate and individual donors.

As such, much of the Trans Canada Trail development emulated the successful Rails-to-Trails initiative in the United States, whereby these transportation corridors are "rail banked" as recreational trails, allowing conversion back to rail should future need arise.

Thousands of Canadians, community partner organizations, corporations, local businesses, and all levels of government are involved in developing and maintaining these trails.

[6] The trail is multi-use and depending on the section may allow hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders, cross country skiers, and snowmobilers.

Among its objectives, TCT says that it plans to replace interim roadways with off-road greenways, where possible, to make it safer and more accessible for all users; to add new trail sections, and to provide emergency funding for trail sections damaged by natural disasters, etc.

The trail is not owned or operated by TCT, but the organization provides support to local partners and volunteer groups who maintain individual sections.

On September 4, 2018, TCT announced that the government of Canada would invest $30 million in trail development in the next four years.

[7] Edmund A. Aunger, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alberta, Campus Saint-Jean, is a vocal critic of the trail, particularly in the way it has strayed from the original vision of "a trail built far enough from roads to mask traffic noise and avoid collisions".

[9] Aunger states that "Lacking both uniform standards and control, the Trans Canada Trail includes a confusing and dangerous hodgepodge of mountain-bike paths, roadside ditches, dirt ruts, gravel roads and hazardous ATV trails.

"[8] In 2012, Aunger's wife, Elizabeth Ann Sovis, was killed while cycling on a portion of the trail in Prince Edward Island.

The route then follows a sidewalkway along Southside Road adjacent to St. John's Harbour until the former Trail Eastern Terminus located at the Railway Coastal Museum.

At Indian Pond, the Grand Concourse trail ends, and the route is known as the Newfoundland T'Railway, an 883 km linear park that consists of the former railbed and permits motorized access.

The route continues as the Newfoundland T'Railway southwest, passing through the east side of Holyrood Bay.

It then passes through Brigus Junction, Mahers, then Ocean Pond, then a mostly treed area before entering Whitbourne and crossing Route 80.

Passing through St. Fintans, the route continues to Codroy Pond, then South Branch, Benoits Siding, Doyles, Tompkins, St Andrews, and ends in Cape Ray.

As of June 2014, this portion of the route has not been completed; however, it is planned to travel through the town and cross Highway 125 following Old Branch Road on the North Side of Pottle Lake.

The Trans Canada Trail continues, passing Route 395 and going through Scotsville to a fork north of Strathlorne in the Municipality of the County of Inverness.

[11] In 2013, a one-kilometre-long honorary segment of the Trans Canada Trail was opened on the grounds of Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

The Lake Huron-North Channel Waterfront route reduces use of shoulders along the Trans-Canada Highway by about 50 kilometres.

A major section in Alberta follows highway 2A between Edmonton and Calgary, a road that combines narrow shoulders with heavy traffic.

The main role of the Alberta government so far has been to assist local trail associations in searching for better routes.

[14][15] East of Edmonton, the TCT from Elk Point to Waskatenau uses the Iron Horse Trail, which lies on the old route of the Oliver–St.

Between Brookmere and the Othello Tunnels, the trail officially follows the route of the Vancouver, Victoria and Eastern Railway at Princeton and then onto parts of the Kettle Valley Railway south of Brookmere, but due to lost bridges, washouts, grade degradation, and freeway construction, it actually traces the Coquihalla Highway.

The route then sideskirts down the Silverhope logging road and over the steep, overgrown, and isolated Paleface Pass into the Chilliwack Lake basin.

From there, it maintains its own right-of-way (sometimes shared with the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway) to Victoria, where another ferry returns to Vancouver.

The Salish Sea Marine Trail is an alternate route to Victoria from Horseshoe Bay, crossing the Strait of Georgia from the Sunshine Coast and the northern Gulf Islands to Nanoose Bay, then travelling south to Victoria via the southern Gulf Islands.

The trail enters the Yukon from British Columbia on the Alaska Highway, south of Watson Lake.

In February 2018, a "special collector's edition" of the Canadian Geographic Magazine was released, titled "The Great Trail".

[25] The 2023 documentary film 500 Days in the Wild portrays the efforts of photographer Dianne Whelan to hike the entire length of the trail.