One of the added challenges when going out on the bush is to find a good hiking route. With internet technology, there are some maps and information that can help you.
Internet - most parks and public land information are now available online and there are printable maps you can use for you trip. These maps will show information on facilities such as parking, toilets, water and picnic grounds. Most important, it will also show popular hiking routes with estimated distance and time to complete a route. In my experience, Parks information provides updates on closed tracks and closed facilities -so it's also important to check the website closer to your planned outing date.
Orienteering Clubs - local orienteering or rogaine clubs also retain maps and direction to local hiking trails. They have resource persons who are familiar with the trail. They can give you tips on local conditions and hazards to expect in the area.
Stop by a local Information Centre - towns, regionals centres and tourism areas have information booths. They provide maps and can suggest information on nearby hiking routes.
Trail races - trail race organizers also creates maps of running routes they have organized. They often map out these 'running routes' via gps and provide you downloadable gps info through their websites.
Google Earth - Most of the time, I end up creating my own route by linking trails in google earth. You can determine the elevation profile of the route you created. I find this a very valuable tool in judging the difficulty of the route.
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