TVTA maintains, develops and encourages the use of walking trails within the area of the Thames River Valley. It cooperates with similar nature and environmentally conscious groups including Hike Ontario and Grosvenor Lodge, London. The Association is a non-profit organization operated entirely by volunteers. Our activities range from easy 1 hour walks on weekends or summer evenings through to camping trips in Ontario which may last 2 or 3 days. Many of our members are also involved in cycling, canoeing and cross country skiing. We have a newsletter which describes for our members those hikes which are arranged by us as well as by other Hike Ontario member associations. Potential members are warmly invited to join us on our hikes. All participants in our hikes take part entirely at their own risk; hike leaders are unpaid volunteers. Most of the trail is on private land and the Association's Trail User's Code of Conduct must be followed.

Members get a newsletter which is published four times each year. In addition to a schedule of planned hikes, you will also find invitations to join hikes organized by other hiking clubs, e.g., Avon, Elgin, Guelph, etc. Hikes for the weekend and following week are listed each Thursday in the London Free Press: Thursday Ticket section.

No! You are welcome to come as a guest and decide later if you want to join. Membership gets you a newsletter which helps you plan your hikes. Membership also brings some financial benefits: discounts on purchases from Novacks.

We have all age groups, including students and retired folks from a widely varied and interesting background. Joining any of our hikes is a great way to meet all sorts of outdoorsy - environmentally conscious people.

We always need good keen help, eg. in trail maintenance, public relation and social events, and as members of the Board of Directors. If you have an interest in volunteering. we would like to hear from you.

There are over 2001 km of hiking trails in the province, built and maintained by volunteers. 12 major hiking trails, including TVTA Inc. belong to the provincial hiking association: Hike Ontario. While several of our members belong to other trail associations and we organize hikes on other trails (eg. the Bruce Trail), the TVTA Inc. is a completely independent trail association.

All of our hikes are rated in terms of effort and hiking time. We try to organize hikes of all types - 3 to 5 kilometer walks on paved trails e.g. Gibbons, Harris, Springbank parks, up to much more strenuous all-day hikes such as around Fanshawe Lake (20 km). Our quarterly newsletter and our submissions in the London Free Press indicate the level of difficulty (e.g. easy, medium, difficult) for each hike. Hike leaders will help you if necessary, but you should know that you share their walks at your own risk.

None! Sooner or later you might want to invest in hiking boots, but check with the hike leader - some hikes are tougher than others. Think about bringing water, and be sure to dress appropriately for the weather - layered clothing is best.

We have pot-luck suppers, sometimes combined with a slide show or games, sometimes just to renew acquaintances. Other recreational events (eg. ice skating, bowling, roller blading) are occasionally planned strictly for the fun and enjoyment of our members. Trips are regularly scheduled which involve overnight stay, e.g. weekend hiking or meetings with other Associations. These and similar activities are listed in our quarterly newsletter.

© Copyrights Reserved 2001-2008. Thames Valley Trail Association, Inc.
Comments, suggestions, links? E-mail TVTA Webmaster.