Satellite View of the Uplands This view from space clearly shows the Kolapore Uplands as large and contiguous area with little evidence of development other than some narrow gravel roads. Please be sensitive to the special characteristics of this area when you visit.

Understanding the Impact of Trail Use At present, the trails are permitted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Grey county conservation authorities for non-mechanized ski touring use during the period of December 1 - March 31 each year. "If you build it, they will come", and so in addition to skiers, our user group now includes hikers, cyclists, snowshoers, equestrian and mechanized, many of whom are on the trails during the spring, summer and fall. However, there is currently no formal permit for the management of trail use outside of the winter months.

Wear and tear and the trail system takes several forms and each group has a different degree of physical impact on the trail system. Obviously, winter use has the lowest impact due to the freeze-up and snow cover, while spring and fall use have a correspondingly higher impact than summer use.

Please observe the following guidelines for trail use:

• You are reponsible for your own safety. These are semi-wilderness trails. Due to the recent lawsuit, we now know that some users do not acknowledge this reality. Do not use the trails if you are not prepared for sudden changes in weather, damaged equipment and/or personal injury.
• Avoid trail use when conditions are wet! To find out what local conditions are like, check the weather page on this website. If there has been significant rain within the last 24 hours, please re-schedule your trip.
• Cyclists: Certain portions of the trail have been signed as "winter use only". This is due to excessively wet and swampy soil conditions that simply cannot support the large numbers of cyclists that Kolapore attracts. Please respect these areas.
• Equestrian and Mechanized: If you must use these trails, please stay off the bridges. They were never intended to carry the weight of your vehicles.
• Snowshoers: Snowshoers are relative newcomers to the Kolapore trails, and unfortunately, snowshoe tracks are not compatible with ski tracks. If you wish to snowshoe, please stay off the ski tracks. For the most part the trails can easily be followed in snowshoes beside the track set by skiers. Indeed, snowshoes are trail-breaking devices by design, so one could even imagine using them to explore the Uplands in areas away from the ski trail.