Earl Bales Park

North of the 401 at Yonge Street

A dog park, river, forest, ski hill, and a golf course crammed into one great hike!

Winter might be the best season to visit this park. I visited twice during the winter of 2020 and have met incredible people and dogs. Where else can you go downhill skiing in Toronto? You may not be able to play golf in the winter, but you can spend hours walking the course, which is next to the Don River.

Fence around off-leash dog park in Earl Bales park, Toronto.

Recommended route

The route I recommend is around 4 km. Like most parks in the city, there are many entry points. I don't live walking distance to the park, so I will give directions from the parking lot on Don River Blvd.

Map to the Don River Blvd parking lot for the Earl Bales off-leash dog park.

Map of a 5 km dog-friendly hiking loop in Earl Bales Park, Toronto.

Dog Park

Start your visit at the off-leash dog park. This is one of the better dog parks I've seen as it is large and has a run in the forest for dogs to chase each other. 

Dogs playing in the Earl Bales Off-leash dog park.

Dogs socializing in the Earl Bales off-leash dog park in Toronto.

Ski Hill

After you leave the fenced-in dog area, follow the forest path to the right. You'll go past the Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre. The ski season is scheduled to begin January 1 and ends mid-March, but it is weather and snowfall dependent. It's a pretty small hill, but perfect for beginners.

Earl Bales ski and snowboard center.

Walk along established trails through the forest beside the East Don River. In the winter, there are typically only dog walkers, so you may feel comfortable letting your dog run free for a bit. 

Hiking trails along the East Don River in the Earl Bales park in Toronto.

Several trails lead to the same place, so choose the path you like best.

Stuff you'll see near the Earl Bales ski and snowboard centre.

Wide hiking trails in a forest in the Earl Bales Park.

Stormwater Management System

The place all the paths lead to is an impressive stormwater management system. Here you'll find one of the largest stormwater ponds in Canada. The water is used to irrigate the golf course, snow-making for the ski hill, and prevents erosion.

Stormwater Pond in Earl Bales Park, Toronto

Stormwater management facilities gather rain and snowmelt to reduce the possibility of flooding. A structure is built into the hill to slow and filter runoff during wet weather. The water that accumulates in stormwater ponds is gradually released back into nature, which helps avoid erosion and downstream flooding.

Stormwater management facility in Earl Bales Park, Toronto.

When you get a bit closer, you'll see that a mural was painted on the concrete. 

Mural painted on the stormwater facility in Earl Bales Park.

There is a bench where you can have a rest or a picnic when the weather is warmer.

Enjoy the view of the lake in the Earl Bales Park.

The pond is not safe at any time. Many signs warn against walking on the ice in the winter. Nor should you let your dogs play in the water as it can be quite deep.

Warning signs of the dangers of playing on ice or water in the stormwater facilities in Earl Bales Park, Toronto.

A large stormwater pond to prevent flooding after winter or rain in the Earl Bales Park, Toronto.

Westgate Blvd


Walk around the park to the fence. This is the bottom of Westgate Blvd, which is a popular entry point into the park.

Westgate Blvd fence in Earl Bales Park.

The golf course starts on the other side of the fence, so carefully walk between the water and the fence.

Go through the fence to get to the trails in the golf course.

Storm grate in Earl Bales Park.

Walk on the path between the forest and lake, and you'll be amazed at the beautiful golf course once you turn the corner.

Path to golf course from Earl Bales Park.

Don Valley Golf Course

The views on a golf course are truly amazing, especially when they are in the Don Valley. Even the dogs seem mesmerized by the wide-open spaces next to the forest and river.

Dogs enjoying the beauty of the Don Valley Golf Course, Toronto.

Half of the golf course is south of the 401, so you could extend your hike by going under the highway bridge.

Dogs chasing each other in the Don Valley Golf Course.

Snow covered sand trap in the Don Valley Golf Course.

Dogs running in the snow on the golf course.

For a 5 km loop, walk across the course to the river, cross the river and turn left. This will take you on an unpaved trail all the way back to your car.

Bridge over the East Don River on the Don Valley Golf Course.

River Walk

This section of the walk is not part of the golf course, so you'll be able to walk this trail all year long. Along this stretch, I noticed many birds. Jays, hawks, woodpeckers, and lots of robins. 

Trail along the East Don River that takes you back to Earl Bales park from the Don Valley Golf Course.

Our dogs were able to run free and take a dip into the river in places.

Playing off leash on the trails on the river banks of the East Don River.

Sheppard Underpass


Don't get confused when you come to the underpass. You'll be directly across the canal from the parking lot, so simply go under the bridge, follow the channel, and then you'll see the parking lot just past the bridge.

Sheppard Ave West bridge over the East Don River in Earl Bales Park.

Underpass

Follow the canal under Sheppard Ave West bridge to get to the parking lot of East Bales Park.

Extensions


There are many extensions to this trail that I'll explore in future posts.

Enjoy!

Location: Earl Bales Park, 4169 Bathurst St, North York, ON M3H 3P7, Canada

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sunnybrook Off-Leash Park

Image
Socialize your dog, visit a creek, and hike through a ravine Enjoy nature in another historic area of Toronto Sunnybrook Park is a place you can visit often and never repeat an experience. There are trails in the woods, paved paths, and a vast off-leash dog area. It is a nice mix of experiences with an occasional encounter with a creek or river. History We can thank the Kilgour family for this fabulous park. In 1909, Joseph Kilgour and his wife Alice established Sunnybrook Farms on a 200-acre lot. Joseph and his brother made their fortune in the paper industry, specializing in cardboard and paper bags. After the death of her husband, Alice donated the property to the City of Toronto on condition that it never be developed. Many of the original buildings and stables still exist. You can learn the full history of the property in the Sunnybrook Park post of the Hiking in the GTA blog. Parking There are two parking lots near the Sunnybrook Dog park. If you arrive at the ...
Read more

Bestview Park Nature Trails

Image
The parkland south of Steeles Ave between Bayview Ave and Leslie Street is a huge area with many trails. One trail follows the Don River, and another follows the tributary, German Mills Creek. The trails immediately behind the tennis courts are known as Bestview Park Nature Trails.  Parking Park near the  Steelesview Public School  at 105 Bestview Drive. Park on the street or use the spots at the school when it is closed.  Suggested Routes These trails are difficult to describe since none of them are marked. To make it clearer, I've separated the trail descriptions into three parts, as indicated by the numbers on the map. From Bestview Ave, follow the paved path between the tennis courts and the children's playground to the first bridge. This is the spot where the German Mills Creek flows into the Don River and is where our routes split into 1) right to St. Joes, 2) straight to Cummer, and 3) left to Leslie Street and a loop back to Bestview Park. Saint Joe's Turn ri...
Read more

Bluffer Park and Marina

Image
There's no place better to be on a super hot day than near the water. Toronto has many bodies of water that can help you and your dog beat the heat this summer. One of the most popular places is Bluffers Beach in Scarborough on Lake Ontario. Next to the beach is a marina and park. It is possible to hike the entire area in one day, but why not visit multiple times? A previous blog entry,  Bluffers Beach in Summer , gave details on visiting the large beach on the east side. This blog post is about the park instead of the beach.  There is a small beach on this hike, but on a holiday or weekend, this might fill up fast. People like to arrive early with food and shelter to stay the day.  Directions My suggested route is 4 km at the most and starts in the parking lot at the southern end of Brimley Road,  furthest to the right (west).  Parking Parking is free during weekdays until 5 pm, but you must pay on weekends, holidays and evenings. Suggested Loop Once you've pa...
Read more

Huntington Park, Markham

Image
Huntington Park is located south of the 407 highway between Bayview Ave and Leslie Street.  The German Mills Creek flows through the park and eventually into the East Don River.  The trail takes you through two valleys: Valley View Park and Maple Valley Park. Parking There is limited parking at the dog park, so drive a bit further to the larger parking lot between the baseball diamond and the soccer field. The address is Huntington Park Drive, east of Lambert Road . Off-Leash Dog Park The dog park is quite large, and Lucy has made many friends on every visit. We often start our hikes in a dog park to learn more about the area. On our first visit, we met a couple at the dog park who were planning to hike the trail with their dogs, so they became our tour guides on the hike. We've only been here in the winter, so I'm not sure what the surface is like underneath the snow. Hydro Corridor For a full 5 km loop, I recommend that you first walk the hydro corridor trail parallel t...
Read more

New Trails in Charles Sauriol Conservation Area

Image
A favourite trail has become even better! For the past few years, construction equipment has been on the south end of the Charles Sauriol Conservation Area. The construction is now complete, and the new trails connect even more neighbourhoods to this popular area of Toronto. The paved trail was originally from Lawrence Ave in the north to Wynford Drive in the south. Now you can follow paved trails to Wigmore Park or Anewen Greenbelt. Hiking from the Lawrence Ave parking lot to Wigmore Park is 3 km, so an in and out hike is a very pleasant 6 km.  Normally the parking lot and the trails are not maintained over the winter months. However, with Covid-19 still causing havoc, the city has decided to maintain trails this winter to allow people to get outdoors to get exercise and stress relief.  If you are new to this hiking area, maybe you have seen the rainbow tunnel driving on the DVP. This tunnel connects Moccasin Park to Charles Sauriol Conservation Area. There is a parking area ...
Read more

Sherwood Park Off-Leash Paradise

Image
Sherwood Park is located in mid-town Toronto between Bayview Ave and Mount Pleasant Road, north of Eglinton Ave. The city built Toronto's best off-leashed dog playground in the ravine. Dogs can run free through the forest and access Burke Brook. Despite the large number of dogs who visit the park, it is very clean and frequented by non-dog owners jogging or walking through the fenced-in area.    Parking There is a free parking lot at  160 Sherwood Ave  as well as street-parking on Blythwood Road.   Suggested Route It's a pretty straightforward trail. To explore every path, turn left whenever there is a choice to be made. The trail through the dog park is 2 km in length. The path is paved or decked, so it is clean and usually wide-enough to keep your distance from other people.  The off-leash area is fenced, so your dog is unable to go on roads or private property. It's hilly, so there is plenty of variety for you and your dog. Parts of the forest are f...
Read more

Earl Bales Park to Don Valley Golf Course

Image
Earl Bales is a large park with Sheppard Ave West to the north and Bathurst Street to the west.  There are many hiking trails in this park that we enjoy exploring, but only in the winter can the general public walk the golf course. The Don Valley Golf Course is south of Earl Bales and allows hikers and dogs to visit the property during the winter months. We've blogged about this trail before. See  Earl Bales Park . For this hike, we start at the community centre off of Bathurst Street, visit the dog park, walk past the ski hill, along the Don River to the golf course. We've previously turned back at the 401, but this time we continued to Wilson Ave for a 9 km hike. Parking There is no shortage of parking spots in the winter. The parking near the Community Centre is located at 4169 Bathurst Street . Dog Park We followed the signs down to the dog park. The trail is between the community centre and the Barry Zukerman Amphitheatre. As usual, we met new friends at the off-leash dog...
Read more

Humber River Trail - Etienne Brulé Park

Image
The Humber River is 100 km long, so there are many hiking trails to explore.  The river connects to Lake Ontario in the south. See earlier blog entry, Sunnyside Beach , about a park to explore at the southern point of the Humber River. Parking or Transit This hike begins at the  Etienne Brule Park , where there is free parking. For those who use transit, the nearest subway station is the Old Mill Station . You'll be following part of the Humber River Recreational Trail.  Suggested Route Starting at Etienne Brule Park, walk north on the paved path until you reach the footbridge over the Humber River. Turn back at this point for an 8.5 km hike.  The Trail You can walk the paved trail for the entire hike if you like. There is also a gravel path as well as a footpath next to the river. Cyclists tend to use the paved path and joggers the gravel path.  I like to use the river path to get the best view of the birds, and for Lucy to play in the river. Weir or Low H...
Read more

Rouge Park Woodland Trail

Image
The Rouge Park Woodland Trail is one of the lesser-known trails in the Rouge Urban National Park.  Several trails take you through a beautiful forest and along the Little Rouge River. The 2 km trail is marked with green signs. The longer trails are not marked but are easy to find. Parking The parking area is located at 19 Reesor Road . The lot is small, so if it's full, see if you can find a spot on the shoulder of Reesor Road. The Trail Our actual 3 km route is shown in the map from the UnderArmor MapMyWalk App. If you use this app, find our route:  https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/5069365768 The longer 5 km route takes you up a steep hill to a flat area closer to Reesor Road. If you use this app, find our route:  https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4991115811 The beginning part of the trail is lined with rocks. Well-worn footpaths follow the river. Be careful as the trail is very close to the riverbank that is eroding. You'll get great views of the river with a few spots...
Read more

Colonel Danforth Park to Old Kingston Road

Image
Discovering this trail was one of the highlights of my summer. Lucy loved playing in the river and I had many opportunities to photograph wildlife. I met friendly people on every visit. I plan to visit more often and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to explore nature within the city. Suggested Route This hike is really straight forward. You can park at either end of the trail: The Colonel Danforth Dog Park  (on the west end) or the Colonel Danforth Park  (on the east end). My map shows the route starting at the dog park. The distance is 2.5 km each way. Parking After parking at the Colonel Danforth Dog Park, cross Old Kingston Road and turn left to cross the bridge. The trail head begins immediately after crossing the bridge. The Trail A paved path follows the river and attracts cyclists and joggers.  I walk on the unpaved trail beside the river, which allows me to see more wildlife and hidden treasure. It also allows me to leave Lucy off-leash for most of the walk....
Read more