Hiking Toronto for Dog Lovers

My last blog about a trail in Rouge National Urban Park was published in the winter, so I'm way past due publishing another.  This park is very popular for hiking at all times of the year. During the COVID Lockdown, the parking lot was closed, but people were still able to hike the trails. Everything is open now, but there are still signs encouraging people to social distance from others on the trails.  This blog is about the Vista Trail. It is the easiest trail in the park and has a lookout over the river. The trails are unpaved and clearly marked, so it's a perfect hike for beginners. You can follow the signs for the Vista trail without any guidance and cover a distance of 2-3 km. My suggested route adds a visit to the Little Rouge Creek because I know a few dogs who can't do a hike unless it includes an opportunity to get wet. Parking Park on Zoo Rd near the Rouge Valley Conservation Centre. All the trails are natural and clearly marked.  Turtles Some lucky hikers wil...

I've met several people looking for trails from the Bluffer's Beach to the top of the bluffs. There are very few trails available that take you from the bottom to the top and vice versa. The Doris McCarthy Trail is one such trail. The trail is very steep, especially during a summer heatwave. This blog describes a path that can be considered "Doris McCarthy Lite": Scarborough Heights Park. Suggested Route Scarborough Heights Park is located next to Rosetta McLean Gardens near the bottom of Birchmount. The park is behind the Scarborough Pumping station and has an off-leash dog park, a parking lot, and a meadow along the cliff. The trail, as shown, is 4 km in length. Dog Park Start your walk at the Scarborough Heights Dog Park  on Fishleigh Drive. It's a relatively sizeable off-leash park with woodchips covering the ground and a few trees for shade. The Views After leaving the dog park, walk along the treeline for glimpses of the lake. It's dangerous to stand on...

Terraview Park is small, but it gives me a great deal of pleasure. It is located on Pharmacy Ave south of the 401. You may know that Pharmacy Ave was a through street until the 401 was built. Pharmacy Ave exists both north and south of the 401, but you need to make a detour to continue.  Terraview Park is filled with nature. On every visit, I've seen some kind of wildlife, including turtles, rabbits, herons, geese, ducks, cormorants, cardinals, goldfinches, red-winged blackbirds,  and robins. I've met locals who tell me of opossums and orioles.  Apparently, wildlife was absent from this area a mere 25 years ago because the area was terribly polluted. Efforts to naturalize the Taylor-Massey Creek have improved the health of the water systems, and wildlife came back. Suggested Route Although this is hike is only 2 km in length, you could spend a lot of time here. Families with young children will like the playground, waterpark, and abundance of nature. There are vast fields...