Hiking Toronto for Dog Lovers

The Mast Trail is a popular hike in the Rouge National Urban Park between the Little Rouge River and Rouge River. Hike a 5 km loop that begins near Kingston Road through the hills to the Twyn Rivers trail head. The Mast Trail is an intermediate-level hiking trail. Some of the hills are steep, and it is pretty easy to get off the official path, so perhaps it can be considered an advanced-level hike. You won't get lost if you leave the official trail, but you may end up walking further than you anticipated.  Read my blog about the Vista Trail , which is likely the easiest trail in Rouge Urban Park.  Parking The Glen Rouge Campground is still closed due to the pandemic, but the parking lot is open for day-hikers.  This is a popular place for people to hike, especially on weekends. If you find a full parking lot, drive to the  Twyn Rivers Drive parking lot and start your hike there.  Suggested Route The official trail is marked by blazes that are painted on trees....

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....

In March, I published a blog about a hike from the Sunnybrook Off-Leash Dog park . This blog also starts at the dog park, but the walk goes in the other direction to York University Glendon Campus. Suggested Route Sunnybrook Dog Park Park in a lot near the dog park. If you arrive from Leslie Street, park near the Sunnybrook Stables . If you come from Bayview, park near the trailhead . Sunnybrook Off-Leash Dog Park is extremely popular. There is a particular area for small dogs, so don't feel intimidated by all the large dogs in this photo. There are benches to sit in the shade and a water tap to give drinks to the dogs. Glendon Forest Leave the dog park from the gate nearest to the parking lot. With the river to your right, walk onto the trail directly ahead of you. The trail is not paved but is well worn.  You can stay on the main path throughout this hike, but Lucy and I took the smaller footpath along the river. This allowed Lucy to visit the river and avoided cyclists or jogger...