Huntington Park, Markham

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 to the highway. 

The forest will be on your left-hand side, and the trail ends near Bayview Ave where you can then start your hike in the forest along the creek.

Valley View Park

Before you cross the bridge that takes you to Evergreen Crescent, turn left into the ravine and follow the trail beside the creek. 

There are areas of erosion, so it's best to choose the trail that passes over the ridge rather than staying near the creek. 

There are great views of the creek from the top of the ridge. 

Continue in the same direction as the creek until you see a trail going down to the creek. 

Maple View Park

This section of the trail is closer to the creek with houses up the hill on the left. 

Lucy indicated to me that there are little animals living near the creek. There were damaged trees, so perhaps beavers? More likely they were muskcrats or minks.

Follow the creek along the path until you get to bridge which is Green Lane. There is a small trail on the other side of the bridge, but it is very rugged.

Turn back at this point and head back until you see this carved tree.

From here, follow the trail up the hill and stay to the right. 

You'll come out of the forest near the soccer field where you'll see a picnic area and the parking lot.

Off-Leash Opportunities

I was able to let Lucy stay off-leash the entire hike. As we approach other people, Lucy has been trained to come to me for treats instead of saying hi to strangers. Some people keep their dogs on leash, so it depends on you and your dog.

Birdwatching

While walking in the hydro corridor, we saw a raven's nest. When leaving, we saw a pair of ravens capture a meal. 

There were many chickadees in one area, and we noticed a woodpecker as well. 

Instagram

Enjoy your walk! When you post photos to Instagram, tag us at @hikingtoronto or #hikingtorontowithlucy