Hiking Toronto for Dog Lovers

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...

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...