Hiking Toronto for Dog Lovers

The Bob Hunter Memorial Park is part of the Rouge National Urban Park.  It is located just north of Toronto at 14th Ave and Reesor Road in Markham. Parking Park at the trailhead located at  7277 14th Ave, Markham, ON . At this parking location, there is a washroom, signage, and a resting area. History From Wikipedia , I learned that  Bob Hunter Memorial Park is a greenspace preserve in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is named in honour of Robert Hunter, one of the founders of Greenpeace. The park was officially opened in August 2006. There are four trails: Tanglewood, Reesor Way, Tallgrass Trek and Monarch.  We hiked the Reesor Way / Tanglewood Trail, a 3.3 km loop that passes through a young forest to a more mature forest next to the Little Rouge River.  Suggested Hike I used UnderArmor MapMyWalk to record the route we took. If you use the app, follow our route . Young Forest If you walk the route counter-clockwise, the first section you'll hike through is a young...

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...

The Cedar Trail has become my favourite hike of Rouge Park. The path has less traffic than the Vista or Orchard trails and takes you from a pond through a forest to the river with plenty of opportunity for off-leash play, birdwatching, and wildlife spotting. Lucy was able to be off-leash for most of the hike as we encountered very few people.  Suggested Route The hike is about 6 km in length, including the walk to and from the parking area to the trailhead.  Parking Park on the road near the Rouge Valley Conservation Area . Walk down the service road towards the Cedar and Orchard Trails. There are signs at the trailheads, so avoid the temptation to follow one of the side trails for now. The Pond The Cedar Trail begins with a walk along the pond. This is where you're likely going to see a lot of wildlife. On one visit, we encountered staff from the Toronto Zoo, releasing painted turtles in the pond. They were quickly welcomed into the habitat by the locals. Birdwatching Belted ...