For a major city, Toronto has a decent amount of green space. And as I live in Toronto, I spend a lot of time wandering the city, and its parks and other green spaces, especially when I’m “training” for a long distance walk. One of my favourite parks is High Park, Toronto’s largest city park. (We also have a National Park, but that’s another article…)
High Park is west of downtown and just up (or north) from Lake Ontario – in fact, you can wander down to the paths along the lake easily after exploring High Park if you still have the energy as the waterfront trails are also good to walk. But I digress. My favourite part of High Park is the dirt/forest trails that weave their way throughout the park. Of course, there are also paved paths, and roads, but I really enjoy the dirt trails the best. It’s almost like not being in the city and, for me at least, is one of my favourite places to recharge when I can’t leave the city or just after work.
And it’s not just for summer! I love walking its many trails all year round. Last month, we got a bit of snow on a Friday and I jumped on a streetcar to High Park right after work so I could wander it when it was all pretty and covered in a blanket of snow. I wish we had more snow this winter as I was looking forward to snowshoeing but I guess I’ll stick to wandering the trails.
High Park is one of my favourite escapes in the city as it has something for everyone, and for every season. Spring can be pretty busy on the main paved trails when the cherry blossoms are out but the park is oh so beautiful then. Summer means there are flowers everywhere and everything is green. And all there are lots of ‘wildlife’ to see as well. Autumn is a great time to check out the fall colours, especially when wandering the dirt trails or away from the roads. And winter can be lovely after a snow fall. Just make sure you have the appropriate footwear and stay away from the ponds.
There really isn’t a bad time to wander around High Park, although I do tend to avoid cherry blossom season, despite how pretty it is as it’s also quite crowded then. If you want to avoid the crowds but still see the cherry blossoms in the spring, come on a weekday.
But, as I’ve alluded to above, one of my favourite things about exploring High Park is over one-third of the park has been kept in its natural state so you can wander through the forest (dirt) trails and enjoy nature right in the city. Other the ravines, it’s my favourite place to do so.
I also enjoy wandering the gardens during the spring, summer and fall; as well as the labyrinth. Walking the labyrinth is peaceful and a lovely way to de-stress. Although be prepared for a few people to look at you like you’re a bit odd or to join in when they realize what you’re doing. I’ll always remember the first time I walked it as there were a couple of people that stopped and watched… and while it’s relaxing to walk it, I don’t think it’s particularly fun to watch someone do so. But it probably looked a bit odd, especially if they didn’t look at the lines on the ground.
There’s also lots of other things to do at High Park, including a small, free zoo, a trackless train (great for kids I suspect), a museum, a restaurant, and so much more. But as I just wander it, I can’t speak to the other activities. However, I do recommend checking out this website, or the official city of Toronto one, if you want to learn more.
This is the first in (what I hope will be) a monthly series about great places to walk in Toronto.
Rambles and Walks 
These are pretty. 🥰
Thanks!
You are lucky to have such great park in a city.
We are! And there’s more too.