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As we may be headed into a long few months and bummed about everything-here is a thread of easy trails and gardens you can visit with kids around Toronto and vicinity for some nature therapy. We visited all of these:
Williamson park ravine. Entrance on Gerrard east of Coxwell. Short half km walk but sweet. Smalls creek runs through it.
Glen Stuart ravine. Off of Kingston rd, in upper beach area. Boardwalk and stairs is about 1.5 km. Easy. Very pretty.
Trails at Brickworks. So many to choose from. Can go down to abandoned rail path. Parking off of Bayview.
Moore park ravine. Also accessible via Brickworks or north from Mount Pleasant Cemetery, full trail runs about 9 km. https://www.blogto.com/city/2018/09/moore-park-ravine-toronto/
Doris McCarthy trail (Gates Gully). In Scarborough, unassuming entrance off Ravine drive. Once you enter kind of magic. Full trail is 14 km and can get to Bluffers park. We do short version to a sculpture by the water with a great view of the Bluffs.
Bronte Creek Provincial park in Oakville. Lots of pretty and easy 1-3 km forest trails.
Mount nemo conservation area. In Burlington, need to book via https://book.parkpassproject.com/book?inventoryGroup=1554186518 Easy hikes, easy climb. Beautiful view at the top.
Rouge national park. Specifically Coyote trail. One of the MOST magical trails we visited this summer. Near Uxbridge, northern point of the park. Kids even commented on how pretty it was. It had everything in a short 3 km loop.
Kortright conservation area. In Vaughan. Also needs a reservation https://kortright.org/ . Lots of pretty and short hikes. Learned the difference between different types of wetlands here.
Edward gardens. Known to most Torontonians. Off Lawrence ave east. More manicured than the rest, some treed areas too.
Rosetta McClain Gardens. Off of kingston rd. Great view of lake Ontario from top off bluffs.
Taylor Creek Park. Parking off of Dawes road. Two paths parallel to the creek- one in the forest, one paved. Multiple bridges connecting the two. Easy for kids and older folks alike.
Scarborough Heights Park. Can park along Kingston Rd. at Rosetta McClain gardens and walk east along Glen Everest Rd to path entrance. Steep wide paved incline in forest down to water and then hit paths along shoreline in either east or west directions.
Crothers Woods Park in East York. You can get there via the East Don trail or park at the Loblaws at Redway Rd (off of Millwood) to get to a marked trailhead. We hiked the Sun Valley loop and Cottonwood flats today. Easy 2.5 km hike.
Charles Sauriol Conservation area. Parking off of Lawrence Avenue East, paved paths and a few side trails. If you’re into steel bridges, this park is for you; I think we crossed 6-7 on our walk. Trail passes by the famous rainbow tunnel that can get you to Moccasin Trail Park.
Back at it. Vista trail at Rouge Park in Scarborough. Much more colourful in the summer and fall, but we will take it. Lots of textured and scenic views. Wide trails.
Alexander Muir Gardens. Another pretty spot recommended by @AlexisCarere. Park on Weybourne crs off of Yonge near Lawrence. Gardens have lots of little hidden mini side paths, was fun for kids to explore. Walk further and connect to Blythwood Ravine Park and Sherwood Park.
I got more outdoor GTA trails. This is Lambton woods in the West end of Toronto. Park at James Gardens off Edenbridge Dr. where there are gorgeous ponds, flowers, bridges. Walk into the forest path and/or along Humber River trail.
Tommy Thompson Park/Leslie spit, at the end of Leslie st. Bike/scoot on paved wide centre trail or walk along east or west walking trails. We saw a million different birds a few days ago. Beaches include fun looking metal dig debris/tiles. Lots to explore, kids walked for hours.
