My experiences with Toronto were limited before moving here. My family made the trip from Ottawa to London, Ontario regularly to visit relatives, so I mostly associated Toronto with traffic and highways. We did visit Toronto itself a few times, but we mostly just went to the Toronto Zoo.
I always thought of Toronto as a boring, generic big city full of skyscrapers and concrete.
That is true to a point, but what’s surprised me since moving here has been how much green space there is—all the ravines and little parks tucked away in neighbourhoods. In fact, there are more than 1,500 parks in Toronto.
It could seem like you need to have a car to get to nature areas outside the city, but there are actually lots of options for getting your nature fix within city limits. Here are seven of my favourite parks and nature areas in Toronto that are accessible by public transit.
Note: the public transit information is accurate as of the time of publishing, but be sure to check TTC.ca for the latest transit information.
High Park
Location and transit information: High Park is located near High Park and Keele subway stations in the west end of Toronto, at 1873 Bloor St. W.
High Park is Toronto’s largest public park at 399 acres, with over one-third of the park remaining in a natural state. The park boasts many different features, including walking trails, forested areas, ponds, gardens and sports fields. There is something for everyone with a zoo, nature centre, restaurant (Grenadier Cafe) and museum (Colborne Lodge).
High Park is home to many different kinds of wildlife, including ducks and squirrels. Be sure to visit the park during cherry blossom season (often late April or early May) for some lovely photos.
Evergreen Brick Works
Location and transit information: Evergreen Brick Works is located at 550 Bayview Ave. in the Don River Valley Park. There is a free shuttle bus that operates from Broadview station, or you can take the 28 Bayview South bus from Davisville station.
Evergreen Brick Works is located on the site of the former Don Valley Brick Works and quarry, and has been revitalized as a public place for recreation and sustainability education.
The quarry garden features boardwalk bridges across ponds, which are teeming with wildlife, plus you can walk up a hill to a lookout with views towards the city skyline. In the opposite direction, the trail connects with the Beltline Trail and the city’s ravine system.
Evergreen Brick Works hosts a Saturday farmers’ market and many special events.
Williamson Park Ravine
Location and transit information: Williamson Park Ravine is located at 1680 Gerrard St. E. in the Upper Beaches neighbourhood in the city’s east end. You can take the 506 Carlton streetcar to Gerrard Street and Beaton Avenue. There are a few entrances to the ravine, but I would recommend going down the stairs on Gerrard opposite Beaton Avenue.
A long set of stairs takes you down into this serene ravine. The sides of the ravine slope up steeply toward the houses on either side, and a creek (Small’s Creek) flows through the middle. Though you can hear some light traffic noise, it really does feel like an oasis in the city.
The trail through the Williamson Park Ravine involves crossing some logs and makeshift boards that residents have added. The path is about 500 metres long and will take you out to either Gainsborough Road or Wildwood Crescent.
Williamson Park Ravine is part of the Small’s Creek ravine system, and this ravine in particular has been designated as an Environmentally Significant Area (ESA). Toronto’s ravines form one of the largest ravine systems in the world and cover more than 27,000 acres.
Tommy Thompson Park
Location and transit information: Tommy Thompson Park is located at 1 Leslie St. on a peninsula stretching out into Lake Ontario. To get there from Donlands station, take the 83 Jones to Commissioners bus south to Leslie Street at Commissioners Street, then it’s about a 10-minute walk to the park entrance.
The strip of land that is now Tommy Thompson Park was built by the Toronto Harbour Commissioners out of brick and concrete rubble, sand and silt. Since the land did not end up being needed for port activities, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) developed it into a public park.
Today, the site extends about five kilometres into Lake Ontario and is 500 hectares in size. There are extensive trails for walking, jogging and biking. The floating pedestrian bridge has lovely views of the city, and there is a lighthouse at the far point.
Tommy Thompson Park (AKA Leslie Street Spit) has a variety of habitats, including wildflower meadows, marshes and sand dunes. It’s great for bird watching since there are more than 300 recorded bird species in the park.
Tommy Thompson Park is only open to the public on weekday evenings, weekends and holidays.
Toronto Music Garden
Location and transit information: The Toronto Music Garden is located along the Toronto harbourfront at 479 Queens Quay W. Depending which direction you’re coming from, there are a few transit options. You can take the 510 Spadina south from Spadina station, the 511 Bathurst south from Bathurst station or the 509 Harbourfront west from Union Station.
This peaceful waterfront garden is inspired by music, specifically Bach’s First Suite for Unaccompanied Cello. World-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma worked with landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy on the design of the garden. Each section of the garden evokes a different dance movement from the suite. Learn more about the different movements represented in the garden here.
The garden features trees, flowers, grasses, perennial plants and more. Curving trails encourage reflection and climb up a hill with views over the harbour. Giant grass steps descend to an informal stage under a weeping willow tree, which is the venue for a free summer concert series.
Ashbridges Bay Park
Location and transit information: Ashbridges Bay Park is located next to Woodbine Beach at 1561 Lake Shore Blvd. E. To get there, you can take the 22 Coxwell bus south from Coxwell station to Coxwell Avenue at Queen Street, then it’s about an eight-minute walk to the intersection of Lower Coxwell and Lake Shore Boulevard East. Alternatively, you can take the 92 Woodbine bus south to Woodbine Beach Loop and walk about eight minutes west on Lake Shore. In either case, you will enter the park along the curving Ashbridges Bay Park Road.
This section of the Toronto lakeshore used to be a large marsh, but the marsh got drained and then filled in during the 20th century. Today, Ashbridges Bay Park is a lovely waterfront park covering five square kilometres and extending into Lake Ontario.
The park boasts beach volleyball courts and easy paved trails. Expect nice views of the lake, the Toronto skyline and the boats in the harbour. Ashbridges Bay Park is a good picnic spot. While you’re in the area, be sure to check out Woodbine Beach, Woodbine Park and the boardwalk along Lake Ontario.
Toronto Botanical Garden
Location and transit information: The Toronto Botanical Garden is located in North York at 777 Lawrence Ave. E. (at Leslie Street). From the line 1 subway, you can take the 51 or 54 bus from Eglinton station or the 162 bus from Lawrence station.
The Toronto Botanical Garden is a beautiful set of gardens on four acres in North York. There are various themed gardens including a pollinator garden, a terraced garden and a garden showcasing new annuals.
Admission is free and there are a variety of events hosted over the year. While at the garden, you can check out the café and garden shop. Plus, if you want to extend your visit, you can explore nearby Edwards Gardens and the Wilket Creek Trail.
Toronto nature areas accessible by public transit
If you know where to look and are ready to go on a bit of an adventure, there are lots of parks and nature areas that you can get to by transit in Toronto, from waterfront parks to groomed gardens and tranquil ravines!
I want to know: What parks and nature areas do you like to visit in Toronto?
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Wonderful combination of travel blogging and environmental stuff! I’d love to see a post on the benefits of green spaces within cities too 🙂
It’s funny, I lived in Brampton, near Toronto, for years as a kid, but I don’t think I’ve been to any of these parks before. This post really challenges the typical image of Toronto. I’ll have to go to some of these parks if I visit again. That ravine system sounds really interesting especially!
Thanks so much! And I’ll add that to my list of post ideas 🙂
Yeah, there are quite a few parks and ravines if you know where to look! I would recommend checking them out if you ever visit again. I’ve only been to a couple of the ravines, but they’re lovely and calm places.