Canada's largest city has a huge, busy and often chaotic centre. But it also has green areas accessible by public transport and, especially, by bike. In this post, we'll present our selection of the best parks in Toronto.
Of course, there are other parks, reserves and green spaces, but we'll show you places that we frequent and that are easy to get to.
We think that some parks are always worth visiting, even for tourists. However, in autumn, Toronto parks are essential attractions for those who are visiting the city and want to have perfect holiday tree photos.
8 Best Parks in Toronto, Canada
High Park
Hillside Gardens
O High Park is a tourist attraction in Toronto. But you can't get to know it all the first time. Only after many visits can we say that we know it well.
The event that most attracts visitors to High Park is the sakura, the blooming of the cherry trees between late April and early May.
However, it is worth visiting in summer and autumn. In summer, the woodland trails help to cool you off, the best known being the one along the West Ravine. The autumn colours make High Park one of the most beautiful settings in the city.
Something we always do on our visits to High Park is to enjoy the view of Grenadier Pond from Hillside Gardens, which appears in the image above.
Sunnyside Beach
To complete the tour, you can rent one of the bikes from Bike Share Toronto and go for a ride by Lake Ontario on the bike paths of Sunnyside Park, which by the way is one of our favourite places to stay near the Lake.
There is Sunnyside Beach, but it is a simple and dirty beach. In the picture above, it looks even prettier than it really is.
The best part is cycling from Sunnyside Park to Humber Bay Park East and West, from where you have a beautiful view of the Toronto skyline.
Where to stay
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For those seeking the vibrant energy of the city, Gabby'S Place Downtown Core Apartment is a top choice. Experience the city's cultural offerings, explore iconic landmarks, and indulge in the finest dining experiences – all within easy reach of your accommodation.
Toronto Islands
The Toronto Islands are islands that lie in front of Downtown. With such a central location, they are very popular in the warm months. Even though they have space, with lawns and beaches, the flow of people is huge in the summer.
The golden tip is to read our special post about the Toronto Islandsbecause there is a lot to talk about them.
It is worth mentioning that we recommend arriving early and focusing on the islands that best fit your traveller profile. For example, Centre Island is the amusement park that children love. So, it's a destination for families with young children.
Bickford Park and Christie Pits Park
The two Toronto parks mentioned above are huge, but on a day-to-day basis most residents make use of the smaller, neighbourhood parks.
That's the case with Bickford Park, which even though it's located next to busy Bloor Street West, retains its tranquility and community feel.
Bickford Park has a peculiar geography, it sits in a hollow or rather a piece of a ravine left over from Garrison Creek.
This gives it an intimate feel, which is helped by the Bickford Centre, a school that blocks out the noise of cars driving down Bloor St. in the warm months.
In the warmer months, Bickford Park is the scene of football matches, friends' gatherings and dogsledding. In winter, you can go skiing.
Across Bloor St is the much larger Christie Pits Park, which also has an irregular geography because of the ravine.
Christie Pits Park is usually full of people as it has children's play areas, a swimming pool and courts for various sports.
Trinity Bellwoods Park
Trinity Bellwoods Park is the largest park in Downtown, between two of the city's major streets, Queen Street and Dundas Street West.
Being centrally located, Trinity Bellwoods Park is quite busy, especially in the warm months. In autumn, it is especially beautiful due to the orange trees.
From several parts of the park you can see the CN Tower in the background, because it really is a central green area.
Trinity Bellwoods Park has tennis courts, a skating rink, a community centre with an indoor pool, a dog area and lots of squirrels.
Riverdale Park East
Riverdale Park East is close to Downtown, but east of the Don River, and is a park that is distinctive in that it is sloped.
The area where it is located is higher than the centre of Toronto, allowing for one of the best views of the skyline, even more so at sunset.
It is worth staying there until dark, when the buildings are illuminated and the CN Tower receives special lights and colours.
In winter, Riverdale Park East is still popular, as its slope is perfect for skiing.
Queen's Park
Ontario Legislative Building
Queen's Park is one of the parks in Toronto that tourists visit, after all, it is surrounded by tourist attractions. Nearby is the ROM, the Royal Ontario Museum, the largest museum in Canada.
In addition, inside Queen's Park is one of the city's largest old buildings, the Ontario Legislative Building, the province's legislative assembly building, as well as many statues, including a classic of Queen Victoria sitting on the throne. There are also several memorials.
Cedarvale Park
Cedarvale Park is one of our favourite parks in Toronto, even though it's not as central. It is located near the St Clair West underground station. Just follow the signs to the Heath Entrance/Exit exit to get to the park entrance.
Cedarvale Park's distinguishing feature is that it is formed first by a spacious trail surrounded by bushes and trees, has a lawn with sloping areas perfect for skiing and also has courts, a skating rink and a specific area for dogs.
Its hilly geography makes Cedarvale Park interesting, even more so in a city that is practically all flat.
What we like to do in that area is to start the tour at Nordheimer Ravine, south of St Clair West Avenue, which has a small trail in closed forest and then go to Cedarvale Park.
Map with the best parks in Toronto
Check the map for the location of the Toronto parks mentioned throughout this article. Just click on the "arrow button" in the top bar to access the map legend.
We hope you found our suggestions for the best parks in Toronto useful! Read also our article on what to do in Toronto!
Enjoy your trip!
