Autumn at Lions Valley Park in Oakville
Lions Valley Park is about a 45 minute drive from Toronto with no traffic, and is nestled between the suburbs of northern Oakville. The park features trails that meander through and around a valley carved from Sixteen Mile Creek. We visited on a Saturday in October, and parked near a dedicated entrance called Sixteen Mile…
Kerncliff Park in Burlington
Kerncliff Park, located within and managed by the city of Burlington, is truly a hidden treasure of diverse landscapes and scenic hiking trails. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Toronto with no traffic, northwest of the major intersection of highway 407 and 403. The trails weave through dense forest with shade to keep cool…
Views at Mount Nemo Conservation Area
Mount Nemo Conservation Area is owned and managed by Conservation Halton, and is located just under an hour from Toronto within Burlington. The area features over 7 km of trails, the majority of them being along the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. Mount Nemo requires reservations in order to visit. We booked online on the…
Bruce Trail at Speyside Resource Management Area
We visited two weekends in a row in July. The first visit was incredibly mosquito-ey, but we were determined to return a second time, and came more prepared with long-sleeved clothing and insect repellant. Speyside Resource Management Area is about an hour from Toronto, just northwest of Milton. Speyside Resource Management Area is directly south…
Trails of Silver Creek Conservation Area
Silver Creek Conservation Area is located in Halton Hills, about an hour north east of Toronto. The variety of trail options and unique geological features make it an interesting and worthwhile place to explore. The 1,000+ acres is preserved by Credit Valley Conservation. We walked down Roberts Side Trail and back west down Bruce Trail.…
Caves at Limehouse Conservation Area in Halton Hills
Our recent visit to Limehouse Convervation Area was absolutely magical. As a proudly standing monument of geological history, the Niagara Escarpment never ceases to amaze me! The Niagara Escarpment runs across Ontario from Niagara to the Bruce Peninsula. The exposed dolostone (limestone) that makes up the escarpment itself is made of compressed sediment layers from…
Whitevale Park and Seaton Hiking Trail
When we lived in Pickering we often hiked the Seaton Trail through it’s many access points closer to the town (Dixie Road, Valley Farm, Clarkes Hollow). This last visit back to the area, we decided to start our trek using a new entrance – through Whitevale Park. I absolutely love Whitevale in Pickering. I don’t…
Fishing at Holland River in Bradford
The first weekend following one of us starting a new job, we were itching to get out of the house. First time in years we now both have weekends off! This deserved celebration. We decided we were going for a short drive north to check out some local fishing spots, courtesy of a popular app…
Birding at Milne Dam Conservation Park in Markham
Being the first visit to this conservation area, the moment I stepped out of the car, I knew this would not be the last! Just by where my car was parked at the end of Princess Street, many birds were singing to each other amongst the trees off the road. It is a great recreational…
Valley Farm Ravine in Pickering
Valley Farm Ravine is nestled between the suburbs of Major Oaks and Pine Ridge in Pickering, Ontario. Recently, a trailhead entrance with new parking was upgraded on Valley Farm Road in Pickering just south of Duffins Creek and north of Finch Avenue. The terrain itself is fairly even in its elevation and makes for a…
Heber Down Conservation Area in Whitby
Heber Down Conservation Area is located in Whitby, and is owned by Central Lake Ontario Conservation. The area features 687 acres and three trail loops altogether over 5 kilometres. In exploring, you will come across forest, meadow, and wetlands. Devil’s Den Trail We started our journey from the main parking lot off Lyndebrook Road. There…
Hiking at Greenwood Conservation and Brock Lands
Greenwood Conservation and Brock Lands are located on the northwest border of where Ajax meets Pickering. The area covers over 1660+ acres of land, and offers 35+ km trails. The terrain is a mix of meadows, forested areas, and rivers. There are a few different entrances featuring parking, including on Church Street, and Concession Road…
Sunny Day at Wilder Forest in Uxbridge
The first time in visiting Wilder Forest was so enjoyable, we took the time to visit again (see our first visit to Wilder Forest here). Wilder Forest is just under an hour drive from Toronto, to the north-east. Being the first sunny and warm day of March, we wanted to revisit the forest! The terrain…
Altona Forest and Lacey’s Pond
Nestled in the suburb of Altona in Pickering, Altona Forest is a special reserve of 102 acres of beautiful forest. Owned and managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Altona Forest features 4.24 kilometres of trail made available to the public. When the Altona suburb was developing in the 1980’s, there were efforts to…
Wilder Forest At Sunset
The Wilder Forest and Wildlife Preserve is a newer addition to the Durham trail system. The acreage for the public trail system was donated by the Wilder family in 2007. The terrain is hilly, with the trail weaving over and around hills. We visited in the winter with snow blanketing the ground, but the hills…
Niagara Falls
Driving around, we decided to take a quick stop by Niagara Falls. We parked and walked along the main stretch, and ended up leaving after 20 minutes or so as it became busier and harder to socially distance. We lucked out and saw a rainbow!
Birding And Wildlife at Lynde Shores Conservation Area
Living in Pickering, I used to travel 2 hours by public transit to Etobicoke to complete some post-graduate studies. There, I met a friendly classmate who was also from East of Toronto. We began discussing cool places to take photos and enjoy nature, and she had suggested that I visit Lynde Shores. The first time…
Adventuring The Limestone Cliffs At Rattlesnake Point
Rattlesnake Point, established in 1961, refers to the park owned by Halton Conservation that is a part of the the Niagara Escarpment. Only about a 45 minute drive west of Toronto, Rattlesnake Point is a great option for including in your day trip. Rattlesnake point requires reservations prior to visiting. You can visit http://www.parkvisit.ca to…
Dixie Cliffs – Pickering’s Hidden Gem
Located in Pickering, Dixie Cliffs offer gorgeous scenic views of the Seaton Hiking Trail and Duffin’s Creek. It’s an unofficial name for a cliff located near the corner of Concession Road 3 and Dixie Road. It is one of the locations I have spent so much time during my youth. It is a great place…
Scenic Lookout Views at Glen Major Forest & Walker Woods
Glen Major Forest and Walker Woods is an area managed by Toronto Conversation Authority, featuring over 3,700 acres and over 47 km of trails. There are multi-use trails for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding. The topography consists of a hilly landscape with open scenic lookout points, and large wooded regions. Located in Uxbridge, ON Glen Forest…
5 Reasons to Visit the Beach at Rouge National Urban Park
Rouge National Urban Park is a great spot to enjoy both scenic beach views, and wildlife-packed marshlands. The beach/marshland lies at the border of Scarborough and Pickering, where Lake Ontario feeds into the Rouge River. Rouge Beach is part of Rouge National Urban Park – the first of Canada’s national urban parks. Here’s why you…
The Ground Stompers 