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Hey guys, I'm currently considering relocating to Toronto... I know what they say about this wonderful city and it seems it would be a great fit for me. The only thing I'm not sure of is about the outdoor oportunities the city has to offer, as I love open green spaces, hiking, footing, biking and the like... So, is Toronto an outdoorsy city? How green is it overall? Thanks in advance
Hey guys, I'm currently considering relocating to Toronto... I know what they say about this wonderful city and it seems it would be a great fit for me. The only thing I'm not sure of is about the outdoor oportunities the city has to offer, as I love open green spaces, hiking, footing, biking and the like... So, is Toronto an outdoorsy city? How green is it overall? Thanks in advance
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This really depends on your point of reference. Where are you coming from? I'd say, in general, Toronto is NOT an outdoorsy city, but if you travel a few hours outside of TO you can find some really nice places.
All of the Vancouverites I know who have moved here tell me that it is the outdoors they miss the most.
I don't think Toronto/Ontario has the quality of outdoors activities that you will find out west but I would still say a good number of people are interested in the outdoors. Tonnes of people flock north in the summer months to cottages by the lakes, particularly in the Muskoka region. Go out on a Friday or Saturday night in Toronto in the peak summer weekends and the city will feel like a ghost town because so many people are up north.
I'd say for what the OP asked about (hiking, biking, jogging, etc.), even within the city things are pretty good. Toronto has a very extensive ravine trail system. Especially for a city of its size. It also has many pretty good beaches for the summertime. Just some examples. Its on-street bike lane system could use a lot of work though.
As far as atmosphere I'd say it doesn't jump out at you that people there are outdoorsy - it's a city with millions of people, so lots of people doing lots of different things. This includes the outdoors for some of course.
But it's not like other Canadian cities like Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa and Quebec City (non-comprehensive list) where it seems like on the weekend *everyone* is going to do outdoorsy stuff.
Compared to Vancouver, I wouldn't say Toronto is very outdoorsy city, but there is a huge network of ravines with tons of trails for biking, hiking, and exploring.
But just outside the city, the possibilities are endless. Up north, you've got the thousand lakes of cottage country, great provincial parks like Bon Echo, Sandbanks, and the legendary Algonquin. You've got white-water rafting on several rivers, most notably the Ottawa, jet-boating on the Niagara, and hundred of kilometres of hiking trails in and around the Niagara Escarpment. Lots of people rent houseboats in the summer to explore the Trent-Severn Waterway, and there are dozens of amazing white sand, fresh-water beaches on the shores of Lake Ontario, Georgian Bay / Lake Huron, and many of the smaller lakes that dot the land northeast of the city (I almost prefer some of these beaches to Ocean beaches. For example, the long white sand beach at Sandbanks Provincial Park on Lake Ontario has a huge sandbar that allows you to walk a few hundred meters out before the water gets deep enough to cover your head. The result is that you have a large area of very shallow fresh water being heated by the sun's rays all summer long so that by July and August swimming at Sandbanks is like swimming in a warm bathtub. It's just awesome! Definitely my fave beach on the Great Lakes, although there are plenty of others like Sauble and Wasaga that give it a run for its money.)
I've only listed a small sample of the outdoor activities available in and around TO. If you want to hear more, or learn about more specific types of outdoor activities, let me know.
I will say that a negative is the skiing / snowboarding hills in Southern Ontario, especially compared to BC. The best we got is Blue Mountain, which is a tender 1000+ feet high. However, drive about two hours south to spots in New York State like Ellicotville, and there are some better options. You can also drive five hours to Lake Placid in the Adirondacks, which has excellent slopes no matter what your standards are, or take a flight from the Island Airport to Mont Tremblant (although I personally think the Adirondacks are closer, cheaper, and better for a long weekend getaway).
Compared to Vancouver, I wouldn't say Toronto is very outdoorsy city, but there is a huge network of ravines with tons of trails for biking, hiking, and exploring.
But just outside the city, the possibilities are endless. Up north, you've got the thousand lakes of cottage country, great provincial parks like Bon Echo, Sandbanks, and the legendary Algonquin. You've got white-water rafting on several rivers, most notably the Ottawa, jet-boating on the Niagara, and hundred of kilometres of hiking trails in and around the Niagara Escarpment. Lots of people rent houseboats in the summer to explore the Trent-Severn Waterway, and there are dozens of amazing white sand, fresh-water beaches on the shores of Lake Ontario, Georgian Bay / Lake Huron, and many of the smaller lakes that dot the land northeast of the city (I almost prefer some of these beaches to Ocean beaches. For example, the long white sand beach at Sandbanks Provincial Park on Lake Ontario has a huge sandbar that allows you to walk a few hundred meters out before the water gets deep enough to cover your head. The result is that you have a large area of very shallow fresh water being heated by the sun's rays all summer long so that by July and August swimming at Sandbanks is like swimming in a warm bathtub. It's just awesome! Definitely my fave beach on the Great Lakes, although there are plenty of others like Sauble and Wasaga that give it a run for its money.)
I've only listed a small sample of the outdoor activities available in and around TO. If you want to hear more, or learn about more specific types of outdoor activities, let me know.
I will say that a negative is the skiing / snowboarding hills in Southern Ontario, especially compared to BC. The best we got is Blue Mountain, which is a tender 1000+ feet high. However, drive about two hours south to spots in New York State like Ellicotville, and there are some better options. You can also drive five hours to Lake Placid in the Adirondacks, which has excellent slopes no matter what your standards are, or take a flight from the Island Airport to Mont Tremblant (although I personally think the Adirondacks are closer, cheaper, and better for a long weekend getaway).
All great advice.
Funny, I came from Vancouver. I'm personally not an outdoorsy guy, with the exception of golf. I rarely hike, bike or ski. Yet coming to Ontario - I've enjoyed the outdoors even more.
I absolutely love Ontario beaches. Crystal Beach in Fort Erie, Wasaga and Sandbanks are all fantastic. They are cleaner, warmer, have nicer sand and are not as busy as beaches in BC.
But yes, if you ski or mountain climb - I think you'd be disappointed with what Toronto has to offer.
Hey guys, I'm currently considering relocating to Toronto... I know what they say about this wonderful city and it seems it would be a great fit for me. The only thing I'm not sure of is about the outdoor oportunities the city has to offer, as I love open green spaces, hiking, footing, biking and the like... So, is Toronto an outdoorsy city? How green is it overall? Thanks in advance
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I agree with what others have mentioned.
Toronto ravines feature nice trails and pakland.
Personally I like biking along the Humber River valley all the way down to the lake then
heading east to downtown along the lakeshore.
It's all a series of interconnected parkland, gets two thumbs
The Toronto Islands are great and close to downtown.
I like the Scarborough Bluffs a lot too.
The Beaches boardwalk is fantastic on a warm sunny day.
High Park is my fave park in the city.
If you're really into hiking the The Bruce Trail is where it's at.
I have always tended to live in west side of the GTA and part of the reason why is to be nearer
to the Bruce Trail.
It runs almost 800 kms from the Niagara River at Queenston to
the northern tip Bruce Peninsula at Tobermory.
And yes, Ontario lacks mountains but The Bruce Trail runs along the Niagara Escarpment
reaching heights over 500 m in places with steep high cliffs, like at Rattlesnake Point in Milton.
Personally I like biking along the Humber River valley all the way down to the lake then
heading east to downtown along the lakeshore.
It's all a series of interconnected parkland, gets two thumbs
The Toronto Islands are great and close to downtown.
I like the Scarborough Bluffs a lot too.
The Beaches boardwalk is fantastic on a warm sunny day.
High Park is my fave park in the city.
If you're really into hiking the The Bruce Trail is where it's at.
I have always tended to live in west side of the GTA and part of the reason why is to be nearer
to the Bruce Trail.
It runs almost 800 kms from the Niagara River at Queenston to
the northern tip Bruce Peninsula at Tobermory.
And yes, Ontario lacks mountains but The Bruce Trail runs along the Niagara Escarpment
reaching heights over 500 m in places with steep high cliffs, like at Rattlesnake Point in Milton.
^^^^Some great advice. The Bruce Trail is definitely the shiznit for hiking. Rattlesnake Point has some beautiful views of the Niagara Escarpment and the GTA in the distance. On a cool, clear day you can make out Toronto's skyline from the cliffs. The Scarborough Bluffs are also a neat little corner of the city to explore, and High Park is one of the best parks in the city.
I was born and raised in Mississauga, and am living there at the moment, so I can tell you there are some great outdoor activities in Toronto's suburbs as well. The Credit River runs through Sauga and has great hiking trails running all along its length and is awesome for trout fishing in the fall, as well as canoeing, rowing, kayaking, or rafting in the spring, summer and fall. There are also many ravines with cool trails that are great for mountain biking and hiking. Toronto's Green Belt also has some really cool attractions, and is mostly unspoiled and undeveloped. Check it out on Wikipedia.
Forgot to mention two of Southern Ontario's brightest gems: Pelee Island, the southernmost part of Canada, and in the opposite direction - Manitoulin Island. I won't get into detail about them, but they are both very different natural areas of incredible beauty with tons of possibilities for outdoor activities. There's also the world-famous Thousand Islands, which really are beautiful, but you need to rent a cottage or stay in an inn on one of the islands to really enjoy the area.
Last edited by TOkidd; 04-14-2013 at 09:01 AM..
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