Ah summer’s in the air! Sun, surf, cocktails and tallboys, BBQ’s and picnics. These are just some of the things that we love about summer. We also enjoy heading out to the park on a nice hot day to enjoy all of the above.
Because we go to the park quite a lot during the summer, we took the liberty of compiling a list of some our favourite parks in the city for you to enjoy during the dog days of summer.
1) Riverdale Park East: The amazing views of the Toronto skyline from Riverdale makes this one of our favourite parks! There’s nothing better than watching the sunset over Toronto while you picnic. It’s also a great spot to take your kids. The tennis courts, swimming pool and water slide will keep them more than entertained.
2) Trinity Bellwoods Park: This is the perfect place to rest your feet after browsing through all the bookstores and art galleries on Queen Street West. It’s also a spot for people watching and we never get tired of gazing at the oh so fashionable hipsters from Queen West that converge on the park. The park is quite popular, so beware it can get overcrowded very quickly in the summer.
3) Humber Bay Park: Grab your binoculars before heading out to Humber Bay Park! This waterfront park located on the west side of the Humber River has some great views of the city’s western waterfront and it is also a nature lovers paradise. The park is home to a variety of species of birds and it also has a butterfly habitat.
4) Ward’s island: Not many Torontonians know of Ward island’s existence so we’re letting you in on a big secret with this one! Just a short and sweet ride from downtown Toronto, you should head over to Ward island if you want to escape the tourist trap on the Centre Island. It’s peaceful and quiet, has a beach and restaurant and wait for it…. a disc golf course!
5) Sugar beach: Although this is a man made beach, the soft white sands and the beautiful view of the water will make you feel like you’re actually on a real beach! Located at the foot of Lower Jarvis Street and just steps away from Market Wharf and St. Lawrence Market, this beach park is the go to place for summer BBQ’s and sun tanning.
6) Bickford Park: Take off the leash and let your dog run free through this off-leash park. It’s tucked away between Bathurst and Ossington and Bloor and Harbord so you won’t find the huge crowds that swarm on the larger and more popular parks like Trinity Bellwoods. Besides being dog friendly, it’s also great spot to toss a Frisbee or lean against a tree and read a book.
7) High Park: It would be sacrilegious to do a list of parks in Toronto without mentioning High park. What’s not to love about it? There’s so much to do and see. There’s the Jamie Bell adventure playground, a variety of landscapes, animals, a zoo, Frisbee, badminton, great views and trails and space for running. Need we say more?
8) Dufferin Grove Park: This park has the best community spirit in Toronto! The organic Farmers market on Thursday (3-7) is one of the best and the homemade pizza sold from huge stone ovens is one of the biggest draws to this park. But the icing on the cake is the fire pits. Perfect for roasting marshmallows!
9) Bluffers Park: Surf’s up! This park is a surfers paradise. It takes a bit of a drive to get there but the brilliant scenery makes it worth it. If surfing isn’t your thing, then you can try your hand at sailing, volleyball or have an old-fashioned picnic on the sand.
10) Queen’s Park: The Parliament buildings and the University of Toronto located next to this park gives it lots of history and character. Walking through the park, you’re likely to see joggers hitting the trails in the morning, students studying on the grass or business men in suits enjoying their lunch on one of the benches. There’s also the occasional festival or fair in the park during the summer.
What do you think of our list? Did we miss any? Let us know what your fave park in Toronto is!
