The Pickering Waterfront Trail is primarily off-road or aligned along residential streets. A short stretch at the west end of the Trail is unpaved through an open space. Also, a stretch of Trail runs on Bayly Rd, a very busy regional roadway with concrete sidewalk on south side. Caution should be exercised.
The award-winning Millennium Square at the foot of Liverpool Road has suffered major damage to high water levels. Homeplace, at Alex Robertson Park, features the unique carvings of artist Dorsey James.
The Trail through Pickering is divided into three named sections. First Nations Trail (3.5 km) is the western leg from Rouge River to the west shore of Frenchman’s Bay. Monarch Trail (4.7 km) surrounds Frenchman’s Bay and ends at Millennium Square. Peak Trail runs from Millennium Square to the eastern border with Ajax. Each name has a historical or environmental significance. First Nations recognizes native settlements from the past and the significance the Rouge and the Lake played in their location. Monarch recognizes the monarch butterfly and its yearly migration to the Bay from the south. Peak is one of Pickering’s earliest settlers.
The Pedestrian bridge crossing over the Rouge River and Petticoat Creek offer stunning views of the Lake.
Surfaced boardwalk across sand beach from the south end of Liverpool Road at Millennium Square through Beachfront Park to Alex Robertson Park.
Asphalt (on-road), asphalt multi-use pathway (Petticoat Creek Conservation Area, Rotary Frenchman’s Bay West Park, Glen Ravine Park, Vistula Ravine, Progress Frenchman’s Bay East Park Bruce Hanscombe Park, Alex Robertson Park and through the waterfront open spaces along the Lake east of Montgomery Park Road to Frisco Road and Town of Ajax).
Trail Attributes
Distance: 13km
Roughly 9 km of off-road trail
4km along residential roads
Cycle from the Pickering GO station to the Trail using Sandy Beach Road (1.2 km)
Parking
Paid permit parking at all City waterfront parking lots and on waterfront area streets from May 1st to October 1st annually. Pickering residents can register for a no-charge permit.
Park washrooms
Open from early May to Thanksgiving (weather permitting) and located at:
- Dunmoore Park (just north of Petticoat Creek–not on the Trail proper) – 9 am to 10 pm
- Beachfront Park (Millennium Square) – 9 am to 9 pm
- Kinsmen (by the baseball diamonds), – 9 am to 10 pm
Trail Tips
- With so much off-road Trail, much of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail in Pickering is very family friendly.
- A ride from Alex Robertson Park to Duffin’s Creek is a short 8km round trip using off-road trails.