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Toronto

You are here: Home / Community Profiles / Communities / Toronto

The dynamic and exciting city of Toronto is a major urban gateway on Lake Ontario. It is home to tourist attractions such as the CN Tower, Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario and major theatre productions. Still there are many quiet, natural places to enjoy along the waterfront. Toronto’s Waterfront Trail can be divided into three sections: Etobicoke (west), Toronto (central) and Scarborough (east) based on municipal boundaries prior to the City’s amalgamation.

So what’s new at Chesterton Shores by the Rouge Hill GO Station?

Toronto Region Conservation in partnership with Waterfront Toronto has built a new off-road stretch of trail that will continue from Chesterton Shores to mouth of the Rouge River. It is a fantastic new stretch of path that we encourage you to enjoy!

  • E-Bikes:

For multi-use paths in Parks, the bylaws are straight forward.  Motor-assisted bicycles are not allowed on any parks trail (including the Waterfront, Don, Humber etc.) and may be ticked $30 if they are caught by a bylaw enforcement officer. (Municipal Code Chapter 608). Bicycles using bike lanes must be propelled by muscular power.  With this in mind, e-bikes may use bike lanes, provided they are using muscular power alone. (Municipal Code Chapter 886)

Download Printable Map

Toronto

Trail Attributes

  • Etobicoke – Trail surface is largely asphalt, routed along quiet residential streets. One stretch of Trail (2km from Royal York to Park Lawn) follows Lake Shore Blvd. — a busy road with parking on both sides – cyclists should use caution.
  • Toronto – Asphalt mostly off-road trail, but with many street crossings in central area. In Sunnyside Park area, asphalt path for cyclists and in-line skaters and boardwalk for pedestrians. Between Woodbine Beach and Balmy Beach, asphalt path for cyclists and in-line skaters and boardwalk for pedestrians. The downtown section of Waterfront Trail along Queen’s Quay is beautiful; newly constructed with wide dedicated bike lanes.
  • Scarborough – Waterfront Trail is a mix of off-road paths and on-road sections through quiet residential streets. A new alignment of the trail was signed in 2012 and will keep you off of Kingston Rd, a busy section of road, in all but one area just in front of the Hunt Club. Take care travelling this section. Note as well that the trail that runs behind St. Augustine Seminary is not paved and in the Spring months or wet weather pose challenges for cyclists. The Scarborough Bluffs make this section of waterfront very hilly.

Local Maps and ConnectionsStaging AreasAmenities and TransitHelpful Links

Links to Local Maps

  • Martin Goodman Trail – Waterfront Trail runs along this trail in Downtown Toronto
  • Rouge Park Trails (www.rougepark.com) connects to the Oak Ridges Moraine
  • Don Valley Trail intersects with Waterfront Trail at the mouth of the Don River
    (http://www.biketrain.ca/toronto-hub/cycling-in-toronto/61-don-river-valley-trails)
  • Etobicoke River Trail intersects with the Waterfront Trail at Marie Curtis Park and connects to the Greenbelt Route in Caledon.
    (www.toronto.ca/parks)
  • Tommy Thompson Trail intersects with the Waterfront Trail in South Humber Park
    (www.toronto.ca/parks)

Connections

Trans-Canada Trail – The Trans Canada Trail network stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, forming the largest trail network in the world.

Caledon-Lakeside Ride: Following the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, Greenbelt Route Etobicoke Creek Trail and Caledon Trailway this 173km multi-day Lake Ontario Watershed signature loop connects Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Georgetown, Caledon and Brampton offering some great off-road and back road riding to experience the GTA in a brand new way. The Caledon-Lakeside ride is one of several signed loops connecting the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail to the Greenbelt Route.

Toronto Bike Map

The City of Toronto has an active cycling department. Check out the latest initatives, including a downloadable PDF map, on their website here:

  • www.toronto.ca/cycling

Staging Areas

  • Marie Curtis Park – Lakeshore Rd. East, east of Dixie Rd.
  • Col. Samuel Smith Park – Lake Shore Blvd. West, at Kipling Ave.
  • Humber Bay Park – Waterfront Dr., off Lake Shore Blvd. West
  • Sir Casimir Gzowski Park at the Humber Bridge – Lake Shore Blvd. West at Windermere Ave.
  • Sunnyside Park – Lake Shore Blvd. West at Colborne Lodge Dr.
  • High Park – Colborne Lodge Dr.
  • Ontario Place – Lake Shore Blvd. West, west of Strachan Ave.
  • Coronation Park – Lake Shore Blvd. West, east of Strachan Ave.
  • Harbourfront — Queen’s Quay West and York St.
  • Cherry Beach, base of Tommy Thompson Park – foot of Cherry St.
  • Ashbridge’s Bay Park – Lake Shore Blvd. East, west of Coxwell Ave.
  • Eastern Beaches area (e.g., Kew Beach, Balmy Beach) – Lake Shore Blvd. East, east of Woodbine Ave.

Amenities

  • Accommodations, Campground
  • Accommodations, Roofed
  • Beaches
  • Groceries
  • Hospital
  • LCBO (Includes Breweries and Wineries)
  • Marinas
  • Museums
  • Outfitters
  • Restaurants
  • Shopping Areas
  • Tourist Information
  • Washrooms
  • WIFI
  • Winter Maintenance

Transit

GO Transit – Train & Bus Station
www.gotransit.com
–
VIA Rail – National Passenger Rail service.
Bike racks are available on all trains equipped with baggage cars. www.viarail.ca
–
Toronto Transit Commission
www.ttc.ca
–
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Pearson airport is Canada’s busiest airport, providing direct flights to countries around the world. www.torontopearson.com‎

–
Billy Bishop City Center Airport
Billy Bishop airport is a small commuter airport in the heart of Toronto. It carries flights to several destinations in Ontario, Quebec, and the surround US States.
www.torontoport.com/airport.aspx

Helpful Links

Regional Tourism Organization
www.seetorontonow.com

Ontario Tourism Information Centre
www.ontariotravel.net

Toronto Region Conservation Authority
www.trca.on.ca

Ontario By Bike – Cycle Friendly Businesses and Trip Ideas

Protecting. Connecting. Celebrating. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

The Waterfront Regeneration Trust is a registered charity. Charitable Registration Number: 86767 9821 RR0001
Ontario Trail of Distinction

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By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Waterfront Regeneration Trust, 4195 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, M8X 1Y4, http://www.waterfronttrail.org. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

Waterfront Regeneration Trust

4195 Dundas St. West - Suite 327
Toronto, Ontario M8X 1Y4
(416) 943-8080
info@wrtrust.com

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