Best Outdoor Activities in Toronto

Spadina House is an upper-class historic home, built by businessman James Austin in 1866. An ideal place to visit in the summer, the six-acre grounds have Victorian and Edwardian gardens. From chestnut trees to forget-me-nots, it is an understated place to frolic. Inside, the furnished home had a major renovation in 2010 but still feels like you have entered a time machine. Spadina House provides a great sense of the different marks of different generations, from the 1800s until today. It showcases a different Toronto. This is the next door neighbor of Casa Loma, and it ideal to see the two on the same day.

Although you may not be communing with nature in the same way you would by hiking, going to the Docks is a good way to get outdoors without having to log lots of kilometers on your car. Just minutes from the downtown core, you can dust off your golf clubs and golf at any time of day (including late from Monday to Thursday). Heaters are available on chilly winter days, but you can also revel in the sunshine in the warmer months. Stay late in the summer for the opportunity to catch an outdoor movie with two movies for one price, listening to the night's showings through your radio. The drive-in movie theatre provides an air of nostalgia with the chance to soak in the fleeting moments of summer.

On the West End of Toronto, on the shores of Lake Ontario, is a lakefront district that was the "bee's knees" in the 1950s. Although it no longer has the amusement park that made this area hopping back in the day, it does have a beach and park area around Ontario's Humber Bay. The waters of Humber Bay are popular for boating and dragon boating clubs are a popular past time with Torontonians. The Sunnyside Bike Park opened in 2014 and provides a space for legal dirt biking. There is also a popular public pool for suntanning in the summer months. The water quality of swimming in the lake is improving, passing water quality tests 3 out of 4 days. Sunnyside Cafe offers the opportunity for cold drinks and greasy food, which is what we all crave after a satisfying day outside.

Getting to the Toronto Islands takes just a 10-minute ferry ride, but it transports you to an entirely different world. The small, interconnected Toronto islands provide a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. These islands are North America's largest car-free communities, with some permanent residents and many summer tourists coming to enjoy a different perspective, with a view of Lake Ontario on one end and the city skyline on the other. Centre Island is the most popular and has a small amusement park for little ones to enjoy. Another quieter island is Hanlan's Point which is home to North America's oldest existing lighthouse and once had a baseball stadium where Babe Ruth hit his first home run. There is also a clothing-optional beach on Hanlan's Point (you've been warned). During the summer months, all of the islands are popular places to bike, picnic and frisbee.

This 18-hectare park near Toronto's Danforth area is a delightful slice of the outdoors with a stunning view of Toronto's looming skyline. Considered a fantastic place to grab a picnic, watch the sunset and declare your undying love, it also works as well for the sports enthusiast to bring their game outside. With a running track, tennis courts, an ice rink and a ball diamond, there is no season that is safe from a little friendly competition. Immediately west of the park is the free Riverdale Farm gives visitors a glimpse of life on a 19th century Ontario farm. There are rare breed farm animals and very scenic environs that can be explored in between watching activities such as milk churned into butter and wool spun into yarn. From May to October, check out the farmer's market just outside of the main entrance.

Evergreen Brickworks is a former industrial site that has become a love letter to the green movement. Download a self-guided tour brochure or pick one up at the welcome desk and trod your own path along 40 acres of wilderness. Breathtaking nature is surprisingly accessible from the city center. National Geographic shortlisted this space as one of the world's top 10 geo-tourism hotspots. Evergreen Brickworks shows how we can transform urban spaces with the right intentions. The surrounding buildings uphold the principles of sustainable architecture and design. There are indoor plush gardens and a year-round farmer's market that is delightfully local. Bring a picnic and a bicycle for an amazing summer afternoon.

How often have you been to a heritage river that is also directly connected to a subway line? The Humber River and associated trails are a special point of interest in the Toronto landscape. It travels 100 kilometers through rural and urban landscapes. There is a long history of early settlement by its banks, running back to 10,000 to 7,000 BC. 11% of the watershed area is public land, which might not sound like a lot, but ends up being 9949 hectares. The Humber is a popular location for fishing and canoeing. With 175 kilometers of trails, nature lovers are in heaven with this popular Toronto green space.

High Park is Toronto's version of Central Park in New York. Toronto's largest 161-hectare public park has been the jewel in Toronto's park system with historical buildings, amazing hiking trails, a free zoo and playgrounds. A park highlight is Colborne Lodge, which is one of 10 historic sites operated by the city of Toronto. Colborne Lodge is a monument to John and Jemima Howard, the couple who founded High Park. This house, built in 1837 still has some original paintings of early Toronto. High Park is a walker's or runner's delight with pathways connecting the park's various natural habitats, picnic areas, ponds and landscaped gardens. There are 7 kilometers of asphalt trails, but getting off the beaten track has its advantages too, with rare plant species and the even rarer sound of silence.

It is a competition in Toronto to see how early people will get in their shorts. There is usually one hardy Canadian who shows their pasty legs as soon as it goes above zero Celsius. Ashbridge's Bay is a way for Toronto to shake off their winter weariness and remember the good things in life. 35 hectares of waterfront park includes a slow-pitch softball center, a skateboard park, bicycle trails and the Woodbine Beach boardwalk. During the summer months, beach volleyball teams pepper the sand of Woodbine Beach, one of Toronto's eight beaches. Although a major clean-up project has been underway, most locals don't use the water as much for swimming as they do for rock-skipping.

Part historic site, part protected wilderness, Rouge Park is comprised of 47 square kilometers of historic farms, wetlands, undisturbed meadows and forests. Bordering Lake Ontario, the park even has a great beach. Hiking and camping are popular, and the many trails offer fantastic views. The area has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years - evidence of historic and prehistoric communities dot the park and a number of significant archaeological finds have been made here. A haven for wildlife, the park today is home to vast numbers of birds and insects, plus deer, beavers, snakes and other reptiles. There is an app created by the University of Toronto's Scarborough's students to make sure you enjoy everything there is to offer while staying safe if you haven't exercised your great outdoors muscles in a while.