During my 2 months in Toronto I had the use of a nice bicycle, but up until the last week I had only used it to ride to the climbing gym and grocery store. It was only once my climbing membership ran out that I discovered the Toronto Waterfront Cycling Trail. I knew about the trail by walking my girlfriend’s dog on part of it but it was not until those last few days that I actually road bike along it.

Over 3 sun filled days I cycled, at my leisure, down different parts of the Waterfront Trail, from the Port Credit area all the way to Sunnyside in the bay. I even went up through Marie Curtis Park north past the Queensway. During those 3 days I barely scratched the surface of this extensive trail, which covers the whole GTA waterfront. Actually the Toronto Waterfront Cycling Trail is part of the much larger Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, which spans over 3,000km across 4 Great Lakes!

I have to admit I am disappointed that I never took advantage of this trail until my last few days in Toronto. My advice for those who live around the area or those that have yet to escape the city by riding along the Waterfront Cycling Trail, you need to stop what you are doing and hop on asap!

The trail is well maintained down the whole length and along some spots it is shared with pedestrians, but even when I road midday near the city it did not seem congested at all. What I found the most liberating riding along the waterfront was the amount of parks and green areas that you pass by. It seemed like every couple of minutes I would be exploring a new park. Since the trail follows the waterfront you get plenty of opportunities to see wildlife while enjoying the sunshine and nature.

The Waterfront Cycling Trail is designed really well, allowing you to cycle far distances quickly and with minimal effort. My favorite section was actually going north away from the lake through Marie Curtis Park and into the Etobicoke Valley Park. The ride is fully covered by trees as you follow north along the river.

Lakefront Promenade, Colonel Samuel Smith and Humber Bay East make up the other 3 major parks located along the western side of the trail and since I was staying out in the Etobicoke area these were the parks that I explored the most.

Final Thoughts

Any sunshiny, summer activity is a fun activity but feeling the breeze through my hair as I cycled in and out of the different parks brought me a worry free happiness to my day. If you are in the mood for something to do, grab your two wheels and some friends and get lost by the water on the Toronto Waterfront Cycling Trail!

If you want to learn more about my summer activities visit the Destination Canada page or check out my Trevor Hall experience!