Over the course of quarantine, one of my favourite activities to do, was to ride my bike around the city and find different places with a great view of the Toronto skyline. I’ve decided to share those hidden gems with you folks! Here are three of my favourite places in the city which are easily accessible by public transit, car, or bike. They’re great to visit all times of year, so whenever you need a study break, check them out.
Trillium Park & Ontario Place
Just like many of you, I used to love Ontario Place as a child. Sadly, the waterslide is no longer. However, recently the grounds reopened to the public, allowing you to explore the old ride tunnels. There’s also a small beach that you can access and swim from. A paved trail wraps around Ontario place, so you can take an afternoon stroll or study break. Just outside the gates to the grounds is Trillium Park. This park consists of several small hills and trails, with different areas to take a seat and enjoy the view of the city. The stacked rocks above the sand area are great to chill out on and look out at the CN tower. There’s also areas to sit right on the water, which is great if you’d like to get some time to yourself and just enjoy the sounds of the waves. The park also has great views of the Billy Bishop runway, so for those aero kids, you can watch planes take-off and land.
Brickworks
I’ve always loved Brickworks. Located just off the Don Valley Parkway or the DVP, the nature park can be accessed by shuttle bus (from Broadview subway station), by trail (through the Rosedale neighborhood) or by car. From the Saturday farmers market to the beautiful rivers and ponds, there’s so much to explore! If you’re lucky, you can spot some turtles and fish swimming around the ponds as you cross the bridges and walk the gravel trails. There are many different routes to take when you’re walking through and it can get scary but don’t worry! They always wrap around back to the beginning and you can always look up for the giant brickworks smokestack to find your way back to the parking lot. By taking a walk up the hill to the lookout point, you can see the beautiful Toronto skyline along with the views of the Don Valley and the nature park itself.
Tommy Thompson Park
This nature reserve is a quiet place to escape the business of the city. Located on the east side of the city, this park consists of one long paved road along with several off road trails that are so much fun to explore. The end of the road is closed off to cars and is marked by a lighthouse! The peninsula curls around and ends over here going behind the Toronto Islands. There are several lookout points which boast amazing views of the skyline such as rocky areas to sit and watch the sunset. Also, for my aero kids, if you look overhead, you can see the Dash 8s going in to land at Billy Bishop.
