Look at a photo of Toronto from space, and you'll quickly understand that Toronto's ravine system spreads out, artery-like, from four main sources: the Don, the Humber, and the Rouge rivers as well as Highland Creek. At once hidden and a profound element of the city's collective consciousness, Toronto's ravines continue to serve as sanctuaries to which we temporarily retreat from the near-constant buzz of city life.
Crothers Woods
Crothers Woods somehow remains under the radar despite being one of the most beautiful areas of the city. Gone are the rusted out oil drums and abandoned cars, but this place still feels like a forgotten wilderness in the heart of of the city. A paradise for hikers and mountain bikers alike, it's one of the highlights of the massive Don Valley ravine system. Enter from the foot of Pottery Road or near Bayview and Nesbitt.
Moore Park Ravine
Moore Park Ravine stretches from Mount Pleasant Cemetery to the Don Valley Brick Works, following the route of what's now known as Mud Creek. The presence of the Belt Line trail makes it more popular than some of the others on this list, but an early morning trip might reveal only a handful of joggers to put this into perspective. There's not a whole lot of room to explore off the path, but the tree canopy is spectacular, and a southeast trip down the valley is probably one of the most pleasant bike rides in the city.
Cedervale Ravine
Flanked by fancy homes, Cedervale Ravine combines wide open parkland with more rugged wilderness at its edges. Once slated to be a casualty of the Spadina Expressway, the bucolic green space remains a haven for joggers, dog walkers, and anyone looking for a temporary return to nature. When Hemingway lived in Toronto, he was a frequent visitor (a small condo that overlooks the ravine at 1597 Bathurst St. bears his name, so next time you go make sure to bring a notebook and your best masculine prose.
Glen Stewart Ravine
Located immediately north of the Beaches, Glen Stewart Ravine is a walker's paradise. The extensive wooden foot path and stairs eliminate the need for any hard hiking, allowing visitors to focus their attention on the lush vegetation and mature maple and red oak trees. At 11 hectares, it's not a huge space, but its passage from Kingston Rd. to Queen St. East is one of the most beautiful places to walk in the city.
Rouge Park
Rouge Park features just about every type of parkland there is, from wetlands to beach to the steep ravine walls near Glen Rouge campground. At the far east end of the city, nothing matches the Rouge for its unspoiled nature and exploration opportunities. One can easily spend an entire day hiking the many trails here, and for extended enjoyment make sure to book a campsite (it's the only place within city limits where you can do this).
BONUS
Humber Ravine System
Like the Don, the Humber Ravine system has many affiliated parks. While these typically feature less steep ravine walls than their eastern counterpart, there are plenty of gorgeous areas along the river that remind one of just how wide and deep this waterway once was. If you know what you're doing, you can follow the Humber all the way through the city from its mouth at Lake Ontario. Along the way, you might encounter trout, salmon, deer, coyotes, mysterious rock sculptures, the lingering signs of Hurricane Hazel, and tons of trails and parkland. Key parks include Etienne Brule, Lambton, Scarlet Mills, Raymore, and Summerlea.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
This is a particularly difficult top five list to write in that each of Toronto's ravines has its own pleasures. Toward that end, I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention David A. Balfour Park, Chatsworth Ravine, Sherwood Park, and Brikdale Ravine.
Got a favourite ravine that's not on the list? Let us know about it in the comments.
Photo by Ben Roffelsen in the blogTO Flickr pool
by Derek Flack via blogTO
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