14 best parks in Vaughan Ontario with walking and hiking trails
Goingawesomeplaces.com
July 8, 2020
Vaughan is a booming suburb north of Toronto and while most visitors and local residents will think about Vaughan Mills and Canada’s Wonderland but what a lot of people don’t know is that there’s an incredible wealth of green spaces, nature walks, and hiking trails nestled in the neighbourhood.
For anyone wanting to get a breath of fresh air and feel like you are hours up north when you’re only minutes around the corner, this is the definitive guide to the best parks in Vaughan with a spotlight on those with great walks and hiking trails.
Wrapped around the blocks of houses, strip malls, and commercial districts are a wealth of parks. There are easily hundreds of parks but which ones are worth a special trip out to explore? Here are my picks.
COVID-19 Notice
Currently, all City of Vaughan parks are open to varying degrees. I recommend that you check the latest news from the city and individual park listings that I have linked to.
As a whole, no facilities are open and that includes bathrooms.
OFFICIAL UPDATE
1. Bindertwine Park
At first this might seem like an inconspicuous neighbourhood park but this is one of those hidden gems that is a gateway to so much more.
Located in Kleinburg and right by Islington Avenue, this is first-and-foremost a great family park packed with features such as large open fields, baseball diamond, soccer field, and tennis courts.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg as the park also is the start of a trail system called the William Granger Greenway that is well-maintained and follows a tumbling stream with plenty of green foliage.
This connects directly to the Canadian McMichael Art Collection and ends up in the next park on this list, Boyd Conservation Area. This is one portion of the Humber River Trail and itself is 5.7 kilometres long.
TIP: The McMichael Art Collection has paid parking ($7) so by starting off at Bindertwine Park and walking in, you can save a few bucks.
Along the way you’ll encounter numerous natural habitats, heritage resources, and cultural discoveries as this was an aboriginal trade route known as the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 299 Stegman’s Mill Rd, Woodbridge, ON L4H 3N5
Hours: 24/7
Features: Baseball diamond, soccer field, tennis court, and trail access to William Granger Greenway.
Distance: 8.9 km (William Granger Greenway)
Difficulty: Moderate (William Granger Greenway)
What’s nearby: McMichael Art Gallery, Al Palladini Community Centre & Pierre Berton Library, Kleinburg Library, Kortright Centre, and Boyd Conservation Area.
Bathroom: No
Parking: Yes, free
Pets: Yes, as long as they are on-leash.
Fees: Free
2. Boyd Conservation Area
This is one of the most well-known green spaces in Vaughan. Located within the headwaters of the Don and Humber Rivers, this is a great park to get back to nature without having to go that far as it’s south of Rutherford Road.
Key highlights include a steep-sided Humber River Valley and big hill that gives you gorgeous view points of the Humber River. The park is great for picnics with quite a number of areas to set up which makes it great for families. You then have a great trail system that takes you into the woods and man-made rapids that is also part of the William Granger Greenway.
You also have a really good chance of spotting wildlife such as garter snakes, tadpoles, frogs, and birds.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 8739 Islington Ave, Woodbridge, ON L4L 1A6
Hours:
Weekends only: May 16 to June 14 and September 12 to September 27
Daily: June 20 to September 7
Weekdays Hours
Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday Closed
Thursday Closed
Friday Closed
Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Website: Boyd Conservation Area
Features: Sports fields, hiking trails, and picnic sites.
Distance: 8.9 km (William Granger Greenway)
Difficulty: Moderate (William Granger Greenway)
What’s nearby: McMichael Art Gallery, Al Palladini Community Centre & Pierre Berton Library, Kleinburg Library, Kortright Centre, and Bindertwine Park.
Bathroom: Yes
Parking: Yes, included with entrance fee.
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees:
Adult (15+) $6.50
Senior (60+) $5.50
Youth (5-14) $4.50
Children (0-4) FREE
REVIEWS
3. Kortright Centre
Kortright Centre is one of my favourite parks in Vaughan because of it’s well-roundedness in terms of having large green space for activities like picnics but also having an abundance of trails to choose from, and an educational centre focused on sustainable technology.
In fact, Kortright Centre has Canada’s largest educational demonstrations of renewable energy and technologies. This can be seen firsthand by participating in their renewable energy workshop.
In addition, Kortright has a ton of different programs for children and adults alike. All you have to do is check out their calendar of events.
Not to be missed as well is the Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival which happens every year from March to April.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 9550 Pine Valley Dr, Woodbridge, ON L4L 1A6
Hours: Open to the public daily from 9:30AM to 4:00PM
Website: Kortright Centre for Conservation
Features: Green space, picnic sites, hiking trails, event venue space, gift shop, and education centre.
Distance: 16 km (total for 8 hiking trails)
Difficulty: Moderate
What’s nearby: McMichael Art Gallery, Al Palladini Community Centre & Pierre Berton Library, Kleinburg Library, Boyd Conservation Area, and Bindertwine Park.
Bathroom: Yes
Parking: Yes, included with entrance fee.
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees:
Adult (15+) $8.50
Senior (60+) $6.50
Youth (5-14) $3.00
Children (0-4) FREE
REVIEWS
4. Sonoma Heights District Park
At the south west corner of Islington Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive West is community park that has all the sports fixings including baseball diamond, bocce field, basketball court, skateboard park, soccer field, tennis courts, and a water park. This makes it awesome for kids.
What you might not know though is that there is a really beautiful and relaxing paved, easy, and loop walk that takes you from Sonoma Heights District Park all the way to Napa Valley Park in the south.
The trail goes under the hydro lines and is in between residential neighbourhoods but it makes for an easy walk and is also great for rollerblading, cycling, and running.
TIP: While you can start at Napa Valley Park, Sonoma Heights has a parking lot.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 100 Sunset Ridge, Woodbridge, ON L4H 1T9
Hours: 24/7
Features: Green space, picnic sites, hiking trails, event venue space, gift shop, and education centre.
Distance: 2.6 km
Difficulty: Easy
What’s nearby: Napa Valley Park
Bathroom: Yes
Parking: Yes
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees: Free
5. Mapes Park and Rainbow Creek Park
This is an awesome neighbourhood walk in Woodbridge just north of Highway 7.
Flanked by open green spaces, benches, and tall trees, you’ll love the meandering paved walkway and the flowing creek. The walk is easy with minimal inclines and great at all times in the day as it is well-lit as well.
Officially called Rainbow Creek Walk, this connects Mapes Park to the west and Rainbow Creek Park on the southern side.
To access the park, your best bet is the street parking is available at Mapes Park and Woodbridge Avenue. There is also a parking lot at Rainbow Creek Park.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: Mapes Park (190 Mapes Ave, Woodbridge, ON L4L 8R4), Rainbow Creek Park (5450 Highway No. 7, Woodbridge, ON L4L 1G2)
Hours: 24/7
Features: Playgrounds, sports fields, and picnic areas.
Distance: 2.2 km
Difficulty: Easy
What’s nearby: Father Ermanno Bulfon Community Centre
Bathroom: No (closest is the nearby community centre)
Parking: Yes at Rainbow Creek Park, otherwise street parking is available.
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees: Free
ABOUT THE WALK
6. Nort Johnson Park
This is a gorgeous loop trail that runs alongside the Humber River that’s called the Riverwalk.
The Riverwalk loop is well-maintained, paved, and lit. It’s an easy trail with moderate inclination.
This will soon be one of your favourites especially with the river and the wispy willow trees.
A neat little bonus bout this trail is that it is actually part of the Woodbridge TreeCaching Trail. This is a digital integration along a 1.5 km route that gives you an interactive way of identifying tree species through your phone through QR codes.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 7800 Islington Ave, Woodbridge, ON L4L 1T1
Hours: 24/7
Features: Pool, picnic areas, sports fields, seasonal Woodbridge Farmer’s Market, and TreeCaching.
Distance: 1.7 km
Difficulty: Easy
What’s nearby: Woodbridge Pool & Memorial Arena, Woodbridge Library, Woodbridge historic core and shops, and Seasonal Farmer’s Market.
Bathroom: No (closest is the nearby pool/arena)
Parking: Yes at Woodbridge Pool & Memorial Arena or Fred Armstrong Parkette to the north.
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees: Free
ABOUT THE WALK
7. Giovanni Caboto Park
Just north of Highway 7 and Weston Road, is a hidden gem of a park that is packed with features that is perfect for kids and also many different walkways.
This is just the beginning though as there’s a trail known as Jersey Creek. Linking Jersey Creek Park with Chancellor District Park, and Giovanni Caboto Park, you’ll be able to stroll through a large part of the local neighbourhood and enjoy a comfortable linear walk.
I recommend starting at Giovanni Caboto Park because this is where the parking is.
Kids will love this walk because there’s a pretty awesome dinosaur-themed sandbox along this walking trail.
Note that to go between the parks, you will have to cross neighbourhood intersections.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: Chancellor Dr., Woodbridge, ON L4L 7K9
Hours: 24/7
Features: Playgrounds, splash pad, sports fields (tennis court, baseball diamond, soccer field, and basketball court), outdoor fitness, and picnic areas.
Distance: 2.6 km
Difficulty: Easy
What’s nearby: Chancellor Community Centre and Ansley Grove Library.
Bathroom: No (closest is the nearby community centre/library)
Parking: Yes. There is also parking at the community centre and library or street parking.
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees: Free
ABOUT THE WALK
8. Vellore Hall Park
Wrapped around two scenic ponds and 4 Vaughan parks including Vellore Hall Park is the Vellore neighbourhood walk.
This is one of those walks that isn’t an obvious path but you can easily start at Vellore Hall Park, through the woodlot, head up and around the dual ponds, make your way over to Starling Park, up to Hawstone Park before coming back around down through Matthew Park.
What you’ll appreciate about this hike is that you’ll be able to cross through a dynamic range of scenery that goes from domesticated neighbourhood paths to forested nature.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 9541 Weston Rd, Woodbridge, ON L4H 3A5
Hours: 24/7
Features: Playgrounds, sports fields, splash pads, and picnic areas.
Distance: 4.7 km
Difficulty: Easy
What’s nearby: Vellore Village Community Centre and Library
Bathroom: No (closest is the nearby community centre/library, and Matthew Park)
Parking: Yes. There is also parking at the community centre and library or street parking.
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees: Free
ABOUT THE WALK
9. Mackenzie Glen District Park
Neighbouring Mackenzie Glen Public School is a vast green space that covers a portion of the Bartley Smith Greenway.
This is a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure area. You can keep things easy by walking around the park itself which on its own is scenic especially with the view of the pond.
For those wanting to do an extended walk, there is a trail system that takes you north up to Teston Road and south towards McNaughton Road (passing by Melville Park along the way).
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 220 Cranston Park Ave, Maple, ON L6A 2M4
Hours: 24/7
Features: Playgrounds, splash pad, sports fields (soccer field), picnic areas, and interpretive signs on history.
Distance: 3.2 km
Difficulty: Easy
What’s nearby: Maple Community Centre
Bathroom: No (closest is the nearby community centre)
Parking: Yes
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees: Free
ABOUT THE WALK
10. Pheasant Hollow Park
This hiking trail is less about the park itself but where it’s connected to. Belonging to a trail called the Peter Rupert, there’s an entire wilderness escape here that includes the Golden Forest Pond and Cook Woodlot.
While the park itself has the be one of the best groomed and extremely new, the woods across the street is where this walking trail really shines. Covering a large achrage of pristine woods of Sugar, Maple, Pine, Ash, Basswood, Bur Oak, Ironwood, and Elm, there are a ton of main and secondary paths to explore.
golden forest pond on peter rupert walking trail in vaughan park
Once you get to the other end, you have the Golden Forest Pond which is a large reservoir of water but teeming with life.
Come here for a great opportunity to spot birds, and see scenic landscapes.
The trail that runs up to Golden Forest Pond is also great for cyclers as they have dedicated bike lanes here.
Note that to access Cook Woodlot, you’ll need to cross Peter Rupert Avenue.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 201 Peter Rupert Drive, Maple, ON L6A 0V2
Hours: 24/7
Features: Playgrounds, picnic areas, and sports field (soccer field).
Distance: 2.8 km
Difficulty: Easy
What’s nearby: Golden Forest Pond and Cook Woodlot.
Bathroom: No
Parking: No, only street parking available and there’s plenty on the round about by the entrance to Cook Woodlot.
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees: Free
ABOUT THE WALK
11. Marita Payne Park
Between Highway 407 and Dufferin is another outdoor oasis that I’m sure you’ve passed by many times without noticing.
There are numerous linear and loop walking trails that take you around ponds, bridges, and creek. You also have the option of visiting the Glen Shields Park.
This hike is part of the Bartley Smith Greenway which means you can easily extend this hike north through the Highway 407 under-pass or south by following the creek.
This park is awesome because all the main parts of the trail making it great for bicycles. There’s a large pond and that’s always a hit with the kids with all the ducks and geese that hang out there. Lastly, there’s a nice dynamic change of scenery from your general walking path to the baseball diamond, the pond, bridge underpass, hydro lines, and the rumble of the highway.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 16 Jason St, Vaughan, ON L4K 3H2
Hours: 24/7
Features: Playgrounds, sports fields (baseball diamond, tennis courts, and soccer field), and picnic areas
Distance: 2.5 km
Difficulty: Easy
What’s nearby: Dufferin Clark Community Centre and Library.
Bathroom: No (closest is the nearby community centre/library)
Parking: No, only street parking available or park at the community centre and walk in.
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees: Free
ABOUT THE WALK
12. Maple Nature Reserve
This is one of my favourite nature hikes in Vaughan and one that almost seems in the middle of nowhere.
Across from Eagle’s Nest are a couple of abandoned buildings that you’ll see on Dufferin but walk deeper in and you’ll discover a 35 hectare nature experience filled with flora and fauna.
With this nature walk, you’ll be able to do a circuit that connects a number of named trails that has you completely immersed in the forest of varying inclinations and mini-valleys.
maple nature reserve vaughan park trail map
I particularly appreciated how well marked the trails are with a full map at every single intersection.
In addition to the network of nature trails, you also have the day camping and picnic area which is great for large groups or if you literally want to set up tents.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 10401 Dufferin St, Maple, ON L6A 1S2
Hours: 24/7
Features: Day-camping spaces, and covered picnic area.
Distance: 3.2 km
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
What’s nearby: Woodrose Park
Bathroom: Yes
Parking: Yes, right off Dufferin, further in towards the day camping area, or off of Teston Road.
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees: Free
ABOUT THE WALK
13. Sugarbush Heritage Park
This heritage park is centred around the Historic Baker House which was built in 1953 and gives visitors a glimpse of Upper Canada when it settled when Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe put lots up along Yonge Street for sale.
Right next to the house is a large woodlot (Baker’s Woods) where you’ll often find dog walkers, hikers, and runners. In the woods you’ll find an inner and outer circuit that you can take.
With a spacious parking lot, washroom facilities, and resting areas, Sugarbush is an ideal park for all ages.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 91 Thornhill Woods Dr, Thornhill, ON L4J 8S1
Hours: 24/7
Features: Playground, community gardens, and Historic baker House.
Distance: 2.4 km
Difficulty: Easy
What’s nearby: North Thornhill Community Centre and Concord/Thornhill Regional Park.
Bathroom: Yes
Parking: Yes
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees: Free
ABOUT THE WALK
14. North Maple Regional Park
Vaughan’s newest park currently features 200 acres as part of Phase 1 and has plans to expand upwards to 900 acres in the future.
Located off Keele Street between Teston Road and Kirby Road, the highlight are the two groomed soccer fields and 5 kilometres of walking trails that are well-maintained, partially-paved, and lit.
This is a redevelopment area that is surrounded by the settings of the Oak Ridges Moraine and Don River.
I’ve saved the best for last. North Maple Regional Park is still in development, but it’s going to be an absolute gem once it’s complete. At an incredible 900 acres, this gorgeous green space will be larger than New York’s Central Park! Phase one--which included two soccer fields, 5kms of walking trails, beautifully-lit landscaped areas, and washroom facilities--was a huge success. You can check it out at anytime by heading east of Keele Street and North of Teston Road. From majestically preserved wetlands to expanded sport and recreation areas, I can’t wait to see what else this park has in store!
There’s no doubt that the list of things to do in this city is long. But for the nature lovers among us, visiting some of its most beautiful parks should be a top priority. Whether you’re on foot, on skis, or strapped to a pair of snowshoes, you’ll love exploring the great outdoors in Vaughan!
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Address: 11085 Keele St, Maple, ON L6A 1S1
Hours: 24/7
Features: 2 soccer fields, change rooms, and concessions building.
Distance: 2.4 km
Difficulty: Easy
What’s nearby: Peak Point Park
Bathroom: Yes
Parking: Yes
Pets: Pets are allowed but need to be on a leash.
Fees: Free
ABOUT THE WALK
BACK TO TOP
For a full list of parks in Vaughan, I’ve compiled a handy table in Google Sheets to help you further sort and find the best park for you.
This is especially useful for anyone looking to find off-leash dog parks, ones with baseball diamonds, fitness stations, skating rinks, water parks, and more.
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