Rouge Valley - Toronto's Eastern Edge

Rouge Valley bills itself as "Canada's Premier Urban Wilderness Park" and we certainly love it.  My wife and I have visiting a few times year for several years now and it was by accident the first time we went.  Several years ago we wanted to go to the Zoo on a Victoria Day weekend and realized everyone else wanted to go as well.  I made a wrong turn at the Zoo entrance and noticed an old farm house and a bulletin board with hiking trails, curious we got out of the car and explored.  We walked along top of the Vista Trail and we were hooked.

Look Out Point - Rouge Valley - Vista Trail

You can hike along the top of the valley in places and also along the edge of the Rouge River or the Little Rouge Creek.  There are more than 20 km of maintained trails and many of them are not marked on the map.   Access to the park and parking are both free as well.  Making this a great cheap date.

Little Rouge Creek

At the North End of the Main Park there are several duck ponds as the area is being restored to a wetland. During the Spring and Fall you can countless geese and other migratory birds as they travel.  Also, if you look carefully you can see turtles sun bathing on logs and muskrats swimming.

Duck Pond

Muskrat Swimming

Tips for Enjoying the Rouge Valley:

• Bring comfortable hiking shoes, snacks and bottled water.  The trails can be rough in places so open toe shoes is a bad idea.  There are no snack bar or fountains in the park.  Also, the trails are not stroller friendly.  
• The parking lots can get full on the weekends; I'd suggest going earlier in the day before Noon.  Also, you will find it quieter with a fewer people; so you can enjoy the birds singing.  
• Bring your camera and get some great shots.  
• Bring your Smartphone and use one of those walking/running apps to track your progress and 
• The park does not have proper washrooms, just a few port o' potties.  I'd suggest stopping at a washroom before heading into the park.
• Bring a nature or bird guide to learn more about what you are seeing.  A large variety of birds make the park their home and we always see bird watchers.
• Fido is also welcome in the park.  The signs say to keep your fur baby leashed, but most people don't.

Vista Trail - Next to Spring Trilliums

Spring Trilliums - Ontario's Provincial Flower

Key Links:

The Rouge Valley has a professional website here and includes details on the history of the park, biodiversity and events at the park.

For a Map of the Park including hiking trails click here.  

For a detailed guide to the park click here.

The Trail Along Little Rouge Creek

How to get Here and Places to Park:

The park is located at the Eastern edge of Toronto just before Pickering and easily gotten to via the 401 and driving a few minutes North off of Meadowvale Road. There are 3 lots for the central portion of the Park.  If it is your first time you visiting, I'd suggest parking at Rouge Valley Conservation Centre; where you can get a map and to speak to volunteers at the Visitor Centre.

Enlargement of Park Map

• Rouge Valley Conservation Centre - Off of Meadowvale Road, North of Sheppard Ave.  Instead of going up the ramp and making a left to the Toronto Zoo, make a right and park next to the old Farm house.
• Twyn Rivers Drive - Take Meadowvale Road North to Sheppard Avenue and go east on Sheppard 1 Block and make the first left onto Twyn Rivers Drive. 
• Glen Rouge Campground - Instead of Meadowvale Road exit, take the following Kingston Road exit.  Make a left onto Kingston Road and go east for about 5 minutes.  The entrance is on the left side as you descent down into the Valley. 

Mast Trail - Along the Rouge River

What to do Around the Park:

• On the Westside of the Rouge Valley is the Toronto Zoo if your legs are up for more walking.
• Further to the North there is an area of the park called Woodlands Area at the intersection of Steeles ave and Reesor Road.  I find this portion of the park less scenic, but in May when the Trilliums are in bloom you can them in the thousands along the trail adjacent to the Little Rouge River.
• South of the Park there is Rouge Beach on Lake Ontario and it has a Sandy Beach for sunbathing, a Marsh Area where you can see countless birds and a short boardwalk.
• In regards to eating, there are the usual fast food chains (Tim Horton's, Mr. Sub, McDonald's, Mucho Burrito, Starbucks, and Wimpy's Diner) near the intersection of Port Union Drive and Kingston Road. My wife and I normally bring snacks like trail mix, nuts, and fresh fruit... as a more enjoyable alternative. 

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?  Have a favorite place to be outdoors in Toronto?  Add your comments below.

How to See Toronto Tourist Sights for Free

The Toronto Public Library in its effort to promote arts and culture in the city has partnered with Sun Life Financial to create Museum + Arts Program ('MAP') back in 2007.  We only learned of this program last year, but have now taken advantage of it several times to get free admission to the Toronto Zoo, Royal Ontario Museum, Black Creek Pioneer Village, Gardiner Museum, Bata Shoe Museum and Textile Museum.  The saving can be great, getting for example a pass to the Toronto Zoo will save a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children) $90 dollars or $70 at the Ontario Science Centre.  

MAP Pass Front

What Toronto Sights are Available:

Available at Limited Locations (32 Branches - See Here for a List) 

• Toronto Zoo (Adult: $28.00 Senior: $23.00 Child: $18.00)
• Royal Ontario Museum (Adult $16.00 Senior/Student: $14.50 Child: $13) 
• Casa Loma (Adult $24.00 Senior/Teen: $18.00 Child: $14.00)

MAP Pass Casa Loma Back

• Black Creek Pioneer Village (Seasonal) (Adult $15.00 Senior/Student: $14.50 Child: $11.00)
• Ontario Science Centre (Adult $22.00 Senior/Student $16.00 Child: $13.00)
• Gardiner Museum (Adult $12.00 Senior $8.00 Students $6.00 Child: Free)

Admission prices are from May 1st, 2014 and subject to change.  See links to their respective sights.  

Available at All Library Branches:

• Art Gallery of Ontario
• Museum of Inuit Art
• Textile Museum of Canada
• City of Toronto Historic Museum
     a) Colborne Lodge in High Park
     b) Fort York National Historic Site
     c) Gibson House Museum
     d) Mackenzie House
     e) Montgomery's Inn
     f) Scarborough Museum
     g) Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens
     h) Todmorden Mills Heritage Site

The Cons and How to Get Them:

It sounds to good to be true that you can get access to all these locations for free.  The caveat is that you have to be up early on a Saturday morning and be in line for about 8:30 at an eligible library.  Passes for most attractions are limited to 3 per week and they go quickly.  In talking to librarians that some people line up as early as 6:00 am for the more coveted Zoo, ROM or Ontario Science Centre passes.  We have been in lines with 20 or 30 people at the Victoria Village Branch this Spring.  However, we have had the best luck in Winter when the line was short and we managed to get Zoo passes and we had great day. (See my old blog.)  The perk is getting up early on Saturday lends itself to getting your out of the house chores and shopping done before the crowds.  Also, the line moves rather quickly and we have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for our turn to see the librarian when it opens at 9:00 am.  Our experience is that the librarian announces what passes are no longer available and is helpful in suggesting alternatives.

Toronto Zoo - Panda

We also got passes for museums that we would never consider paying for and we had great visits to Gardiner Museum (ceramics, dishes, objets d'arts - they have piece called Monkey Symphony which is a must see) and the Bata Shoe Museum (history, fashion and customization of foot wear - it is interesting.)  The one flop and thankfully it cost us no money was the Textile Museum.  The latter takes about 30 minutes to see and has less than memorable collection in my opinion.      

Wooden Shoes - Bata Shoe Museum

Rules regarding Museum and Arts Passes:

• You must be Adult living in Toronto with a Valid Toronto Public Library Card.  (See here how to get a library card.)
• You can get one pass per week from the Toronto Public Library and the pass must be used within 3 months. If not used, the pass just expires.
• Passes are generally good for 2 adults and 2 children, see individual passes for details.
• When visiting a site you must show the MAP pass and date due receipt, your library card and ID upon request (at the venue's discretion.)  The pass holder must be present.
• Passes can not be sold or transferred. 
• For a complete list see Library's page here. 

What you Don't Get:

• Special Tours and Exhibits that have additional fees are not included such as the recent David Bowie exhibit at the AGO or the current Forbidden City at the ROM.  Additional fees apply for shows Ontario Science Centre Imax Theatre.
• Ripley's Aquarium of Canada and CN Tower is not part of this program, nor tickets to the Toronto Symphony, Theatrical Shows, Toronto Opera Company, or TIFF Lightbox.  
• It does not include parking or access to member's lounges; or features that come with annual family memberships.

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?  Have a favorite tourist attraction in Toronto? Please comment below.