Sunnybrook Park

Neighbourhood: Midtown · Address: 1132 Leslie St, Toronto, ON · Hours: Mon–Sun 24 hours · Price Range: Free · Editorial status: Not yet verified

Why Visit

If you want a true forest escape without leaving Midtown, Sunnybrook Park delivers unexpected wildlife, sprawling trails, and diverse activities, all tucked along the Don River. It's the rare city park where trails feel wild but the next latte is only a short bike ride away.

What Makes It Unique

Sunnybrook is one of the only Toronto parks where you can watch horses train at the equestrian centre and play a round of disc golf before heading for picnic tables in a dog-friendly meadow. The trail system here actually connects to the city’s best off-road cycling route, running all the way to Edwards Gardens through the ravine.

Cedarvale Ravine is one of those places that makes Toronto feel bigger, stranger, and much greener than people expect. You can be up on Yonge Street with traffic, condo towers, and coffee shops all around you, then ten minutes later you’re down in a cool, shaded corridor of trees where the city noise drops away and all you hear is gravel under your shoes, leaves moving overhead, and the occasional woodpecker knocking somewhere in the distance. It doesn’t feel manicured. It feels like the city forgot to tame this part, which is exactly why people keep coming back. The trail system runs for about 6 kilometres, with routes branching into Nordheimer Ravine and up toward Lawrence Park, so you can turn a simple walk into a proper outing without ever leaving the city. Some stretches are wide and easy, good for runners and people pushing the pace, while others feel more enclosed, with the path slipping under a dense canopy that can make the whole ravine feel dim and almost secret even in the middle of the day. If you like taking photos, bring your camera or at least clear some space on your phone. There are so many moments here where the light cuts through the trees at just the right angle, especially in early morning or late afternoon. Fall is when Cedarvale really shows off. In October, the canopy turns into this layered ceiling of gold, rust, and deep red, and the path below gets covered in leaves so thick it softens your footsteps. “Cathedral of colour” sounds a bit dramatic until you’re actually there looking up. Then it feels accurate. If you only do it once, do it in peak fall. My advice is to enter from the bottom at Glencairn Station if you can. Starting there gives you the most dramatic introduction, because you descend quickly into the ravine and the city disappears fast. It’s a much better first impression than easing in from one of the flatter access points. Wear decent shoes if it’s been raining, because some sections can get muddy and slick, especially where the trail edges are more worn down. Nothing extreme, but not the place for flimsy sneakers if the weather’s been wet. You’ll see a mix of people here: runners doing long steady loops, dog walkers, birders with binoculars, parents with kids, and the occasional serious hiker who seems faintly surprised this kind of terrain exists in Midtown. It’s open year-round and worth visiting in every season, but fall is the one that sticks with people. Even in winter, though, there’s something beautiful about the bare trees and the quiet. If you’re visiting Toronto and want a break from the usual downtown circuit, Cedarvale Ravine is the kind of place I’d actually send you, not because it’s famous, but because it shows a truer side of the city. Wild-feeling, a little messy, and far more peaceful than it has any right to be.