Cedarvale Park.
This is a gorgeous dog-friendly park and it’s quite easy to get to. It features a long woodsy trail, a vast green space and a large dog park. It’s a great place to go, and it even made my list of 5 awesome places you should bring your dog in Toronto. If you’re looking for a nice place to walk your dog, look no further!
The woodsy trail
Start where the trail begins at the St Clair West subway station entrance (just East of Tichester Rd and Bathurst Rd). I like this path because it’s quite pretty to walk beneath the trees and it’s usually less busy along the trail versus the park. There’s a lot of wildlife in the woods, so your pup’s nose will be going wild too!
Along the trail, you walk first through the trees, and then come to an opening with long grasses and beautiful wildflowers in bloom.
You’ll come to a bridge where there’s usually some interesting graffiti, and more wildflowers. Watch out for the river under the bridge- probably not the cleanest water that your dog will try to drink from.
The trail continues a little longer until you approach a long staircase. This is about 5 minutes from the dog park. It’s also a fact that your dog will know long before you do.
As you exit the trail, on your right is the dog park East entrance.
The dog park
This dog park is fairly busy, but there’s a lot of space for you and your dog to navigate. It’s nice because your dog has room to roam. The size also gives them the chance to create space between themselves and other dogs, if they please.
The park’s stretch is long enough that you can chuck a ball far for your pup to chase and really tire them out! And after a long game of fetch, they can cool off at the water fountain by the West entrance.
As with all dog parks, I recommend going to the park knowing that you may have to leave immediately. Not all dogs who are brought to the park want to be there. It’s important to make sure your dog is safe, so be sure to leave if you and your pup feel uncomfortable.
Lounge in the green space
There are many places in the park where you can sit and relax with your dog after a romp at the dog park. As you walk along the path, you’ll see the large field directly across from the dog park, and several other shaded spots going West.
Sit on a bench or on the grass, take out a good book and spend some time lounging with your pup.
This all sounds great, but what about the colder months?
The wintertime is a trickier season for dog walking. As Canadians, we know long winters and we value walks that will not end up with our dogs covered in mud. I will delve more into winter walking in another blog post for sure. For the time being, here are some notes for cold weather Cedarvale Park visitors.
When covered in snow, it’s still a great place to go to.
In fact, it’s nicer in the winter because there are fewer people and fewer distractions for your dog. The field West of the dog park becomes another fenced park, so they can run around in double the space!
This part is, however, not completely sealed and is a test of good recall. The trail is also quite lovely in the winter and a nice break from the salted city streets.
If the weather has been a series of ice storms and rain, steer clear. The park and trail becomes like a poorly maintained ice rink, and you could risk you or your dog getting injured from a slip or fall.
We had a lot of fun with Isla and Harley at this park in the winter. Isla has loved the snow since we brought her home, so the park was always a good time. And, well, Harley’s a husky, so you can imagine how much he loves winter!
Overall, I think Cedarvale has a lot of perks throughout the entire year. So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to Cedarvale for a few hours of fun with your pup!
Have you been to Cedarvale Park with your dog? Share your favourite parts of the park in the comments below!