High Park

Lonely Planet review

Delightfully unkempt, Toronto's biggest park (398 acres) is a heavenly escape - unfurl a picnic lunch, cycle around, ice-skate or just sit amongst great stands of oaks and watch the sunset. Near the north gates are tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool. The main road weaves south through the park; another road branching to the east takes you to the Dream in High Park stage. Further south are the Hillside Gardens overlooking Grenadier Pond where people ice-skate in winter.

The road continues downhill past the animal paddocks (a small children's zoo) to Colborne Lodge (416-392-6916; www.toronto.ca/culture/colborne.htm; Colborne Lodge Dr; adult/child/concession around C$6 /3.50/4; ;noon- 16:00 Tue-Sun Oct-Dec, noon- 17:00 May-Sep, Sat & Sun only Jan-Apr), a Regency-style cottage built in 1836 by the Howard family, who donated much of High Park to the city in 1873. High Park's north entrance is off Bloor St W at High Park Ave. Bus 30B picks up at High Park subway station, then makes a loop through the park on weekends and holidays from mid-June to Labour Day. Otherwise it's a 200m walk to the north gates. The 506 High Park streetcar drops off on the east side of the park. If you exit the park by Colborne Lodge at the south gates, walk down to Lake Shore Blvd W and catch any streetcar back east to downtown.