Tommy Thompson Park

Lonely Planet review

A 5km-long man-made peninsula between the Harbourfront and The Beaches, Tommy Thompson Park (named after a former Toronto Parks commissioner) juts further into Lake Ontario than the Toronto Islands. Managed by the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), this 'accidental wilderness' - constructed from Outer Harbour dredgings and fill from downtown building sites - has become a phenomenal wildlife success.

It's one of the world's largest nesting places for ring-billed gulls, and is a haven for terns, black-crowned night heron, turtles, owls, foxes, even coyotes! The park is open to the public on weekends and holidays; vehicles and pets are prohibited. Summer schedules offer interpretive programs and guided walks, usually with an ecological theme. At the end of the park there's a lighthouse and some awesome city views.

To get here on public transport, take any streetcar east along Queen St to Jones Ave, then jump on the 83 Jones bus southbound. Get off at Commissioners St, from where it's a 500m walk south to the park's main gate (the bus doesn't run on Sunday or some holidays). Call the TRCA for information on shuttles from the gate into the park (May to mid-October). Alternatively, hire a bike or some in-line skates and follow the Martin Goodman Trail all the way here.