Beaches Boardwalk – Park Trail

Length – 9 km (one way)

97% park path
3% road, detours

Elevation – Mostly level, with small, rolling hills on the peninsula.

Terrain – A wide asphalt path with a centre line, some sand blown in from beach and gravel spots.

Skill – Easy. Great for cruising.

Traffic – It can get busy, especially around the above ground pool at Woodbine Ave. Watch out for dogs, kids, and meandering tourists that stray onto the bike path—and give people rollerblading lots of space, too!

Maps – Map boards can be found on the trail; follow the blue-green centre line.

Facilities – There are washrooms at four change stations, as well as fast food and rain shelters; limited parking.

Highlights – Take in the beach, lake, city skyline, and parks. Tour Queen St., and see the Leuty Lifeguard Station, RC Harris Water Treatment Plant.

Phone – 311

Website – City of Toronto, The Beaches Wikipedia page.

Similar Trails – Taylor Creek, Toronto Island, Ajax Waterfront.

Local Clubs – Toronto Bike Network

Access – You can cycle in along the Martin Goodman Trail. Parking is a challenge in this area, especially during summer weekends, but try the Woodbine Park parking lot. If you can cycle there, then all the better.

This very scenic bike path is along the Toronto Beaches, which runs parallel to the wooden boardwalk then around the peninsula and into town.

The eastern starting point of the 20 km Martin Goodman Trail system can take you cycling for hours through town and to the Humber River in the west end—all off-road.

However, the focus of this review is the Beaches section, from the bottom of Leslie Street, for a short but satisfying 9 km ride (18 km return trip).

This Beaches ride consists of Woodbine Beach, Kew Beach, and Balmy Beach, plus the Ashbridges Bay Park peninsula.

On the way there are short side paths to discover, which wind around Woodbine Park and Kew Beach Park. All are enjoyable spots for a picnic or a nap under a tree.

This paved path starts where Silver Birch Ave. meets the lake, and follows the Lake Ontario shoreline west. It is naturally a level route with no hills.

Plenty of map boards along the way help plan your route, or you can follow the painted centerline and see where it goes!

As much as you may like to, the wooden boardwalk is for pedestrians only, so please stick to the asphalt bike path.

The view of the lake, and the breeze coming off it, is a pleasure for cyclists on hot summer days. However, it can also get cooler if you go on a spring or autumn spin, so be sure to carry a jacket.

A pleasant side trail can take out to loop around the Ashbridge’s peninsula for spectacular views of the Beaches area and the marina in the bay.

When you get to Coxwell Ave. the path straightens out as it…

Read more of this review in my trail guidebook with better maps, and suggested parking available as an eBook or paperback.