Tommy Thompson – Park Trail

Length – 12 km , 5 km to point (one way)

30% park path
10% hiking trail
70% road (closed to vehicles)

Elevation – road is pancake flat, dips to cross water bridge, climbs to get to light beacon.

Terrain – wide closed asphalt road, side trails gravel, watch for broken brick, glass and chunks of metal as this peninsula was built with construction waste.

Skill – all levels, very easy

Maps – sign a gate, side trail signage

Facilities –  parking on street and lot, outhouses, welcome centre (area under long term construction)

Highlights –  Toronto skyline, nature photography, bird watching, hiking, swimming in lake, quite

Hours – Weekdays: 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Weekends & Holidays: 5:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Tommy Thompson Park is open all holidays except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Trail Fee – free

Phone – 416 661 6600

Website – TRCA , T. Thompson Park

Similar Trails – Beaches Boardwalk, Hamilton Beach, Ajax Waterfront

Local Clubs – Toronto Bicycle Network, Toronto Bike Club

Trailhead –  Gate located at the foot of 1 Leslie Street and Unwin Ave., south of Lakeshore Boulevard East. Park on street or lot inside on the westside.

New bike trail entrance from Unwin Ave to park by bridge.

Tommy Thompson Park, (Leslie Spit) is a long flat bicycle cruise out onto Lake Ontario.

The path is mainly a straight asphalt road that no longer has dump trucks running on it. It is flat (with speed bumps?) and 5 km to the point with the “lighthouse” on the hill. Well sadly it is not an historic old lighthouse, just a simple light beacon. But the view is worth the climb.

Being a straight, flat and paved road, some may find this a route a bit boring. What it does offer is an escape from hectic city life.

And now this man-made peninsula is open every day, rather then for years, just weekends.

An excellent family outing, pack a snack, water and a windbreaker. Remember it will be cooler and more windy than inland. That is a great thing on a hot summer day. The wind can really be strong if you pick the wrong day.

This peninsula was built over the last 60 years with landfill from construction sites. Hence it is slowly transforming itself from a waste dump zone to more of a wildlife/recreational area. Lots of birding and photography opportunities.

Unfortunately I was just there again and construction plans are still moving along slowly.

Care must be taken as the ground has lots of hazards to puncture your tire if you wander off the paved stuff. Some of that dumping was rebar, scrap metal , pointy tiles, bricks, glass…though the main road sees little of that.

The air is fresh and the surrounding land serene. The scenery will give many views of the city skyline and the Beaches shoreline.

There is an alternate triangular route you can take upon your return and a few short side trails to explore.

Though you will see new gravel paths, none are for us bike riders, which would be somewhat more interesting to ride. City park planners, really! All we get are paved straightaways; Boring!

More riding to or from here, go west to the Toronto Harbourfront or east on the Beaches Boardwalk.

Give yourself a break and cruise the Spit to free you mind and get some exercise in. Granted with no hills, it’s not that much.