Highland Creek Trail (and Colonel Danforth Park)

  The Highland Creek Trail is a paved trail that starts from Old Kingston Road and Highland Creek and ends at the shores of Lake Ontario then along the bluffs and into East Point Park.  

The trail follows through Colonel Danforth Park along Highland Creek where there is some of the most gorgeous scenery in the city.

Another hidden gem, I've never seen before and has become one of my favorite parks in the east end.  You will be amazed by the tall, aged-old cedar trees, oaks, maples and willows everywhere.  

You are never far from the Highland creek as it basically follows the trail on the right.  

The Highland creek river bed has a rocky bottom and water channel on the far side which provides a watershed for most of the central part of the city.


I would imagine Colonel Danforth park is stunning in the fall.  Incidentally, "Colonel" Danforth was named after Asa Danforth, who was an American and was commissioned by the Government of Upper Canada over 200 years ago to build a road from King Street east to the Trent river.  Asa was never a "Colonel" but he was a hard driving task master as noted by his workmen, so it is speculated, this title was given to him because of his military style of commands on his men. 


The park has the standard picnic tables with barbecues and washrooms opened in the summer.  Plenty of people come here to try their luck on casting out a line or two catching fish in the Highland creek.  Several species are native including trout, carp and bass.  Its a meandering river which like most rivers in Toronto, travel through a glacial ravine formed after the last Ice Age. 

As you leave the Colonel Danforth Park behind, you'll notice some wild fields before and some overhead 'silver-lining' pipe structures which form the mechanics of the watershed.  Finally up ahead a bridge which will take you directly south to the beaches of Lake Ontario.  

The waters shoreline is a mixture of sand and pebbles making it relatively comfortable on your toes as you wade in the waters, which I certainly did with the humidity at almost 100%.   You'll notice lots of driftwood along the shores as well.

At this point you can go east to the Port Union Trail or west through East Point Park.  That was an awesome experience, and as well a missing link from my trail list in the east.  


Nature is found all around us in any city and if you can be enjoyed by everyone so if there's no money in the bank or gas in the car, you don't need to travel far to see the same thing you'll enjoy in your own back yard if you look deep enough.

Highland Creek Watershed (Brimley Woods)

Recently passed by a small woodland lot at the corner of Finch and Brimley Road, called Brimley Woods (which incidentally is also another component of the Highland Creek watershed).  Brimley Woods is essential to the health of the watershed by absorbing air pollutants as well as to provide a habitat for plants and wildlife such as hawks and songbirds.  In the spring and summer the entire area is surrounded by wildflowers.

 
The "Highland" is an urban creek running over 85 kilometres through an area of about 100 square kilometres.  Although today, it's become the most developed watershed in all of Toronto, there are still remnant forests like this one, which are vital green space that contain trails of which can provide recreational opportunities all year round as well.

I remember when I was in high school, we had to meet up in the mornings at a local forest much like this one to do a recreational course as part of our phys ed class.  The signs indicate what exercise is required and the bars are permanently installed for exercise aids.  

Brimley Woods is an example of the conservation efforts and strategies between the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority with the City of Toronto and community organizations  all for the common good to improve health of the Highland and its neighbourhoods.   

The next time you explore your neighbourhood parks and trails, you can help by recycling your bottles and cans, or picking up any lose garbage that somehow doesn't make its way to the trash.  Keep active by joining or organizating neighbourhood nature walks, doing private tree planting, or establishing rain gardens in your own backyard.