Martin Goodman Trail (Boardwalk Access)

The Martin Goodman Trail in Toronto covers some of the most gorgeous natural settings you will ever see.  Because of the amalgamation of the cities, Toronto runs from Etobicoke from the west to Scarborough Bluffs in the east.  

That being said, the waterfront trail is accessed from Kew Beach in the East, not Scarborough at all.  In fact the waterfront trail ends and can be picked up to the east in 22 km which is quite a trek of overhauling over rough terrain with your bike to get to where it begins again.  I always prefer going west for this reason only. 

I've comfortably been able to ride my bike from Toronto to as far west to Bronte and beyond going west using the Waterfront trail this past summer.  

The entire trail runs along Lake Ontario and covers an expanse of about 350 kilometers.  On the western shores of Lake Ontario it runs from Stoney Creek to Quinte West.  There are dozens of access points in Toronto and Mississauga to get onto this trail.  

The mere historical value of anything that you'll pass along the trail such as Commissioner Street for example, which runs from Cherry Street to Leslie) is one of the oldest streets in Toronto.  I love it because it's quiet and it makes me feel so good inside like a child again when Toronto was way less busy as it is now.


Now there are several movie studios that earn quite a pretty penny working out of Commissioner street.  Of course one of the now most popular spots at the foot of Leslie Street is the Tommy Thompson Trail (or the Leslie Spit)  

Biking has taken on a new meaning in Toronto since we hosted the Panam games in 2015.  Although in the aftermath of spending over $2Billion dollars constructing  venues and infrastructures such as the Union-Pearson Express rail train, we were left with the most amazing bike trail ever!  It's a marked path, that runs beautiful along the harbourfront right down towards the exhibition stadium and continues right through to the west.  

I might add a few more pictures here later, but for now you get the idea.

Happy trails! 

Martin Goodman Trail

The Martin Goodman Trail is a multi-use trail with a two way bike path, a walking path, and many hidden trail paths that venture into wooded areas. Walking westward on the boardwalk which runs east and west parallel to Queen Street, you will eventually find yourself with a choice between northbound to Lakeshore Avenue or continue southwest onto the Martin Goodman Trail.  It is all part of the Ashbridges Bay Park.  There are plenty of boat docks, and fishing areas around here as well.

At sunset you can see the breathtaking view of Toronto's skyline and Lake Ontario.  There are access points along the beach specific to the swimmer, the wader and the explorer.  A bird sanctuary houses many trees with birds of varied species.  I happened upon a baby cardinal, but unfortunately it grew way too dark to take any decent photos of them.

Just another trail in Toronto to explore!  It really satisfies enough of the balance of nature, that it isn't really necessary to travel up north to be a part of it all.  The trail extends about 20 km, from the Humber River in the west to Beaches Park in the east and connects to the Don River Trail.

Martin Goodman makes up part of the Waterfront Trail, which extends 900 kilometres from Niagara -on-the-Lake to the Quebec border, along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. (Parts of the trail have yet to be joined with each other.)