I love living in the city. In less than an hour on public transit I can dine in amazing restaurants, see the latest theatre production, cheer on one of many major league sports teams, even be at the airport ready to board my next flight to anywhere. But as much as I love the city, there is no substitute for being surrounded by nature. I welcome the benefits of country living into the city with open arms, which is one of the reasons I am very excited about the future of Canada’s first Urban National Park – the Rouge!!
I love living in the city. In less than an hour on public transit I can dine in amazing restaurants, see the latest theatre production, cheer on one of many major league sports teams, even be at the airport ready to board my next flight to anywhere. But as much as I love the city, there is no substitute for being surrounded by nature. I welcome the benefits of country living into the city with open arms, which is one of the reasons I am very excited about the future of Canada’s first Urban National Park – the Rouge!!
During a travel bloggers conference I attended a few weeks ago in Toronto (TBEX), I had the change to take a private tour hosted by Parks Canada into 4 sections of the proposed Rouge National Urban Park (Rouge NUP). 
Our first stop took us just north of Toronto’s city limits, to 14th Avenue and Reesor Road in the City of Markham. Not yet open to the public, we toured the Rouge’s restoration area – and home to the new Bob Hunter Memorial Park. 
Bob Hunter was one of the Co-Founders of the environmental group Greenpeace, and also was a regular on Toronto’s CityTV morning show – highlighting environmental and social issues around the world while sitting in his personal study wearing just his housecoat. A group of students were there the day we visited, helping to plants hundreds of new trees. Bordered by a mix of both subdivisions and farmland still in use, the transformation of this area is going to be wonderful to watch – as the trees grow, this landscape will change from open fields into rich forests and hopefully become the permanent home to deer, bird and other wildlife families.
Our second stop was the Woodland Area. Just south of Steeles Avenue off of Reesor Road in the City of Toronto, this area has a huge historical significance to the First Nations people who lived in this area, hundreds of years before it was “discovered” by the Europeans. Part of the Carrying-Place Trail, this route was used to connect Lake Ontario with Lake Simcoe, and continued to be used during the fur trading era by both the French and English. Once the city of Toronto was established, the routes were abandoned and became a cottage/camping area to many of the residence of Toronto. Sadly, most of this area was destroyed in 1954 during Hurricane Hazel, although many of the foundations of the buildings can still be seen along the trails.
Our third stop in our Rouge NUP tour took us very close to the Toronto Zoo. Just east of Meadowvale Road, north of Sheppard Avenue is the entrance to the Vista Trail. A short hike in, we arrived at the viewing platform – allowing gorgeous views of the bluffs over the Little Rouge Creek.
Both the Woodland and Vista Trails are accessible by public transit in Toronto. The view from the platform overlooking the bluffs is stunning in the summer – I can’t wait to visit this area again in the autumn when all the leaves start to change.
Our final stop was the Rouge Beach and Marsh – where the Rouge River ends and flows into Lake Ontario.
Follow Lawrence Avenue as far east as it will go, and you will find yourself surrounded by a protected marsh area to the north, and a sandy beach to the south. Swim, fish, birdwatch, stroll the boardwalk, even canoe the river or marsh – all amazing ways to spend the day…yes, in the city. 
But what about camping you ask?? (ok, maybe you didn’t…but now that you are thinking about it…) Rouge Park is the only place you can camp in the city – Glen Rouge Campground, also accessible by public transit. If you’ve never been camping, you can sign up for the Learn to Camp program offered.
A few years ago, I lived 90 minutes north of the city in a small town surrounded by farmland, forests, lakes and an abundance of wildlife. I miss that lifestyle, despite my choice to live in the city. Rouge NUP is providing me the best of both worlds.