The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Blue Mountain - Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area

This small waterfront park sits on the shores of Bedford Basin, with open views across the water toward the hills on the opposite side of the harbour. Benches, picnic tables, and a playground make it a pleasant place to pause, while the adjacent Bedford Outdoor Pool adds to the park's community feel during the summer months.

Stretching along the harbour and Lake Ontario shoreline, Admiral Harry DeWolf Park combines waterfront paths, marina views, and open green space. The park is named after Vice Admiral Harry DeWolf, one of Canada's most decorated naval officers and a key figure in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Benches along the shoreline provide a place to watch sailboats moving through the harbour, while the mostly level paths make this an easy stop on a longer waterfront walk.

Sheltered from the open waters of Lake Ontario, Mill Cove offers a quieter stretch of shoreline where sailboats, marina traffic, and waterfowl are often found. The cove sits at the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek and provides pleasant views across Oakville Harbour and the surrounding waterfront parks. Benches and lakeside paths make it a good place to pause during a walk, especially when boats are moving through the harbour or the sun is setting over the water.

Stonington Park is a green space/parkland on the east edge of the Stonington Park neighbourhood. There is access here to a nature trail and facilities. Keep in mind that this is a residential neighbourhood, and you can't park in front of the park entrance here. There is, however, street parking available in the neighbourhood and access to the path to the north along Gary Martin Drive and Innovation Drive.

This neighbourhood nature trail is a very accessible, paved and packed gravel path that runs through a green area with a creek. It is accessible from an entrance in the Stonington Park neighbourhood along Hollyhock Way, as well as entrances behind Charles P. Allen High School, and along Gary Martin Drive. This is a calm trail for a walk or run if you are in the area.

The Pipeline Loop Trail offers a more rugged and wild alternative to the manicured paths found elsewhere in Long Lake Provincial Park. This 3-kilometer loop, accessible from St. Margaret’s Bay Road, trades smooth gravel for a narrow, winding track filled with tree roots, granite outcrops, and mossy forest floors. While the trail is open year-round you'll likely needs spikes or snowshoes to enjoy a winter hike.

Spanning over 2,000 hectares, Long Lake Provincial Park is defined by its massive namesake lake and a landscape of granite boulders and dense Acadian forest. A network of wide, gravel trails provides easy access for walkers and cyclists, while the more adventurous can explore winding footpaths that lead to secluded rocky shorelines. Whether you are launching a kayak into the clear waters or exploring the historic remains of old stone walls tucked away in the woods, the park serves as a sprawling natural backyard for those looking to swap city pavement for the quiet beauty of the Nova Scotian coast.

This small but impressive waterfall tumbles over the granite rocks as the creek makes its way to Long Lake. You can reach it by a straight out and back hike, or make it a loop for a slightly longer excursion.