| Maps |
Distances |
Route Description |
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Toronto Cycling Map10
W-T Toronto11 |
0 km |
 |
The route described in this report commences at Harbourfront.
To get there, simply follow Yonge Street (Toronto's principal north/south
street) south until it ends at Lake
Ontario. From here, head east along the designated bike lane on Queen's
Quay East (the street closest to the water). If you look to your right after
500 m, you will
notice a paved trail with blue and green lines running down the middle of
it. This is Martin Goodman
Trail, and you will now follow it until it ends in a further 10
km. |
| |
2 km |
The Martin Goodman trail heads south and
follows Cherry Street through Toronto's port area. The trail is a little
rough here so you may prefer to ride down the street itself (wide and not
too busy). |
|
W-T Toronto12 |
4 km |
Clarke Beach.
The Martin Goodman trail resumes its easterly trek through Toronto
parkland. |
| |
6 km |
After crossing the wooden bridge, continue to
head east on Unwin Avenue (even though the road is posted as private!). |
| |
7 km |
Leslie Street. Turn left, and you should
immediately notice the blue and green markings of the Martin Goodman trail
on the east side of the street. |
|
Toronto Cycling Map11 |
8 km |
Ashbridge's Bay Park.
The final 3 km of the Martin Goodman trail are the best by far as you will
find yourself cycling along an excellent paved trail adjacent to a long
sandy beach (and a pedestrian boardwalk). |
| |
10 km |
Kew Beach.
If you leave the trail and ride north for 500 m, you will find yourself on
Queen Street and in the trendy Beaches area. This is a great place to
purchase lunch, or visit Starbucks! |
| |
11 km |
The Martin Goodman Trail ends. Turn left, and
head north for 500 m until you reach Queen Street. Turn right on Queen
Street and follow it until it ends in a further 2 km. |
|
W-T Toronto 13 |
12 km |
Queen Street ends at Fallingbrook Road. Turn
left and ride north for 1 km. |
W-T Toronto 14
Toronto Cycling Map 7 |
13 km |
Kingston Road - the original Toronto to
Montréal (via Kingston) highway. You will now turn right onto Kingston
Road, and ride east on
this very busy street for 7 km. The good news is that the Waterfront Trail
folks are working on an alternative route between here and Ravine Drive, and
this could be available by the time you ride the route. |
|
W-T Toronto15 |
20 km |
Be sure to turn
right (south) on Ravine Drive (traffic lighhts) and you will see both blue/green
Waterfront Trail (W-T) and blue Cycling Route 4 East signs. Be sure to
follow the Waterfront Trail for the remainder of your ride through the city.
|
| |
22 km |
At Heathfield Drive
(stop sign), Cycling Route 4 East turns off to the right down a dedicated
paved (albeit a little rough!) trail. This could easily be missed! When the
trail ends, continue to follow the blue Cycling Route 4 signs. |
|
Toronto Cycling Map 8 |
26 km |
Cycling Route 4 ends
at Morningside Ave. The Waterfront Trail now turns north on Cycling Route 79
North. |
|
W-T Toronto 16 |
27 km |
Cycling Route 79
ends at Coronation Drive. The Waterfront Trail now turns east again and
follows Cycling Route 16 East. |
| |
30 km |
At the Highland
Creek Treatment Plant, Cycling Route 16
East (which is also the Waterfront Trail) becomes an excellent dedicated paved trail that follows the Lake Ontario shoreline |
| |
31 km |
 |
Be sure to bear
right at the (Port Union Waterfront Park) steel bridge and continue to follow the Lake Ontario shoreline
through the Port Union Waterfront Park.. |
| |
33 km |
The paved trail
temporarily ends (although a new trail that follows the Lake Ontario
shoreline for 1 km to the Rouge River should be open in 2012) shortly
after the Rouge Hill Go Station. Turn left, cross the train tracks, and then almost immediately turn
right on Lawrence Avenue. You now ride along Lawrence Avenue in an easterly
direction. |
| |
34 km |
Lawrence Avenue ends at Rouge
Hills Rd., and straight ahead you
will see the road to the Rouge Beach Park.
The road ends at the Rouge River, but
there is a pedestrian bridge across it. |
|
W-T Pickering |
35 km |
 |
The Waterfront Trail
now crosses the Rouge River on a steel bridge. When the paved trail ends (at
Bodd Avenue) continue to follow the Waterfront Trail. It is important that you follow the
Waterfront Trail
for the next 16 km, so be sure to watch for the blue/green signs! |
| |
36 km |
The Waterfront Trail
heads into the Petticoat Creek Conservation Area and becomes a designated
trail for the next kilometre. Throughout the Town of Pickering, whenever the
Waterfront Trail uses a dedicated path, the path is marked with a white
centre line. So, if in doubt, follow the white centre line! |
| |
37 km |
Shortly after crossing
Petticoat Creek on a steel bridge, the Waterfront Trail
follows a mixture of quiet suburban streets and designated trails along the
west shore of Frenchman's Bay. The name,
Frenchman's Bay, honours the French Sulpician missionaries Fénelon
and Trouvé, the first educators of native
children in Ontario, who became trapped here for the winter of 1670. The
Waterfront Trail is well marked as it circumnavigates Frenchman's Bay, so
you shouldn't get lost! |
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39 km |
Bayly Street. For the next
kilometre, the Waterfront Trail follows busy Bayly Street. |
| |
40 km |
Be sure to turn
right on St. Martin's Street (the first set of traffic lights), and then follow the Waterfront Trail as it
winds its way through quiet residential streets en route to Lake Ontario. |
| |
42 km |
When you reach Liverpool Road, just before
Lake Ontario, you will find a restaurant, cafe and ice cream parlour.
When you reach Lake Ontario, you
will find that there is a dedicated trail along the waterfront that takes you
right past a large wind
turbine that is part of the
Pickering Nuclear
Power Station complex |
| |
43 km |
When you reach the
Pickering Nuclear Generating Station,
either ride east along the road itself or take the bike path that runs
alongside it (on the north side). |
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44 km |
Brock Road. Here,
the bike path crosses over to the south side of the road. |
| |
45 km |
The road ends, but the bike
trail continues to
head east through a wooded area, very close
to Lake Ontario. |
|
W-T Ajax1 |
47 km |
 |
Shortly after you enter the Town of Ajax,
you cross Duffin's Creek on another steel bridge. Once in Ajax, you will find
yourself riding on a paved trail almost on the edge of Lake
Ontario. You will quickly realize that this city has done a wonderful job at preserving its Lake Ontario waterfront. The
Waterfront Trail throughout Ajax has a yellow centre line. So, if in doubt,
follow the yellow line! |
|
W-T Ajax2 |
51 km |
 |
The Waterfront Trail
now heads north (away from Lake Ontario) for a short distance before merging
with Shoal Point Rd. After 100 m of road riding (and shortly after crossing
a bridge) look for the paved trail to resume on your right. Remember
to keep following the yellow line! |
| |
52 km |
The paved trail ends
at Ontoro Rd., which you follow for the next 500 m. |
| |
53 km |
At the east end of
Ontoro Rd., proceed straight ahead on the gravel path to remain on the
Waterfront Trail. |
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54 km |
The gravel path ends at
Halls Rd. (unmarked). Turn left (away from Lake Ontario), and ride north on
this quiet paved road. |
| |
56 km |
Turn right at
T-junction (stop sign) on to Victoria St. (Durham Rd. 22). This is a very busy road with no paved
shoulder, and you must travel east on it for the next 1.6 km. You are now in
the town of Whitby. Fortunately, Durham Region are planning to alleviate this
dangerous riding situation -
click here for details. |
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57 km |
Lynde Shore Conservation Area.
Between here and Bowmanville there are numerous protected wetlands. |
| |
58
km |
After battling the traffic of
Victoria St. for
1.6 km, you will come to a set of lights and Seaboard Gate (a road), where
you will turn right. After 200 m, be sure to turn right again at the first
stop sign. You should now be on Whitby Shores Greenway. After a further 200 m, you
should arrive at Havenwood Place and notice a
paved trail to the right. Follow this trail in the same
direction (south-west) as you were already riding. |
|
W-T Whitby |
59 km |
The paved trail now
heads away from the subdivision and follows the marsh south towards Lake Ontario. You will
find yourself riding between the lake and the Whitby Mental Health Centre
(on your left). |
| |
60 km |
As you leave the
Whitby Mental Health Centre lands, you should follow the paved trail on the
right-hand side of the road (Gordon Street). In another 500 m, the Waterfront
Trail turns east through parkland. |
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61 km |
Port Whitby Marina.
Continue to follow the Waterfront Trail signs. |
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62 km |
At Front St., the paved trail
re-commences and becomes the Whitby Lions
Promenade. |
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63 km |
Rotary Sunrise Lake
Park (at Lake Ontario).
The Waterfront Trail leaves this scenic area by following a boardwalk along
the beach. After 300 m of boardwalk, you will reach Heydenshore Park.
|
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64 km |
Gordon Richards Park. |
| |
65 km |
Ronald C. Deeth
Park. |
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66 km |
Thickson's Woods
Nature Reserve. |
| |
67 km |
 |
You are now in the vicinity of Corbett Creek
and Marsh. After crossing the creek on a steel bridge you will wind your way
through the marsh on a 100 m long boardwalk. After the boardwalk you will be
in the City of Oshawa (home to General Motors Canada). |
|
W-T Oshawa |
68 km |
Intrepid Park. The
Waterfront Trail now follows Phillip Murray Avenue. |
| |
69 km |
At Stephenson Rd.
(the first set of traffic lights), turn right and follow the bike route
along Renaissance Drive. You are now deviating from the Waterfront Trail,
but you will soon re-join it! |
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70 km |
Renaissance Drive
ends at Park Rd., where you turn right. You are now back on the Waterfront
Trail. |
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71
km |
Stone St. Park and Pumphouse Marsh.
The Waterfront Trail returns to being a dedicated paved bike path. |
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73 km |
Lakeview Park, Oshawa.
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