High Park
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High Park is a 161-hectare municipal park west of downtown Toronto, from Bloor Street West to The Queensway, near Lake Ontario. It includes rare oak savannah.
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What's on here
Why go
- The globally rare black oak savannah, within about 23 hectares of tallgrass savannah, prairie and woodland.
- The High Park Animal Display, Canada’s oldest animal attraction, opened in 1893.
- Colborne Lodge’s original Howard furnishings and watercolours of early Toronto.
- Jamie Bell Adventure Playground’s castle tops, ropes, swings, ladders and slides.
- Summer Shakespeare performances in the hillside amphitheatre.
Entrances
- North entranceThe main pedestrian entrance, on the Bloor Street West side.North side of High Park
- Six paved entrancesThe park has six entrances with paved trails or sidewalks.High Park
Don't miss
- Grenadier PondFollow the eastern shore past Hillside Gardens and the cherry grove.Western edge of High Park
- Black oak savannahLook for black oaks more than 150 years old; controlled burns help maintain their habitat.Central plain
- Colborne LodgeExplore the Regency-style cottage through its cottage and garden tours, events and workshops.Southern end of High Park
- High Park Animal DisplayLook for bison, capybaras, emus, llamas, peacocks and yaks across eleven paddocks.Eastern ravine
- Jamie Bell Adventure PlaygroundVisit the volunteer-built playground; its burned castle was rebuilt in July 2012.Beside Duck Pond in the southeast
- Hillside GardensExplore the rock garden, hanging garden, fountains and sunken gardens.East of Grenadier Pond
What's in season
- Apr – MayCherry blossoms usually peak in late April or early May and last four to ten days, depending on weather.
What you see
- Watch for wood ducks and, occasionally, great blue herons at Upper Duck Pond, just west of the adventure playground.
- Colborne Lodge stands on a point of the central plain overlooking the lake.
With kids
- The Children's Garden, north of Colborne Lodge, offers seasonal plant-focused programs and summer camps.
- The High Park Nature Centre, in the former Forest School, offers nature programs year-round for all ages.
- A seasonal trackless train tours the park with several stops.
- Little League programs run at one of the baseball diamonds.
Facilities
- Playgrounds
- Wading pool
- Swimming pool Summer swimming complex.
- Soccer fields Two, in the central area.
- Baseball diamonds Three, in the central area.
- Tennis courts
- Picnic areas
- Artificial ice rink North of the outdoor pool along Colborne Lodge Drive.
- Snack bar At the northwest playground.
- Fast-food café Seasonal café on West Road.
- Grenadier Café At West Road and Colborne Lodge Road.
Photo spots
- Upper Duck PondFrame the pond beside the adventure playground.Just west of the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground
- Maple leaf-shaped flower bedPhotograph the flower bed near the shoreline below Hillside Gardens.Below the hill east of Grenadier Pond
- Symposium sculpturesPhotograph the five surviving sculptures from the ten installed for the 1967 International Sculpture Symposium.Near the High Park Forest School
Shorts
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Vivaldi Walks Into High ParkFrank Horvat
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Do NOT Touch This Fuzzy Caterpillar in High Park!TorontoLive4k
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Cherry Blossom 🌸High Park TorontoMommy’s little vlogger
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High Park, Toronto.Rahab Photography
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grasshopper 🦗 on a green leaf 🍃 high park torontoquietnature61
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Free Things To Do In Toronto! - High ParkWhat’s Next Ab?
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City of Toronto to conduct controlled burn in High ParkCP24
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High Park is entering its cherry blossom eraCBC News Toronto
History
Long before the municipal park, this area had an Indigenous presence.
- 2,500 BC–AD 800Remains from this period indicate Indigenous presence in the park area; they were discovered in 1921.
- 1836John George Howard bought the land for a sheep farm.
- 1837Howard built Colborne Lodge as a home for himself and Jemima Frances Meikle.
- 1873Howard and his wife transferred 120 acres to Toronto under conditions including permanent public use.
- 1876High Park opened on part of the Howard property and land bought from Percival Ridout.
Show all
- 1956Nine connected greenhouses began growing plants for Toronto’s park system.
- 1959Tokyo residents gave the park its first Somei-Yoshino cherry tree.
- 1999The High Park Nature Centre was established.
- 2022Grenadier Pond was designated a Provincially Significant Wetland Complex.
How to get there
- TrainBloor–Danforth subway: High Park or Keele station provides access to the park.
- TramStreetcars 501 and 506 serve the park.
- BusThe 80 Queensway bus serves the park. Seasonal route 203 loops inside it.
Accessibility
- Terrain The park has a hilly landscape with two deep ravines running north to south.
- Public art tour paths Most of the two-hour tour follows paved paths and sidewalks; reaching some works requires natural trails.
Sources: High Park - Wikipedia · High Park - Wikipedia (part 2) · High Park - Wikipedia (part 3) · Toronto/West End - Wikivoyage (see) · High Park – City of Toronto · High Park - Wikipedia · High Park - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026
Where
1873 Bloor St W, Toronto
- Phone
- +1 416-338-0338
Plan from here: Evening walk →
Questions and answers
Where can I fish at High Park?
Along the marked Grenadier Pond shoreline from Maple Leaf Garden to the Queensway and Colborne Lodge Drive entrance.
Can I feed the waterfowl at Grenadier Pond?
Signs at Grenadier Pond ask visitors not to feed them.
Must dogs be leashed at High Park?
Keep dogs leashed outside designated off-leash areas.
Can I book a picnic, firepit or barbecue permit at High Park?
These permits can be booked through the park’s own site.
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