Looking to Try Something New? Hit the Trails

Hit the Trails With the lazy days of winter behind us, it’s time to get pumped for the warmer weather and look forward to enjoying the outdoors. For most of us, it will be time to get active – to lace-up our running shoes and hit the open road. But this year, why not try something off road? Mississauga has lots of great trails to get your training in and log some kilometres in a more natural setting than busy roadways.

Mississauga has more than 500 parks and 300 publicly-owned woodlands and natural areas that are waiting to be explored. Whether you’re new to the running scene or an experienced runner, we want you to take advantage of what’s in the city. With double digits ahead, here is a snapshot of some trails (with distances for everyone) that are worth trying:

Waterfront Trail (Large-sized trail: under 20 km)
Part of an expanding 1,600 km network that links 140 communities and First Nations on the Canadian shores of three Great Lakes, Mississauga’s portion of the Waterfront Trail runs parallel to the Lake Ontario shoreline. The trail runs through 22 Mississauga parks, Port Credit Village, the Bradley Museum and the Rattray Marsh Conservation Area.

Burnhamthorpe Trail (Medium-sized trail: under 10 km)
This multi-use trail allows for the use of bicycles on and off roads through natural and urban settings. Running from Loyalist Drive to Garnetwood Park, the trail is an uninterrupted path through downtown Mississauga. There are links to Sawmill Valley Trail, Etobicoke Creek Trail, Glen Erin Trail and Garnetwood Park making it a great urban excursion.

Cooksville Creek Trail (Short-sized trail: under 5 km)
Beginning at Richard Jones Park in the old town of Cooksville, this trail is a quiet escape amidst the busy downtown Mississauga scene. The pathway is a combination of gravel and paved trails leading towards Paisley Boulevard East.

David J. Culham Trail (Large-sized trail: under 20 km)
This is another multi-use trail that includes urban and natural settings alongside the Credit River. Beginning in Erindale Park at Dundas Street West, just east of Mississauga Road, this trail passes by remnants of old homesteads, orchards, dams, rail and mill sites, and connects many green spaces in Mississauga.

Lake Aquitaine Trail (Short-sized trail: under 5 km)
Lake Aquitaine hosts a naturally producing population of panfish such as sunfish, rock bass and perch. This multi-use trail runs south from Derry Road through the scenic Lake Aquitaine Park with pedestrian walkways from the trail through the neighbourhoods, connecting schools and recreational facilities.

Happy trails to you! To learn more about Mississauga’s parks, trails and natural areas, visit mississauga.ca/parks or follow @MississaugaPF on Twitter.

Tags

• Parks and Forestry
• Recreation and Sports