Rogue National Urban Park, Rogue Beach and Marsh Area
Rogue National Urban Park, Rogue Beach and Marsh Area
You don’t have to drive hours outside of the city to spend quality time in nature. There’s many parks within the city that you can visit to enjoy the outdoors, especially when the weather is nice. One of these great parks is Rogue National Urban Park, located at 195 Rogue Hills Drive in Scarborough. This park, while it is very similar to other parks in that it provides beautiful green space to enjoy the great outdoors, it does have it’s own unique features and it’s a neat spot to spend a couple hours or even a whole day. Here’s a little more about this park and all it has to offer.
A Little History
In 1799, settlers first arrived in the Rogue Valley. Since then, over two centuries, the land has been used in multiple ways: from farming to various ecosystems, campgrounds and hiking trails. Traces of this sorted history can still been seen in almost all areas of the park today. This park is the first in Canada to protect agriculture and its nature and cultural heritage.
Take a Tour
There are many activities you can do in this park, no matter the weather as many of them are available year round to visitors. You could bring your canoe and make your way through the marsh and explore the park via its waterways or you can bring your hiking boots and explore the many different trails in this park. You can participate in one of the guided walks which touches on the important animals, plants and historical areas of the rogue area or you can tackle the trails all on your own – the choice is yours! There are many opportune areas for you to capture the perfect photographs, whether you prefer the golden fall leaves or the perfect white of untouched snow.
Learn to Camp
Glen Rogue, located within this federally protected area, is the only campground within the city of Toronto. You can park your RV or go old school and pitch a tent so you can experience everything this rich, natural park has to offer in the middle of Canada’s largest and most diverse city. If you’re up for something different, you can reserve one of Parks Canada’s oTENTiks on this campground. These accommodations are kind of cross between a tent and a cabin, offering the comforts of home while you enjoy the experience of camping outdoors. These oTENTiks can sleep up to 5 adults and are a great way to get the best of creature comforts while allowing everyone to truly enjoy everything this area has to offer.
Cycling
While this is an urban park, there are paved roads that cyclists can take advantage of so they can ride through nature while enjoying the benefits of a smooth road. There are a few traffic lights in this park, but for the most part all cyclists can enjoy a smooth, uninterrupted ride through rolling hills and beautiful scenic views. There are remote trails located at the most north east portion of the park, while there’s a few paths that are slightly more urban for those cyclists who don’t quite want to leave the city completely. The Rogue National Urban Park is the perfect way for anyone to feel like they are escaping the city – even just for a couple hours – without actually leaving the city. It’s a gem nestled in a major urban centre.