A Golden Hour Hike Up The Beare Hill Summit In Scarborough
(Always check conditions, TorontoTreks is not liable for any changes to the route or injuries)
It is often said that the Greater Toronto Area doesn’t have a lot of high up lookout spots to see the whole surrounding area, including that far beyond the city. That finally changed in 2022 when the stunning Beare Hill Park opened to the north of Rouge National Urban Park.
Situated on what, incredibly enough used to be a waste dump, hiking up Beare Hill offers a stunning lookout experience through unique scenery, not found elsewhere in the park, let alone in most of the GTA and that at times, with the scenery turning into wildflowers and dried grasses near the top, looks more like a walk through southern parts of Europe, rather than southern Ontario, and allows at it’s top, a full unobstructed 360 degree view of the entire area, even allowing you to hike as far as the outskirts of Pickering through stunning nature.
This hike offers a unique experience if you’re looking for something completely different from the usual lower hiking trails and can, for those able to walk at least an hour, even be an exciting way to end a day at the nearby Toronto Zoo, with a sunset hike.
Starting out from the parking lot ( it is also possible to arrive here with the 86 TTC bus from Kennedy TTC, with no special extra fare required), you will be greeted by the Pearse family house. This historic house, dating from 1890, was lovingly restored by the Rouge Valley Foundation and now houses the Rouge Valley Conservation Centre, also hosting a variety of events which can be found on their website. It is also possible to, before starting the rest of the hike, enjoy the stunning view or take pictures at the Vista Trail Observation Deck.
Walking further and taking a right onto the asphalt trail, you will immediately be greeted by the expansive view of the main trail going down into a valley below. through towering evergreen trees, only to then come back up right before the railway tracks, but not before hiding 2 very scenic surprises! Rouge Urban National park offers a huge contrast to the nearby city, more akin to feeling like you’ve driven for hours and arrived at a provincial park in rural Ontario.
The first scenic surprise is that right when you think this part of the trail is just dense forest, it will suddenly open up to reveal the Little Rouge Creek rushing through the pine forest. Here it is also possible to briefly walk down (although caution is advised in winter, with snow/ice already visible on the steep slopes) to take a break on the banks of the river. It is also possible to get a better look at this rushing creek from the nearby Orchard Trail which leads all the way out south and is worth a hike on it’s own. The backdrop of the rushing creek also makes for a fantastic photo opportunity.
Walking further along (and for those with more time, it is also possible to walk the Cedar Trail loop from either here or just before the railway), you’ll be greeted by this stunning frozen pond (Walking on the ice is not recommended), surrounded by what even in winter, is a colorful landscape of Evergreen pine trees in the background and a small branch to sit down and just enjoy the view.
Going further and crossing the railroad tracks, the trail becomes slightly steeper and this is where the Beare Hill Park begins in earnest. The park, built on a former landfill site and managed by the city of Toronto, was delayed in opening for many years because of controversy over whether it met environmental protection standards and whether it had a deep enough layer separating it from the garbage remnants. The area now looks incredibly forested and it is almost impossible to tell (without knowing the history)that this was once a garbage dump!
Quickly after the railroad tracks, the trail quietly meanders upwards through a surprisingly green (for December when this article was written) section, with golden hour adding a soft glow to the tall grass on both sides.
For those looking for more of an exercise or those who look to practice trail running, it is possible to take a quick detour here and go up a steeper trail directly towards the first lookout point, although you will initially miss out on much of the scenery going up this way.
As the trail climbs higher, it is possible to start seeing the remnants of the first snowfall and start seeing the scenery open up through the trees. While barely visible in the rest of the park, the higher altitude meant that snow fell here already before it hit most of Toronto and it’s surrounding area.
After another turn, the scenery dramatically changes and suddenly you’re surrounded by a somewhat barren but beautiful landscape of mostly dry grasses and wildflowers, as the trail continues to snake its way up the hill. The feeling of isolation in this part of the trail is a unique one, as you really feel “on top” of the landscape as though reaching a final frontier and is a feeling completely different from the rest of Toronto.
Rather than wooden park benches, the stones here match well with the more barren backdrop and provide the opportunity to take a rest and enjoy the surroundings.
Climbing further up, it is possible to either visit the lookout point or the Beare Hill summit from here, or do both and backtrack to the main trail. While on some trails, the summit doesn’t offer much of a view, the summit itself here offers a fully unobstructed view of the surrounding area and features a “top of the world” feeling and it is highly recommendable to make the hike all the way up for this reason.
A side trail connects the top of the Beare Hill summit to the Pickering area.
Arriving to the summit, offers not just a rewarding view of the surrounding area, but a real feeling of having conquered the mountain, in a way that many other trails are too low in elevation for in the GTA, the barren prairie grasses, looking more like the scenery near a beach than something you would expect to find surrounded by green forest.
Comments
Post a Comment