Urban Walk: Beach side views along the Pickering and Rouge waterfronts

Hosting Club: Toronto
Category: Urban Walk
Location (Google Maps): We will meet at the Pickering Go station on the south side. If coming from Toronto Union Station, take the Lakeshore East Go train towards Durham College, Oshawa. The 6th stop is the Pickering Go (~45 minutes train trip).
The latest train you should take is the 13:50 - 14:32 so you are on time for the briefing 15 minutes before the departure time at 3 PM. Trains depart from Toronto Union every 30 minutes.

Hike Leader(s): KJ Chong Click here to contact Hike Leader(s)

Pace: Moderate (3-4 km/hr)
Terrain: Level 1 (Easy - mostly on flat, well maintained trails with hard-packed surface), Variable
Distance: 9 km

Description

Join me for a delightful stroll by the Pickering and Rouge waterfronts. We will pass boardwalks with bridges, pretty neighbourhoods and take in views of two different beaches along Lake Ontario. We will also have a great view of the cliffs around Rouge Beach. The walk also features a few discussion stops regarding biodiversity, wetlands and sand dunes, and invasive species. We will also catch a glimpse of the Pickering Nuclear Power Plant producing clean energy, and discuss the role that nuclear is playing in fighting climate change.

The official hike ends at Rouge Hill GO station, where you can either catch the GO train back to Toronto Union Station or you can take the GO train east one-stop towards Pickering GO station. For those interested, we can also continue with a 10 minute walk to visit a local restaurant for a sushi dinner at Azumi Sushi. Plenty of washroom stops too.

Terrain is mostly on tarmac, with one hill as we pass through Petticoat Creek Conservation Park.

Pickering GO station has free parking and so if you were coming by car to meet us, you can also park there.