3 Best Hiking Trails in Oshawa, ON

The McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve is a peaceful place to stop for a hike through the marsh (I suggest boots or even better rain boots) note this is a marsh area so there is mud and some bugs but worth it for the natural reserve. The wild life is active here and best caught first thing in the morning in my opinion. Great spot for photographers for natural landscapes sunrises. Ive been lucky enough to catch the morning fog/dew and it is stunning. Please note driveway/path is bumpy but there is free parking at the end. There are no garbage bins due to wildlife I assume so please be mindful of that when visiting this spot. There is a Johnny on the spot here and map of the trials.

A wonderful trail to enjoy and birdwatch. You can see, chipmunks, red squirrels, beavers and variety of birds like blue jays, cardinals, chickadees... The chickadees are very friendly and come to your hand if you bring sunflower seeds with you. They are picky and want only sunflower seeds You can get to the beach from the trail. The views of marsh are beautiful.

Great place with various trails for a quick or more extensive nature walk. The path with plaques and ropes set up in braille was very nice to see for those with visual impairments. Many birds and water animals to explore.

We joined the maple syrup festival today, and the experience was great! The weather was fantastic. The place is quite nicely maintained. The trail is about 400m, leading you to see the house where maple syrup is made of. The house is at the left side of the end of the trail. And on the right, there were several interactive sections for kids to explore: two giant woodened connect 4, one giant pot, showing how people concentrated the syrup, and so on. There is also a washroom next to the pot and alcohol was provided just outside for hygiene purposes, which is nice. The trail is not a loop, so in order to go out, just follow the original path. On your way out, there are story boards telling the story of "Grandpa's Sugar Bush". It's very nicely organized overall!

It’s a small park that’s focussed on maple syrup collection. There is a pay and display parking lot ($6) at the intersection of Simcoe and Coates. There are two short trails - one goes through the maple trees, and another goes through the meadows. Both are lovely. Dogs allowed on leash - of course, you have to exercise caution with respect to the wild parsnip and any insects. I’d like to visit again during the maple syrup festival!

Great trail for family pic, relaxation and dog walking. You can see the sap collection tubes and cabins. Beautiful.