The GTA’s Top-Ranked Neighbourhoods for Nature Lovers

By Josh Sherman | 10 minute read

Wahi analyzed data from Local Logic, a location intelligence platform, to rank GTA neighbourhoods in Toronto, York, Peel, Durham, and Halton regions in 11 categories based on lifestyle, needs, goals and interests. Wahi’s 2023 Where to Live rankings consider neighbourhood attributes such as nearby schools, transit quality, park spaces, access to restaurants and shopping, and more..

Whether it’s Highbush, a Pickering neighbourhood located right beside the continent’s largest urban park, or midtown Toronto’s leafy Allenby community, nature lovers have many appealing choices for putting down roots in the GTA.

Wahi’s top neighbourhoods for nature lovers were ranked according to several factors: the amount of nearby park space, quietness, walkability, and how cycling-friendly they are. The communities on this list are unique but all share one thing in common: They let you live in or near North America’s fastest-growing city without having to sacrifice peace and quiet or access to the great outdoors. 

–

Where to Live: Durham

Breathtaking natural landscapes are the norm in Oshawa/Durham, formally known as the Regional Municipality of Durham. Forming the easternmost side of the GTA and bordering Toronto as well as York, Durham touches the shorelines of three lakes: Ontario, Scugog, and Simcoe. The Oak Ridges Moraine, which rolls into the ecologically sensitive lands of the Green Belt, also stretches across the region. It forms the headwaters of dozens of rivers. In addition, Durham is a place where you’ll encounter all manner of woodlands, wetlands, streams, valleys and more. The region’s top three destinations for nature lovers are centred in Pickering, a municipality especially known for its beauty. 
–

1. Highbush, Pickering

With Rouge National Urban Park right in its backyard, Highbush boasts immediate access to more than 75 square kilometers of breathtaking outdoor space to explore. Hike, camp, swim, canoe, and more in North America’s largest urban park. That’s not all. In this neighbourhood, there are local parks for all ages. Woodview Tot Lot caters to kids up to age six, with easy climbers and low stairs.

Check out:

• Rouge National Urban Park: It’s North America’s largest urban park. 
• Altona Forest: Part of the protected Rouge-Duffins Wildlife Corridor, Altona Forest has a myriad of walking and hiking trails, scenic lookouts, marshland, and boardwalks.
• Valley View Park: Located smack dab in the middle of Highbush, Valley View Park serves as a community hub.

2. Amberlea, Pickering

Roughly equidistant from Rouge National Urban Park and Frenchman’s Bay, Amberlea has many smaller parks within its own boundaries, too, including Amberlea Park towards the neighbourhood’s south end. The park boasts a playground complete with mini rock climbing wall, as well as a splash pad, soccer pitch, and baseball diamond. 

3. Rosebank, Pickering

Winding waterways and conservation lands ensconce this waterfront neighbourhood, offering peace and quiet right where the Rouge River meets Lake Ontario. Petticoat Creek Conservation Area to the neighbourhood’s south is host to about 70 types of trees and provides a natural habitat for local wildlife such as white-tail deer, foxes, and red-tailed hawks. Further inland, the nearby Glen Rouge Campground is perfect for extended outdoor retreats. 
 

Where to Live: Halton

Forming the southwestern leg of the GTA, Oakville/Halton, or the Regional Municipality of Halton, has welcomed some suburban development but largely maintains agricultural and protected lands along the Niagara Escarpment. These make up the bulk of the area. Much of Halton’s development is concentrated around the waterfronts of the city of Burlington and the town of Oakville, affording many residents sweeping vistas along Long Ontario. Burlington lays claim to all three of the top entries for nature lovers in Halton.

–

1. Millcroft, Burlington

With the Millcroft Golf Club as its grassy, manicured centrepiece, this community has large swaths of green space to discover. Millcroft Park — as well as several other smaller parks in the immediate vicinity — contribute to the neighbourhood’s laid-back, outdoorsy vibe. Secluded side streets weave around the country club, with many homes featuring backyards right off the golf course. 

Check out:

• Bronte Creek Provincial Park: More than six square kilometres of campgrounds, natural landscapes, and other outdoor amenities

• Millcroft Park: Cool off at the splash pad, play a set of tennis, or watch a local baseball game — the choice is yours at Millcroft Park.

• Millcroft Golf Club: This 18-hole par 70 golf course is consistently voted Burlington’s best.

2. Palmer, Burlington

Halfway between the waterfront and rural Burlington, Palmer takes its name from a turn-of-the-century farmer (Charles Palmer) who was instrumental in both the local agricultural industry as well as the beginnings of Halton’s urbanization efforts. Today, the midtown community is largely residential but has a considerable amount of land dedicated to parks. Lansdown Park and Palmer Park form an impressive connected green space that extends the entire width of the neighbourhood by Tuck Creek. 

3. Downtown Burlington

Close proximity to urban retail amenities doesn’t mean sacrificing access to nature in Downtown Burlington. Not far from Millcroft Shopping Centre, which houses dozens of stores, you’ll find seemingly endless green spaces to explore. The Sheldon Creek Woodlot is the perfect place to spend a quiet afternoon, or for longer nature retreats, nearby Bronte Creek Provincial Park provides campgrounds during the warmer months.

Where to Live: Peel

Mississauga/Peel is Ontario’s second-largest municipality. It’s home to the fast-growing cities of Mississauga and Brampton, but the region is far from what you’d call a concrete jungle. To the north, farmland dominates the landscape. In the south, the winding Credit River splits the region towards Port Credit and the Mississauga waterfront. Flows 90 kilometres from its headwaters on the Niagara Escarpment, the Credit River is a spawning area for Chinook salmon and rainbow trout and popular with kayakers and other outdoorsy types. This waterway is just one of the earthy attractions anyone who chooses to settle in Wahi’s top-ranked neighbourhoods can enjoy. 

–

1. Applewood, Mississauga 

Applewood scores high for parks. It’s located between Little Etobicoke Creek and the Mississauga Valley on the border of Etobicoke, Toronto, and has more than a dozen sizable green spaces to check out. A number of cycle paths also connect to the neighbourhood for leisure trips or local commutes. As Applewood was established in the 1970s, the trees that shade the sleepy side streets that characterize the community have had lots of time to grow and create an impressive green canopy so you’re never far from nature. 

Check out:

• Westacres Park: The expansive green space has a pool, ice rink, outdoor workout equipment, and tennis courts.

• Applewood Hills Park: Nestled on the banks of Little Etobicoke Creek, Applewood Hills Park won’t disappoint nature lovers.

• Applewood Hills Greenbelt Trail: This 7.2-kilometre ribbon of Greenbelt land ideal for hikes, jogs, or cycling. –
  

2. Malton, Mississauga 

Mimico Creek is one of the defining natural features of the former village of Malton. Green thumbs will appreciate the community garden in Elmcreek Park, while those looking to be more active in nature can traverse the Malton Greenway, a two-kilometre linear park with some of the neighbourhood’s oldest trees. Malton has something for nature lovers of all stripes.

–

3. Lakeview, Mississauga

Lakeview’s main attraction is right in its name. Just east of Port Credit, this one-time industrial area extends from Lake Ontario to the Queen Elizabeth Way. It’s known for providing residents convenient access to a host of waterfront amenities, including Lakefront Promenade Park, which has a beach (with volleyball courts), splash pad, playground, and boat launches, to name a few. Further inland, Cawthra Park, Lakeview Golf Course, and the Toronto Golf Club provide respites from urban living.