The best walks and hikes around Aurora

Willow Farm Trail winds through the forested hills of St. Andrews in northwest Aurora, connecting neighbourhoods, parks, and open green spaces along its 3.5-kilometre length. The path is mostly compact gravel, following rolling terrain that climbs to one of Aurora’s highest points, with pockets of evergreen forest set within the surrounding deciduous woods. It’s an easy, family-friendly route, popular with hikers and cyclists, and named for Willow Farm, a property once owned by the Cosford family until 1903, whose land eventually gave way to the neighbourhood that surrounds the trail today.

This small pond sits among the trees at the northeast end of Willow Farm Trail, with a stone bridge nearby crossing the water. Surrounded by woodland and open green space, there is a nice bench here, and it’s a quiet spot to pause and watch for birds and other wildlife around the water. In winter, it’s sometimes cleared for skating and becomes a neighbourhood gathering spot, adding a lively element beyond its everyday quiet.

Shad Creek runs through the wooded landscape of northwest Aurora, with the Willow Farm/Lakeview trail system crossing and following parts of the creek several times throughout its course. The surrounding trees and low-lying areas give this section a more natural feel than the nearby residential streets. In late April, trout lilies bloom in abundance along its banks, with marsh marigolds and trilliums following soon after.

Jefferson Forest Trails form an informal network of natural-surface paths in the Jefferson Forest area of Richmond Hill. The system includes winding singletrack routes through mixed woodland, with sandy sections, tree roots and gentle elevation changes. Popular with hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers, the trails are not formally signed, so local knowledge and/or your offline komoot GPS route are best for navigation.

The Gravel Cut Trail is a roughly 4 kilometre gravel-surfaced multi-use path running through Jefferson Forest that links many of the smaller forest trails. It’s relatively flat and easy, suitable for hikers, trail runners and cyclists as an access spine to the surrounding network. As a main trail in the area, it helps connect users to both technical singletrack routes and quieter wooded segments.

This isn't the highest hill you'll ever climb, but you will have a good view over the surrounding area from up here.

This isn't the highest hill you'll ever climb, but you do have a nice view out to the horizon from here.

Oak Ridges Corridor Conservation Reserve spans over 175 hectares across Ontario’s Oak Ridges Moraine and protects living landscapes of kettle lakes, wetlands, forests and meadows. A network of trails winds through mature pine and hardwood groves.