The best family-friendly hikes and walks in North Tract

The York Regional Forest is a huge network of protected greenspace spanning over 2,600 hectares across different tracts of land in southern Ontario. It is made up of 24 unique forest tracts, and 22 of those are open and free to the public 365 days a year. There are over 150 kilometres of trails to explore by hiking, dog walking, horseback riding, and seasonal cross-country skiing. York Regional Forest is a beloved recreation site as well as ecologically important.

The Davis Drive Tract is a 60-hectare public forest between Davis Drive and McCowan Road. Part of the York Regional Forest system, this tract is a protected green corridor connecting the North Tract to the Bendor and Graves Tract. Hikers, bikers and horseback riders come here to explore a network of well-maintained loops through forests of replanted pines and mixed-hardwoods.

Davis Drive Tract parking lot is marked with a “York Regional Forest” sign, where vehicles can pull into a well-maintained gravel lot. The trailhead has a map and information to read up on, as well as a trashcan.

Drysdale Woods is a protected forest tract in the York Regional Forest system. For six decades this area was a family-owned Christmas tree farm. The property was generously donated by the Drysdale family to be preserved for future generations. The trail system that loops around the tract, the Drysdale Woods Loop, takes hikers and bikers on a 3.7-kilometre journey through conifer plantations, towering red pines, and native deciduous hardwoods. The forest floor is often covered with a blanket of soft pine needles, and sometimes white-tailed deer, porcupines, and songbirds can be seen wandering in the woods.

Here, Oak Ridges Trail meets the Drysdale Woods trail at York Durham Line. The Oak Ridges Trail stretches over 275 kilometres, and from here the trail curves either down south, overlapping the road, or to the west into the forest.

Vivian Creek flows through the western edge of Drysdale Woods. The cold clear creek flows peacefully though the local tract.

The Vivian Creek Trail is a quiet forest path in Mount Albert, running alongside a shallow creek with steady shade and a peaceful feel. The route is mostly flat and easy, with a mix of packed dirt and boardwalk-style sections where the ground gets wetter.

Vivian Creek Park offers a peaceful forest escape just on the edge of Mount Albert, with a trail system that winds through mature woodland, alongside a gentle creek-stream, and opens into wetter meadow zones. According to trail users it’s “quiet, not busy” and “nicely wooded with the stream running alongside” making it ideal for a relaxed walk.