The main Scarborough Bluffs lookouts are well-established Instagram territory by now. Bluffer’s Park fills up on summer weekends, and the viewpoints are busy by 10am. But there is a trail off Kingston Road that most people drive past without noticing, and it takes you somewhere entirely different.
The Doris McCarthy Trail, also known as Gates Gully, begins on Ravine Drive just south of Kingston Road in Scarborough and drops nearly 90 meters through a wooded ravine to the shores of Lake Ontario. The descent is roughly 900 meters long and steep enough that cyclists are asked to dismount.
At The Shoreline
At the bottom, a large steel sculpture called “Passage“ marks where the ravine meets the lakeshore. Created by Canadian artist Marlene Hilton Moore, the structure was designed in honour of Doris McCarthy, the celebrated Canadian landscape painter who once owned a 12-acre property overlooking the bluffs. She famously called it Fool’s Paradise.
Once you hit the lakeshore, the trail splits. Go right for close-up views of the eroding bluff face and a sightline to Bluffer’s Park. Go left, and the trail runs along the water’s edge for several kilometres, where the rusted remains of the steamship Alexandria are still partially visible above the waterline. The ship went down in a storm on August 3, 1915, and its boiler has been rusting in Lake Ontario ever since.
The trail is open year-round from dawn to dusk. There is no parking lot, but street parking is available on Ravine Drive. No admission fee. No washrooms on the trail.
Take the Markham Road 102 bus from Warden Station, get off at Bellamy and Kingston, and walk south. The trailhead is clearly signed. Wear proper footwear because the gravel descent is steep and the beach at the bottom is all rocks and pebbles.
Because you cannot see the Toronto skyline from the trail’s base, you can pretend for a while that you are not in a city. That is a rarer feeling than it should be.
The Need To Know Details
- Trailhead: Ravine Drive, off Kingston Road (south of Kingston Rd at Bellamy), Scarborough
- Trail Length: Approximately 900 m descent to lakeshore. Option to continue east or west along the water.
- Difficulty: Moderate to difficult on the descent. Steep gravel trail. Not wheelchair accessible.
- Admission: Free
- Hours: Dawn to dusk year-round
- Parking: No parking lot. Street parking is available on Ravine Drive.
- Washrooms: None on trail
- TTC Access: Bus 102 (Markham Road) from Warden Station. Get off at Bellamy and Kingston and walk south.
- Footwear: Proper hiking shoes or running shoes are strongly recommended. No flip flops.
