Ditch the city and feast your eyes on stunning blue lakes, beautiful landscapes and outdoor trails. This peaceful conservation area outside of Toronto is known for its abundant wildlife and scenic boardwalk that overlooks a lakefront marsh. Rattray Marsh Conservation Area is next on our list and here’s what to know.

You’ll have to take a trip down to the Lake Ontario shoreline in Mississauga, just a short drive away from Toronto.

According to the Credit Valley Conservation site, it is the “last remaining lakefront marsh of its kind between Toronto and Burlington.”

It features a number of amenities including a shale beach and pedestrian boardwalk that overlooks a natural wetland.

To find the boardwalk, you’ll need to embark along the Pedestrian Waterfront Trail. In totality, this trail spans 1.1 km and takes about 20 minutes to complete.

You’ll come across the boardwalk about halfway through the Pedestrian Waterfront Trail.

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The boardwalk loop aka Knoll Trail is only 0.3 km long but it’s worth the mini adventure.

Here you’ll take a self-guided walk, passing by sensitive plant species and spotting marsh birds and wildlife, with several rest areas.

Rattray Marsh Conservation Area has five trails in total including White Pine Trail, Sheridan Creek Trail, and Silver Maple Lane. Bring a friend or your pup, as long as they’re leashed (the dog), on this serene experience.

It’s important to note that trail access from Silver Birch (Station 15 on the map) is closed to the public but entrances at either end of the Pedestrian Waterfront Trail are still open.

The conservation area is open seven days a week, right after sunrise, and closes before sunset.

It’s free to enter, all you MAY need to pay for is parking at Jack Darling Memorial Park, 1180 Lakeshore Rd West, or Green Glade Senior Public School, 1550 Green Glade.

Get ready to embark on a new adventure! You deserve it!

Rattray Marsh Conservation Area

When: Every day from sunrise to sunset
Where: 660 Bexhill Rd – Mississauga, ON
Cost: Free – parking payment may be required

Karen Doradea

Karen Doradea

Managing Editor, Toronto – Karen is a multimedia journalist based in Toronto. With a strong knowledge of reporting and editing through all forms of media, she has a true passion for storytelling. She carries several years of journalistic experience and has covered the Toronto scene from local stories to national news. When Karen isn’t publishing fire content, you can find her binge-watching sitcoms on Crave, at a must-try restaurant, or scrolling endlessly on TikTok looking for the next best thing – News never sleeps.

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