Parks, Trails & Natural Areas
Oshawa's parks and recreational trail system encompasses almost 410 hectares of parkland and provides more than 27 kilometres of paved surface for you to explore. The parks and recreational trails are a great place to enjoy Oshawa's outdoors with friends and family.
Coronavirus (In accordance with the Province of Ontario's recent announcements on the gradual and phased approach the following park amenities will be reopening:
The City has reopened a number of its outdoor amenities for public use.
Community members using outdoor amenities are reminded to adhere to safety protocols, government orders and health authority guidelines, including:
- maintaining physical distancing of at least 2 metres (6 feet) or more between persons;
- not using the amenities in groups of more than ten; and,
- respecting posted signage on guidelines for use.
Additionally, team sports or groups of more than ten that are not part of the same household are still not permitted due to provincial emergency orders.
For more information check out What's Open.
| Why are some park amenities closed? |
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| What can I do while practicing social distancing? |
Physical exercise is important. Follow these simple steps if you need to get some fresh air and exercise:
Pay attention and use good judgment - when you go out and you are not able to maintain that safe social distance turn back, and find another time when an area may be less busy. |
| Can I walk my dog while social distancing? |
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Off-Leash dog parks are open for use but visitors must continue to maintain physical distancing and avoid overcrowding or gathering. Remember to Stoop and scoop and take your litter home – helping to keep our parks and public spaces clean will allow us to focus on priority services. |
| What cautions should I take if I am out for a walk? |
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Remember these are shared spaces:
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For information about park and trail closures and development projects please visit our News Centre.
Access Service Oshawa Online to submit many common requests related to City parks and recreational trails.
Parks
With over 130 parks for you to discover, you will easily find the quiet setting or the active recreation facility you are looking for. Start your adventure today!
| Accessible Parks |
| The City is committed to the development of an inclusive, healthy and safe community by providing accessible facilities. New parks are designed and constructed to meet current accessibility standards including provincial standards and those outlined in the Oshawa Accessibility Design Standards. Existing parks are updated through a Park revitalization program. Parks that are considered accessible provide barrier free access to park facilities which may include accessible play equipment, seating, and pathways. |
Trails
Oshawa's recreational trails offer opportunities for physical activities like walking, running, and cycling, as well as a safe and environmentally friendly way of getting to and from work, school, shopping and nearby parks. View our Oshawa Recreational Trails Brochure for more information and a map of each trail.
Search for a recreational trail here.
| List of Recreational Trails |
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| Recreational Trail Users Code |
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Please respect the following code:
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| Recreational Trail Accessibility |
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The City of Oshawa constructs all new recreational trails to meet accessibility standards. Older established portions of the recreational trails may have steep slopes, sharp turns and unprotected edges that travel close to the lake or creek. Some portions are prone to seasonal flooding and freezing. On-road portions of the network require the user to move along and across areas with traffic. |
| Recreational Trail Attendant |
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On weekdays year-round, a City employed Recreational Trail Attendant is available to answer questions, and help ensure a pleasant and informative experience while using the recreational trails. Keeping the recreational trails free of litter is the responsibility of all users. |
| Active Transportation Master Plan |
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The Active Transportation Master Plan developed in 2015 sets out the means for improving and expanding Oshawa's active transportation network. |
Natural Areas
In addition to our many parks and green spaces, the City is home to a number of valuable natural areas. While visiting the parks respect wildlife and vegetation. Stay on designated recreational trails. Remember this is a natural environment, which means we need to balance a variety of recreational experiences while protecting wildlife habitat, rare plants and tree species. Naturalized areas are not maintained by the City. The best way to avoid contact with invasive species, wild parsnip, poison ivy is to become familiar with what the plants look like and ensure that you, your children and pets avoid the plants.