In the midst of Toronto's bustling metropolitan culture, it's sometimes easy to forget that Toronto is swathed with natural beauty. Its parks, in particular, give visitors to the city a chance to experience the awesomeness of Canadian nature. The Greater Toronto Area is literally studded with parks. Nearly every neighborhood has access to some sort of preserved natural area. They are parks of the finest order, too, because Toronto has several government-sponsored services that ensure parks stay clean and unblemished by pollution.

The largest and most prominent Toronto park is the gorgeous Rouge Park, a sprawling natural sanctuary spanning 12,000 acres in east Toronto, close to Markham in the York region. Allowing near-limitless outdoor exploration, it includes dozens of day use areas and camping grounds for visitors to use, such as Rouge Beach and Bruce's Mill. However, Rouge Park's attraction par excellence is the Toronto Zoo, one of the largest zoos in the world, populated by over 5,000 animals.

Elsewhere, there are many other places that tourists can escape to and enjoy the open air. Miles of scenic paved trails, beaches, conservatories--Toronto places all of these at a tourist's disposal. To name a few: Allan Gardens Conservatory, the city's first civic park, features hundreds of beautiful and exotic plants. The , situated north of the city in Lake Ontario, provide an excellent recreational getaway. The Beaches, a favorite with locals, is a tranquil and quaint strip of coastline only minutes from Toronto. Riverdale Park is notable for its expansive playing fields and the nearby Necropolis.

Tourists willing to go on extended trips should also attempt to travel to one of Ontario's five National Parks. Bruce Peninsula National Park is the most easily accessible from the city, and has over 10 kilometers of hiking trails and beautiful cliff-side scenery to boot.