High Park

High Park, at 1873 Bloor Street West in the Parkdale and Roncesvalles area of Toronto, Ontario, is the city's largest public park at about 161 hectares. It protects one of the few remaining areas of oak savannah in the region, along with ravines, woodland trails, playgrounds, sports facilities and Grenadier Pond, a large freshwater pond on the western edge. The park is best known for its spring cherry blossoms, usually peaking between late April and early May, when thousands of visitors come to see the sakura trees near the Grenadier Café and along the pond. A small free zoo holds animals such as bison, llamas, peacocks and highland cattle, and Colborne Lodge, an 1830s house museum built by architect John Howard, sits in the south-east of the park with views over Lake Ontario. Visitors can walk or cycle the interior roads, picnic on the hilltops, swim at the seasonal outdoor pool and join guided nature walks that explain the savannah ecology. A typical visit lasts two to three hours, though keen walkers can fill a full day. The park is quiet on weekday mornings and busiest on spring weekends during bloom, as well as sunny summer weekends, when access roads limit cars. Photographers favour the Grenadier Pond shoreline at sunrise and the blossom trees in the early morning before crowds arrive. High Park subway station on TTC Line 2 sits directly across the road from the northern entrance, which makes arrival simple. Admission is free and the park is open from early morning until midnight, though the zoo and lodge keep shorter hours. Visitors are asked to stay on marked trails to protect the savannah plants.