High Park

Photo Credit: bensonkua

High Park is the largest park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a recreational and natural park and spans 161 hectares (398 acres, 1.61 km²).  The park is home to the High Park Nature Centre, a non-profit organization run by High Park Initiatives (the park's charitable organization).  There are 18 designated group picnic sites that can be reserved through the City of Toronto.

Visitors to High Park can take part in several attractions, including a set of baseball diamonds, tennis courts, several playgrounds, hillside gardens, a zoo, hiking and cycling trails, and Colborne Lodge historical museum. One third of the park remains in a natural state, with a rare oak savannah ecology. High Park allows dog walking on-leash in all areas of the park except for the children's playgrounds.  An "off-leash" area is located to the east of Colborne Lodge Road.  A municipal swimming bath complex is open during the summer months, with a water slide, splash pad, and a shallow wading area.

High Park houses a large restaurant and outdoor patio area located in the centre of the park. During the summer, the Canadian Stage company puts on a selected Shakespearean play in the park's amphitheatre.  In the winter, an artificial ice rink is operated to the north of the Pool for skating and ice hockey.