Things To Do on Toronto Island
Enjoy Toronto Island’s many activities and attractions. Click the links below to find facility specific details by area and learn more about how to make the most of your Island trip by browsing information about amusements, nature, bookable spaces, tours, food and more.
Boating
There are several lagoons between each of the islands where paddlers can access various points throughout the park.
Toronto Island Park is home to:
- Serviced public boat moorings (48-hour limit) on Hanlan’s Point and Centre Island
- Privately owned Island Yacht Club on Mugg’s Island
- Toronto Islands Marina on Centre Island
- Privately owned Royal Canadian Yacht Club on Centre Island
- Privately owned Queen City Yacht Club on Ward’s Island
Boat House
Available in the summer.
| Type of Rental | Maximum Boat Capacity | Cost* |
|---|---|---|
| Canoe, one hour | Two adults or two adults with one child under the age of 12 | $33.13 |
| Canoe, three hours | Two adults or two adults with one child under the age of 12 | $83.43 |
| Solo Kayak, one hour | One adult | $20.89 |
| Solo Kayak, three hours | One adult | $47.86 |
| Tandem Kayak, one hour | Two adults | $41.71 |
| Tandem Kayak, three hours | Two adults | $109.21 |
Valid ID must be presented for rentals. Paddles and lifejackets are included with rentals.
Reservations are made on-site for the next available boat starting at 11 a.m. Only credit and debit cards are accepted.
*Tax not included.
Boat House Hours
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fishing
Available year-round.
Fishing is allowed on Toronto Island Park. When fishing, be sure to follow all Ontario fishing regulations and rules.
Available May through September (check website for operational days and hours).
Centreville offers over 30 rides and attractions. This amusement park is not operated by the City of Toronto.
Far Enough Farm
Available in the summer.
Centreville operates Far Enough Farm. Meet ponies, rabbits, sheep, chickens, and other barnyard creatures at this free hobby and petting farm.
Cafes and Restaurants
Visit CentreIsland.ca or The Riviera for a list of privately operated food facilities.
Picnics, Fire Pits and Social Gatherings
Picnic, fire pit and social gathering bookings are available from May to September. Groups are allowed to permit one picnic site per event, per day. Leave the area cleaner than you found it. Dispose of your litter and recycling into the closest waste and blue bin.
For picnic sites that haven’t been booked, spaces are first-come, first-serve and are available year-round.
Fire Pits
Available in the summer.
There are five fire pits on the Toronto Islands that are available for booking.
- Hanlan’s Point, located south of Billy Bishop Airport, close to building 2 on Lakeside of path.
- Olympic Island, located at picnic area 17, 21 and 22.
- Centre Island, located close to the church.
Gardens are available all year round.
Franklin Children’s Garden
A wheelchair accessible garden based on the book Franklin the Turtle, for exploring and learning about vegetable gardening, wildlife, and pollinators. There is also a hide-and-seek garden, a pine grove, a wetland environment, storytelling areas, and sculptures based on the characters from the storybooks.
Entrance Garden: Centre Island Ferry Dock
Beginning at the Centre Island ferry dock, there are several lush perennial flower beds along the paved walk that continues south through an open landscape of gentle berms, rolling lawns and clustered trees before crossing Long Pond from Island Park to Centre Island.
Horticultural Walk
Horticultural features are listed in the order in which you might come across them.
Avenue of the Islands
A formal pedestrian mall extending south from Manitou Bridge to the Island Pier on Lake Ontario with lined manicured hedges, lawns and trees, and very colourful and diverse annual and perennial flowerbeds.
William Meany Maze
To the west of the Avenue is the William Meany Maze, a hedge maze with 1,200 Black Cedars planted in a winding design. This recreates the original Toronto Island maze, a landmark built in 1967 to honour Canada’s centennial year.
Cherry Trees
West of the maze is a row of Sakura cherry trees that bloom each spring, creating a beautiful blossom-lined walkway.
Ward’s Island
At Ward’s Ferry Dock, surrounding the recently refurbished historical Waiting Shed, there is a large native shrub and perennial garden.
Tour
Take a motorized guided tour across the islands. The tour starts and ends just past the bridge and Centreville. Available from May to September.
| Type of Ticket | Cost* |
|---|---|
| Adult | $11.03 |
| Senior | $7.98 |
| Student | $7.98 |
| Child (ages two to 12) | $6.14 |
| Child (ages two and under) | Free |
Only credit and debit cards are accepted.
*Tax not included
Tour Hours
Closed for the season.
Art Installations
Available year-round.
There are two permanent public art installations on the Island:
- Edward Hanlan, a statute located at Hanlan’s Point Ferry Dock
- Fire and Water, a clock located on the tower of the fire station on Ward’s Island
Visit the Public Art Map for more information.
Gibraltar Point Lighthouse
Available year-round.
At over 200 years old, the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is the oldest stone building in Toronto and Canada’s oldest standing lighthouse. It’s located on Gibraltar Point, just north of Gibraltar Point Beach.
Sports Fields and Facilities
Available year-round.
- Pickleball courts are located near Ward’s Island
- 18-hole disc golf course on both Ward’s and Centre Island with the first tee west of the Toronto Fire Hall
All facilities for each of the islands can be found on their individual pages:
Permit holders take precedence over general court use.
The following facilities are located on Toronto Island Park.
Beaches
Supervised by a lifeguard and maintained in the summer. Swimming without a lifeguard is not recommended.
Four of Toronto’s 10 beaches are on Toronto Island.
- Centre Island Beach (Manitou Beach) is a 10-minute walk south from Centre Island Ferry Dock.
- Gibraltar Point Beach is between Hanlan’s Point Beach and Centre Island Beach, about a 20-minute walk from Centre Island Ferry Dock.
- Hanlan's Point Beach is a 15-minute walk from Hanlan’s Point Ferry Dock. A portion of this beach is clothing-optional.
- Ward's Island Beach is a five-minute walk south from Ward’s Island Ferry Dock.
Splash Pads
Available from May to September.
Two splash pads are on Centre Island:
- One splash pad is located within Centreville Amusement Park and users don’t need to pay an entrance fee to Centreville or purchase tickets to use it.
- One splash pad is located near the playground and William Meany Maze.
Splash pads are unsupervised
Walking & Hiking
Available year-round.
Toronto Island Park is connected by many multi-use trails, paths and bridges.
Boardwalk
Available year-round.
The boardwalk offers a 1.5-kilometre walk with views of Lake Ontario, Tommy Thompson Park and Ward’s Island Beach. The main entry and exit points are located on the north side of Ward’s Island Beach and just east of Centre Island Beach with others along the way.
Centre Island Pier
Available year-round.
Centre Island pier provides views of the islands, Tommy Thompson Park and Toronto’s city skyline. It’s located at Centre Island Beach.
Bicycling
The islands feature a network of paved and gravel trails. Either bring a personal bicycle by ferry or rent one on the island through Toronto Island Bicycle Rentals and Bike Share Toronto.
Electric scooters, motorcycles or e-bikes over 40 kilograms are not allowed in the park. Follow all posted signage and Park and Trail Rules and Etiquette.
Bird Watching
Available year-round.
Parts of Toronto Island are Environmentally Significant Areas, and a variety of migrating birds can be spotted in the spring and fall. Key areas to visit for bird-watching including:
- On Hanlan’s Point, near the large willows along the airport fence
- Near Gibraltar Point, at the dunes and Trout Pond
- Near Nature Reserve north of the water filtration plant (the reserve is not open to the public but can be observed from a distance)
- At Snug Harbour
- At Snake Island
- In the southeast part of Ward’s Island
Sand dunes and beaches run the length of the western shore of Toronto Island Park from Hanlan’s Point to Gibraltar Point, as well as Ward’s Island. They are an example of a freshwater coastal ecosystem that is uncommon along the Lake Ontario shoreline, and are home to several rare species that are adapted to this very dynamic and fragile environment.
Visit Biodiversity in the City for more information on the different species found in Toronto.
What’s On
Find out what’s happening on Toronto Island.