14 parks & trails to visit in Mississauga, Ontario

Since I moved to Canada a year and a half ago, I would say that my lifestyle has changed. Back in Chile, I used to be a sedentary person and here, I have taken a taste of morning walks and walks in the parks every day.

I am sure this is due to the enormous number of options I have here. Near our home in Mississauga, there are several parks where we can go to refuel each day.

I have compiled a selection of 14 parks and trails you should try that, in our experience, are spaces to connect with yourself and nature. Admission to these parks is free, family and pet-friendly.

I will organize them from closest to furthest from Mississauga (Square One area). In addition, if you are considering Mississauga as your destination, check out this post about 14 top reasons to live in Mississauga.

This will be one more post of photos of the options you can find in this beautiful city. I will also add the link to the location on the map so you can quickly locate it.

I have prepared this list with some of the parks we have visited in Mississauga to motivate you to go there and enjoy, so here we go!

1. Kariya Park

It is a small Japanese park close to the Square One shopping mall.

It is like an oasis in the middle of the city. During the summer, everything is green and colourful. There are ducks and several places to sit.

It is super family-friendly, so if you are visiting Square One mall, take a couple of minutes and enjoy this space.

Here you can find the exact location.

2. Zonta Meadows

I think this is the park I have visited the most, essentially because it’s the closest to my house.

This is where I do my lunch walk when I have a couple of minutes to do so.

It only takes 15-20 minutes to walk, but I love it.

There are always families and people with dogs walking.

Here you can find the exact location

3. Ashgate Park

This park is about 2 km walkable and easily accessible as the Rathburn Street trail is really convenient to walk.

A walk from our house to this place takes about 45 min. Here you can find the exact location

4. Deer Wood Park

This requires a little more effort than Ashgate Park; if you continue your hike, you will soon reach this place.

During the summer, it is full of vegetation and trees. Here you can find the exact location

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5. Dr. Martin L. Dobkin Community Park

This is one of my favourites. I never remember the name and identify it as “El Caminito del parque”.

The trail is well defined and can be hiked in all seasons of the year.

It is well protected from the wind, so especially in winter, you won’t have any problems.

Here you can find the exact location

6. Cooksville Creek Trail

This is another favourite walk, again I never remember the name and I call it “El caminito del río”.

I go here especially when I am not feeling well and need to breathe. I have to say that this park is essential for my mental health.

I have visited this park during all seasons of the year because I love the trees and the sound of the river.

It is located near the Absolute towers (Mississauga iconic buildings) and is beautiful in all seasons. Here you can find the exact location.

7. Sgt. David Yakichuk Park

This is a lovely park, from the city center it should be about 2 km, so it is a great walk especially in the morning when the sun is rising.

Here you can find the exact location

8. Heritage Hills Park

We got to know this park because Aldo started going there to play soccer.

Every week during the warm seasons, a group of strangers, who enjoy playing soccer, use the Meetup app and come to play.

It’s a big park, and there are spaces to sit as well.

There are about three soccer fields if you like to play, you can go with a soccer ball, and I’m pretty sure someone will join you.

Here you can find the exact location

9. Applewood Park

We have been visiting this park on weekends due to the fact that it requires almost 2 hours of walking from the city centre of Mississauga.

You won’t believe it, but in this park, back in November 2021, the idea of having a blog was born.

If you live in Toronto, this park is almost on the border between Mississauga and Etobicoke, so it may be more accessible for you.

Here you can find the exact location.

10. Etobicoke Creek Trail

This is a long trail; if I say long is because we were not able to finish it. We walked 6 km and decided to turn back because we had to walk 6 km to return to our home.

It is a great place to hike, but you have to be careful in summer because there are parts where there is no direct protection from the sun, so hydrate yourself and take something to protect yourself from the sun.

We will try again next summer. When we walked those 6 km we were able to get close to the airport and see the planes taking off very close.

Here you can find the exact location

11. The Riverwood Conservancy

This is a beautiful place; you also have access to a garden during the summer.

It is internally connected to Erindale Park as well, so if you want to take a long walk, you can do it in these two parks.

There is also a river, and the sound is great. Here you can find the exact location

12. Erindale Park

This was the first park we decided to hike in the spring of 2021.

We went there walking approximately 7.5 km. When we got there, we realized there was another shorter way to go.

There are places to sit and share with the family. Here you can find the exact location.

13. Sawmill Creek Park

We have been here three times. The first time it was wet because it had been raining the day before.

Everything was flooded, the water had gone over the trails, and apparently, the river had washed some things away.

The second time was during the winter; it was beautiful with snow. The third time was during summer transitioning to fall.

I recommend visiting these places every season of the year because it’s kind of magical how the changes are. For me, it’s like a whole new place.

Here you can find the exact location.

14. Lake Wabukayne Park

This is the only one on this list where we took a bus first. It is a beautiful place with a lake in the center.

I highly recommend it. You can walk around the lake and then walk near other parks.

Also, you can sit in a giant blue chair in the park.

Here you can find the exact location.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of these parks, and I hope it motivates you to get out and enjoy a walk.

We have learned to value our walks and believe that now that we have a car we use it to go to the other parks that are not so close to Mississauga.

So far, we have discovered benefits to our mental health and our energy levels; most of our plans have been created during these walks, and even these walks made the winter not so harsh, and we had some winter sunshine every day.

I highly recommend you embark on a routine of daily walks, especially during winter, here you can find what we wear during winter to stay warm.