Ambassador Takeover: Exploring beginner trails in Oakville

By: Lauren Lim

Hiking has never been an activity that really appealed to me, but Oakville’s trails have changed my mind! I always thought hiking meant Olympic-level endurance, steep inclines and pure exhaustion. Hiking can actually be a peaceful experience that is slow-paced and full of gentle slopes and beautiful sights – I just had to start at the beginning. I decided to check out beginner trails in Oakville to reframe my thinking and I was not disappointed. Here are my top picks and tips for easy trails in Oakville, from one beginner hiker to another!

Hiking checklist

First things first, make sure you’re bringing and wearing the essential hiking items! Here’s my personal checklist:

What to bring:

• Water bottle + snacks
• Wallet, keys, phone. (Have your path ready on your phone to help with directions!)
• Sunscreen (Be sure to check the weather beforehand)
• Bug spray
• A friend!

What to wear:

• Hat/Sunglasses – for those sunny spots
• Thin layers – this will keep you from overheating in the summer heat
• Clothes with pockets or a small fanny pack/bag to hold your essentials
• Comfortable walking shoes

Munn’s Creek Trail

First stop is Munn’s Creek Trail!

It has amazing reviews and are known for being a family–friendly park and trail. What blew me away by this residential park is the number of amenities it had – open lawn spaces for recreational activities, a splash pad, multiple playgrounds, and picnic tables with shelters. As you enter the trail from the main entrance, there are paved pathways that take you to playgrounds, a splash pad and Munn’s Creek Trail.

The trail itself fans out in multiple directions with different sceneries. There are plenty of shared pathways that cross over the creek, provide shade, and are full of gentle slopes. The shady, smooth pathways are perfect for hiking/biking and are wide enough for two-way traffic! While there is no designated parking lot, this trail has many entrances that provide a lot of opportunity for side-road parking.

Munn’s Creek Trail – Breakdown

• Address: Munn’s Ave & River Oaks Blvd W.
• Total Distance: 4.7km
• Pathways: Hard packed dirt, paved, and even surfaced
• Amenities: Playgrounds, splash pad, benches, picnic tables, shelters
• No designated parking, but lots of residential roads to park on!
• As you walk Munn’s Creek Trail, take in the peaceful sounds of the creek.

Sixteen Mile Creek Trail N

Next, I checked out this smaller offshoot trail of the Sixteen Mile Creek Loop! This trail is 1.5km long that flows in one general direction, allowing you to decide just how far you’d like to explore.

As you walk along the path, you’ll encounter lots of shade, wide paths, and the creek itself. This is the perfect time to listen to some podcasts, new music or catch up with a friend!

As you head east, you’ll notice that the trail cuts through some residential areas with paved pathways, perfect for walking any family pets and biking as well! On the opposite end of the trail, there’s a bridge that crosses over a road, providing a cool vantage point of the golf courses below. As you cross the bridge and continue on the trail, there’s a small lookout point with considerable amounts of shade.

Sixteen Mile Creek Trail N Overview

• Notable Access Point: McCraney St W & Upper Middle Rd Parking Lot
• Total Distance: 1.5km
• Pathways: Hard packed dirt, paved, and even surfaced
• Amenities: Open lawn space
• Parking Lot: McCraney St W and Upper Middle Rd (smaller parking lot that accesses the trail)
• This trail is full of leafy trees that provide you just enough shade on your hike.

Boon Burger

After a couple hours of checking these trails out, it was time for some well-deserved lunch. If you are setting out on a day outdoors, it is crucial to build in some time for a hearty lunch. I decided to try out this well-known vegan café for a little pick me up! They even won Visit Oakville’s Best Kid’s Menu Talk of the Town Award, so it’s perfect for a family outing.

Here we have the Jack Brat, a plant-based take on a hotdog with a Beyond Meat bratwurst sausage on a COBS white bun. This was full of flavour and the pulled jackfruit mimicked the texture of meat perfectly.

Bronte Beach Park

For my last stop of the day, I visited Bronte Beach Park. What’s great about this area is that the many designated parking lots for surrounding parks all connect to the same walking trail. Beside the main Bronte Beach parking lot is a smaller and secluded lot near the intersection of Lakeshore Rd W & W River St.

As you walk towards Bronte Beach Park, you’ll pass the bathrooms and a set of stairs that lead up to a grassy lawn area. This eventually leads to Bronte Bluffs Park, where you can hear the soothing sounds of waves crashing against the rocks that also provides a beautiful view of the water.

On the opposite end of the walking trail, you’ll pass by the sandy beach where small groups are usually gathered to enjoy a hot summer day. It’s perfect if you’re looking for relaxing beach vibes in the middle of residential suburbs. There are open lawn areas along the beach that are perfect for picnics and small gatherings, the sound of waves accompanying your walk and shady areas with sunlight peeking through.

Bronte Beach Park Overview

• Notable Access Point: 45 West River Street Bronte
• Total Distance: 1km
• Pathways: Hard packed dirt, paved, and even surfaced
• Amenities: Open lawn space, sanded beach, bathrooms, benches
• Parking Lots
  • Main parking lot next to Bronte Beach
  • Lakeshore Rd W & W River St – smaller parking lot
• Beautiful variety of sceneries within this short walking trail! – grassy areas surrounded by tall trees, sanded beaches and paved walkways.
• Walkways are short in distance, allowing you to see the different sceneries in a short amount of time.
• The sand beach, grassy areas and bathroom facilities make it very family-friendly!

Here are the directions for my journey, beginning to end. In choosing which trails to walk through, see the convenient list of parks, trails & gardens here.

Tip: Click the satellite feature to see where trail entrances and potential parking spaces are!

It was so much fun exploring these beginner trails in Oakville! As you plan to explore the many trails Oakville has to offer, remember that there are various sceneries and levels of difficulty to enjoy!

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