Sherwood Park Off-Leash Toronto: Dog Owner Guide

Where Sherwood Park is, and what makes it different

Sherwood Park sits in midtown Toronto at 190 Sherwood Avenue, tucked into the Burke Brook ravine between Lawrence Park and Mount Pleasant, just west of the much larger Sunnybrook Park. It is not a manicured square of grass. It is a forested ravine with a creek running through it, and that is exactly why dog owners love it.

Most Toronto off-leash areas are small fenced enclosures in a corner of a flat park. Sherwood is the opposite: the off-leash zone is the ravine trail itself, a natural forest route that runs roughly 2 km along Burke Brook. For a confident dog, it is one of the most enjoyable off-leash walks in the city, more like a hike than a trip to the dog park. The City of Toronto signs the off-leash boundary, and off-leash is permitted only inside it. On the residential streets and connecting paths outside the zone, dogs must be leashed.

The off-leash trail: natural, hilly, and mostly unfenced

The trail winds through trees and along the brook, with dirt paths, wooden boardwalks over the wet sections, and staircases on the steeper grades. It is a workout for both ends of the leash. For dogs, it offers something a fenced pen never can: real terrain, scent, and room to move.

Here is the catch, and it is the heart of this guide: the off-leash area is mostly unfenced. Some sections have partial fencing, but the boundary is largely the signs and the ravine itself, not a continuous barrier. A dog that takes off after a squirrel can vanish up the slope or slip through a gap. So Sherwood is a recall test, not a free-for-all. If your dog comes back every single time, even with distractions, this is a gift of a park. If not, clip on a long line and work the recall before you trust the open ravine.

Hours and lighting

The off-leash area follows the City of Toronto standard for designated zones, generally 6 a.m. to midnight, open year-round. Do not assume dawn to dusk; the City uses that 6 a.m. to midnight park-hours window. That said, the ravine trail has no lighting, so in practice it is a daylight space. Picking your way down wooden stairs in the dark on uneven footing is a sprained-ankle waiting to happen, for you and for the dog. Read the signs at the off-leash boundary for current rules and any seasonal closures.

Getting there and parking

Sherwood rewards owners who can drive or walk to it. The options:

• By car (best for most): there is a small free lot off Sherwood Avenue, between Sherwood Avenue and Sheldrake Boulevard, holding roughly 20 cars. It fills fast on weekend mornings and warm evenings, so come early.
• Street parking: the surrounding residential streets are permit-restricted in places. Read the signs; tickets are common in this area.
• By transit (longer): the nearest subway is Eglinton on Line 1, with the Eglinton Crosstown LRT also in the area, plus Mount Pleasant and Bayview bus routes. Expect a walk at each end into the ravine.

Coyotes and ravine wildlife

Sherwood is part of the wider ravine network that feeds into the Don Valley, which is prime coyote habitat in Toronto. The City posts seasonal coyote awareness signs in ravine parks, and coyotes are most active and defensive in late winter and spring during denning season. Keep your guard up here more than in a flat fenced park:

• Keep your dog close, and leash up the moment you see a coyote.
• Make yourself big and loud (clap, shout, wave your arms) and back away calmly. Do not run, and do not turn your back.
• Never feed coyotes, and pack out any food scraps that would draw them in.
• Small dogs are at higher risk; keep them close, especially at dawn and dusk.

Burke Brook itself is a creek, not a swimming spot. It is shallow and not a place to let a dog wade and drink. If your dog loves water, the off-leash dog beach at Cherry Beach on the waterfront is the better choice.

What to bring

• Poop bags, always. The City fines for failing to scoop, and the ravine is a natural area worth keeping clean.
• Water and a collapsible bowl in summer. There is no reliable dog water fountain on the trail.
• A leash you keep on you even in the off-leash zone, plus a long line if recall is still a work in progress.
• Sturdy footwear for the stairs and mud, and a towel for paws afterward.
• A current city dog licence tag with your phone number. The trail is unfenced ravine, so a lost dog needs to be reunited fast.
• A tick check after spring and summer walks. The brush and tall grass are tick habitat.

Etiquette every Sherwood regular follows

• Recall before freedom. If your dog does not come when called, work it on a long line first. The unfenced ravine is unforgiving of a bolter.
• Watch your dog, not your phone. The terrain and the open boundary mean a distracted owner is a real risk here.
• Yield on the stairs and boardwalks. They are narrow; let people and dogs pass cleanly.
• Leash up outside the zone, including the connecting paths toward Sunnybrook.
• Scoop every time, on and off the trail. Officers do check the ravine parks.

Winter and summer at Sherwood

Toronto winters turn the ravine trail into a footing challenge. Snow and ice build on the wooden stairs and boardwalks, and a thaw makes the dirt sections slushy. Wear boots with grip, keep walks shorter in a deep cold snap, and rinse road salt off your dog's paws at home, since it irritates the pads. The upside of winter is solitude: the regulars who show up tend to have well-socialised dogs, so the trail is calmer than a packed summer weekend.

Summer brings shade, which is a real plus in a Toronto July, but also mud after rain and ticks in the brush. Early mornings and the early evening are the most comfortable windows. Carry water, since the trail has no reliable fountain, and check your dog over for ticks when you get home.

City of Toronto bylaw recap

The rules that apply everywhere except inside the posted Sherwood off-leash boundary:

• Dogs must be leashed at all times outside the marked off-leash area.
• Off-leash is allowed only inside the posted boundary; read the signs to know where it starts and ends.
• You must carry a leash even inside the off-leash zone, and your dog must come when called.
• Pick up after your dog every time. Officers issue fines for failing to scoop.
• Off-leash fines in non-designated areas can run into the hundreds of dollars under the City's animal bylaw.
• Toronto requires dogs to be licensed; keep a current tag on the collar.

For the official park details and current notices, see the City of Toronto's Sherwood Park facility page and the City's dog off-leash areas page, which lists every designated zone in the city.

If Sherwood is not the right fit

Sherwood asks a lot: reliable recall, sure footing, and a way to get there. If that is not your dog yet, you have better options:

• A fully fenced dog park is safer for dogs with unreliable recall, especially in the first weeks after adoption.
• Cherry Beach off-leash on the waterfront gives water access for swimmers.

Our full Toronto off-leash parks guide covers the designated off-leash areas across the city, with notes on which are fenced, which allow swimming, and which fit different dogs best.