Moccasin Trail is a street in Don Mills that provides access to the East Don Trail. Starting a walk there looked like a good idea when I checked the map.
I decided that it was worth a try. Going downhill is harder than going uphill on snow and ice so I figured that if I got stuck all I had to do was turn around and go back to my car. In the summer you can drive down to the parking lot.
With a little slipping, a little sliding, and a lot of care, I made it. At the bottom of the hill is Moccasin Trail Park.
below: The path goes under the DVP to join the East Don Trail (where there was not as much ice!). Except for the constant rumble of traffic in the background, it was very quiet down here today. I only saw two other people (and one dog).
below: Wild grasses grow in the ditch alongside the Don Valley Parkway along with sumach trees and other shrubs.
below: A Red-tailed Hawk circles overhead. There were two of them flying above me today. They were magnificent to watch as they circled in the sky – and as I wished that they would come closer, or perhaps even find something to catch. No luck today.
below: Ducks in the water and traffic on the Don Valley Parkway
below: Someone has tied this bright and cheerful bird house to the trunk of a tree.
below: One of the biggest reasons why I chose to walk this path today – the rainbow bridge. It’s easily visible from the northbound Don Valley Parkway. Although I don’t drive the DVP on a regular basis, every time I am reminded that I haven’t walked there yet. It was originally painted in the 1970’s by B.C. Johnson, a teenager from Norway. Every time the city painted over it, the rainbow was repainted.
below: In 2013 the arch was repainted with the help of Mural Routes. The interior was also painted in the same rainbow colours.
These are some of the scenes that are painted inside.
I didn’t explore much beyond the rainbow bridge. That adventure is for another day!
UPDATE: The rest of the trail that can be access from the Moccasin Trail is now covered in a blog post, From Charles Sauriol southward
as I walk Toronto 
Excellent! Such a lovely walk.
It made a nice change from walking on city streets. The slightly warmer temperatures help (maybe spring is coming?!)
It’s been a long time since I walked that trail. This is a reminder that I need to do that … preferably when the ice is gone 🙂
Yes! the Mural Routes-supported underpass. While still in Toronto I visited it with the street artist who mentored the group who did the painting – great to see it again. And to walk more of the trail, thanks to you: I never did, just stomped around in the underpass. Thanks.
[…] in the early spring of 2019, I wrote about accessing the East Don path from Mocassin […]
[…] Johnson is the person responsible for first painting the rainbow arch beside the Don Valley Parkway – way back in the 1970’s. I blogged about the Moccasin Trail, which leads to the […]