At our site you can get a brief understanding of one of the world's largest natural environment parks in an urban area. Of course, you will have a much better appreciation of Rouge Park if you come to visit us in person.

A free Visitor Guide with a park map is available. Many parts of the Park are accessible by public transit.

Welcome to award winning Rouge Park!

A variety of natural landscapes is found in the Park, from the rolling hills of the glacial Oak Ridges Moraine north of Toronto, to the vast wetlands and sandy beach where the Rouge River empties into Lake Ontario. The Park thus provides a vital reservoir of biodiversity in the Petticoat Creek, Duffins Creek and Rouge River watersheds in the Toronto area of the Ontario Greenbelt. Rouge Park includes many of the best examples of forests, meadows, ponds and wetlands in the highly populated area near Canada's largest city. We undertake a wide array of restoration projects to improve the quality of the Park's habitats for future generations.

Human history is also an important part of our Park. Our watersheds are rich in archaeological evidence of extensive and diverse human occupation. We are proud to have two National Historic Sites of aboriginal origin within the Park. The legacy of early European settlers to the area continues in the families who still farm lands in Rouge Park today. The beauty of the Rouge River and its environs have played a role in the artistic life of Canada, as Frederick Horsman Varley of Canada's famed Group of Seven painters and many other artists have found inspiration here. Today we have even more diverse languages and cultures in our area as we work to connect the past with the living cultures of the present.

In addition to our Natural and Cultural Heritage Programmes, Rouge Park supports active Visitor Experience and Communications Programmes. We also assist public and private land owners in our watersheds to improve the environmental management of their properties. In 2005, we were proud to receive the "Protecting Tomorrow Today" award from the Ontario Parks Association, recognizing our leading role in environmental protection and heritage land management.

We strive to involve the community in major Park planning decisions and to celebrate their connection to this great public asset. Each year, we recognize those who help us to make this Park a success with the Rouge Park Awards. You can stay involved by subscribing to our on-line news list or reading our exciting newsletter, Connections. Of course, none of this would be possible without the support and creativity of our staff. We have strong expertise in ecology, education, communications and environmental management.