Crothers Woods, Natural park in Toronto, Canada.
Crothers Woods covers 52 hectares across the Don River valley and includes open meadows, wetland areas, and forest sections with red oak, sugar maple, and American beech. The property is crisscrossed by approximately 9 kilometers of natural dirt trails ranging from beginner-friendly to intermediate difficulty.
The Mississauga sold the land in the Toronto Purchase of 1787, and after York's founding in 1793 it was granted to settlers. In the 1800s water-powered mills rose along the Don River; the Taylor family, owners of the Don Valley Brick Works, eventually bought at least two of them. A paper mill begun in 1846 as Taylor's Upper Mill later became Domtar, and the North Toronto Sewage Treatment Plant opened in 1929.
The woods are named after George W. Crothers, whose Crothers Caterpillar dealership sold and serviced heavy machinery for construction and mining on this land until 1979, when it moved to Vaughan as Toromont CAT. Today the trail network begun by motorcyclists in the 1960s is shared by mountain bikers, trail runners, dog-walkers, bird-watchers and hikers.
Wear sturdy footwear since the trails are natural dirt paths that can become slippery when wet. Visit between May and October when trails are in the best condition and wildflowers and wildlife are most visible.
The forest is home to butternut trees, a locally endangered species that visitors can spot along certain trails with careful observation. These trees represent a direct link to the woodland ecosystem that existed before European settlement.
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