The Hike Ontario Guide to Walks Around Toronto

W.J. Keith is a retired professor of English at the University of Toronto and author A Sense of Style: Studies in the Art of Fiction in English-Speaking Canada.

As someone just taking early retirement, I had been looking for a guide
that would help me to explore parts of the Toronto area on foot. This
one is proving an ideal companion.

Cundiff has chosen 40 walks within the environs of the city, ranging
from Hamilton in the west to Oshawa in the east, and extending inland
from Lake Ontario to the Oak Ridge Moraine to the north of the city.
Some are relatively modest walks in the downtown area (High Park,
Rosedale Ravine); others are less expected and more ambitious. Distances
vary between two and fifteen kilometres, most of them falling within the
middle range.

At the beginning of each walk, clear information is provided about the
length of the trail, the average time it is likely to take, the kind of
terrain to be expected, and directions on how to get there by car and
(whenever feasible) by public transport. A succinct route-map
accompanies the text for each walk, and the combination of verbal
description and illustrative drawing seems foolproof.

I have already followed a number of these walks, and can testify that
the directions are clear and accurate. The estimated time assumes fairly
steady walking, and those who are older or birders or both would be wise
to allow slightly more time. The accompanying text offers useful hints
about what to look out for at each location.

The book as a whole is attractively illustrated, and will fit easily
into a small tote-bag.