Victoria Park
The original iron bridge of Victoria Park was built in the 1800’s and denotes one of the entranceways across the river to the central park within the downtown core of the city. As the oldest park within the cities, the park opened in 1896, and is encircled by the water of the river filled with swans in the summer, and, with playgrounds, pathways and cozy covered places for picnics and gatherings. The historic pavilion was built in the 1920's, which provides an idyllic venue for weddings and family celebrations in the middle of the park.
Waterloo Park
Located in the centre of the City of Waterloo, and often referred to as “the jewel of the city,” the park features 45 hectares of prime parkland, with a number of amenities enjoyed year-round by the community. Waterloo Park offers multi-use sports fields used for practices, games, tournaments and special events. The facilities include two pitches for soccer, rugby, or a game of ultimate frisbee, two lit ball diamonds for night games, two unlit ball diamonds for tournaments, and a cricket pitch.
Bechtel Park & Trail
Enjoy the 3.2 kilometer loop trail located in North Waterloo, in the park just east of Bridge Street and University Avenue. The park features a great forested area with wetlands and the trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, running and cross country skiing. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash, however, there is a leash-free dog zone. Recreation is inclusive of an indoor field house, the Manulife Soccer and Sports Complex, three outdoor soccer fields, hardball stadium with lights, dressing rooms and press box, and batting cage as well as four lighted hard-surface tennis or pickleball courts and a playground.
Hillside Park & Trail
A trail for walking and cycling, paths wind down from Lexington Road through Hillside Park ending at two places on University Avenue West, by Carter Avenue, with the other fork ending further north closer to the Conestoga Parkway. Hillside park is located on 62 acres of land in central Waterloo. The park has two lit, fully enclosed ball diamonds, a batting cage, and a picnic shelter for a break after a long walk on a sunny day.
Westmount Sports Park
Westmount Sports Park is located on 11 acres of land on the city's west side. It is home to three natural sport fields, two of which have lighting for late night games. With walking paths and a tree canopy for shade, a natural play area for birdwatchers features an interactive bird panel making the noises of 32 bird species living in the surrounding environmental reserve. A living fence buffer of native trees and shrubs was planted around the fields by the community to protect the natural surroundings.
GeoTime Trail
Located in the woods of the Columbia Forest of North Waterloo, the GeoTime Trail twists and turns through the surrounding urban areas providing a hike through the city nestled within the tall trees and bushes. Within each metre of this 4.7 kilometer trail marking one million years of geological history, checkpoints share information about different rock eras. Geological time periods are compared and contrasted with events unfolding in Waterloo Region during those same timeframes. The trafficked loop trail features varieties of beautiful wild flowers blooming at different times from the spring to the fall.
Iron Horse Trail
An urban rail route connecting the cities from the south of Kitchener through Victoria Park and the Uptown of Waterloo, this 5.5 kilometers of trail will take you north towards the beautiful St. Jacob’s Market District. This scenic and historic trail takes you along a former railway corridor, as part of the Trans Canada Trail, and the abandoned rail line has served to preserve the corridor as an important escape from the busy streets.
Laurel Trail
Winding through the Uptown Waterloo, this trail begins at the Waterloo City Centre and branches both east and west from this point. The trail runs all the way to the Laurel Creek Conservation Area offering eight kilometres overall, with pathways along Laurel Creek, and in the other direction through to Hillside Park. A trail for walking, cycling and rollerblading, you can take the trail from the Uptown and go north through to the University of Waterloo all the way to Columbia Lake and the bankside streams of the creek.
RIM Park Manulife Sportsplex & Trails
A premier 500 acre park and recreation facility is located in the northeast corner of the city. With trails along the 18 hole Grey Silo golf course, among the outdoor sports fields, the trails wind into park lands, while passing by key heritage points and art. The RIM Park Trails offer more than seven kilometres of trails that are perfect for walking, cycling and rollerblading. The Walter Bean RIM Park Paved trail is a 5 km moderately popular white paved path family friendly trail.
Spurline Trail
The northern trailhead of these trail paved pathways, initiates at the point where the CN Waterloo Spur crosses Laurel Creek. An active rail corridor, operated by the Canadian National Railway (CN), and the Goderich-Exeter Railway (GEXR), the 2.4 km trail is owned by the Region of Waterloo. The multi-use urban rail trails through the cities of Waterloo and Kitchener, running adjacent to the railway tracks connecting both to the Laurel Trail, and to Uptown Waterloo and the Downtown Kitchener GO Railway Station. It’s to the Laurel Trail and is close to Uptown Waterloo. Its southern trailhead is at Ahrens Street West near its intersection with Breithaupt Street, close to the Kitchener train station and downtown Kitchener.
The Great Trail (Trans-Canada Trail)
Within the neighbourhood of The Isabella, is the Waterloo Park Pavilion, just down a few blocks on Caroline Street to Dupont Street, and the park lies just behind the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery. If you follow the “History Walk” along the path aligning with Silver Lake, you will find the pavilion. The Great Trail of Canada stretches over 27,000 kilometres, connecting the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. The individuals listed on this pavilion played a crucial role in creating it, and by supporting Canada’s national Trail, these donors shaped a world-class legacy, which will outlast the steel of this pavilion.
Uptown Loop
The UpTown Loop is a series of three self-guided walking tours in uptown Waterloo that stops at a number of points of interest, including parks, public art and significant architecture. This tour opened in 2007 as a legacy project to mark the City of Waterloo's 150th anniversary.
Walter Bean Trail
The Walter Bean Trail runs close to the Grand River, and winds its way through the cities of Waterloo, Cambridge, Kitchener and the Township of Woolwich. The trail has a number of access points in Waterloo, including one at RIM Park, which is a premiere recreation and park facility. With hockey rinks, figure skating, gymnasiums, outdoor turf fields for soccer, football or ultimate frisbee, you can spend a day enjoying the scenery along the Grand River and enjoy some time at the parks along the trail.