Palace Pier Park

I have some very good and some melancholy memories associated with this park, but I like to retain the good ones, and forget the less than good.
This place, particularly the Sheldon Lookout end, is a great place to see the Downtown skyline. In the summer/​early autumn months, it’s bustling with people. I was down here during the Air Show, and it was probably one of the better places to watch it from.
It’s also a great place to just sit with a book and people watch. There are tons of people bicycling along the Martin Goodman trail, couples wandering across the bridge, perhaps to affix a padlock up there, and tons and tons of people, children and dogs. It is, so far, probably one of my favorite places in Toronto.

Palace Pier Park is an ideal spot for a picnic and viewing the Toronto skyline. It is always crowded in warmer months and a bit more peaceful in winter. Sunrise and sunset times are best.
It is great place to observe the diversity of the city of Toronto. People of all ages, races, fitness levels, and backgrounds enjoy this park.
The Humber Arch Bridge here is an iconic landmark. Views of the city are best from this bridge. Each day bikers bike, lovers stroll, and joggers run through this area. Note the locks hanging along the handrails and lower parts of the bridge, placed by newlyweds and other couples over the years.

Once a year, the wife and I head down to Palace Pier Park to watch the sunrise and have a picnic.
Being on the western edge of Humber Bay, this park offers uninterupted views of downtown Toronto and the CN tower towards the east, which gives you pefect views of the sun rising above the city.
It has a few benches and large rocks for a rest if you’re jogging down the Martin Goodman Trail.

Palace Pier Park is right next to the Humber River Arch Bridge, right on the Martin Goodman Trail.
From this park you can see the CN Tower, and avoid all the crowds of the lake front near Ontario Place.
When walking along the MGT towards downtown, you will have beautiful condos on your left, a butterfly area on your right (grassy area between the trail and the water), and the Arch Bridge landmark right ahead.
The park gets its name from an amusement pier development from the 1920’s that was built on this site. There is a monument for the pier (that only ever made it through first phase development) to check out. Sadly, the building burned down in the 1960’s.
Great spot for taking photos, grabbing an ice cream cone from one of the vendors, and checking out the inukshuk’s on the rocky shoreline.