Visiting Scarborough Bluffs

About Scarborough Bluffs

Pale cliffs of glacial sediment rise up to about 90 metres above Lake Ontario along some 15 km of shoreline in the east of the city. Bluffer's Park has a beach and marina at the foot of the cliffs, and the Doris McCarthy Trail descends a wooded ravine to the shore.

Tip: Admire the cliffs from below at Bluffer's Park; never climb the eroding cliff faces, which are unstable.

Plan your visit

• Time needed: 2–3 hours.
• Cost: Free — no ticket needed for the main area.
• Book ahead: not usually needed; buy on arrival.
• Where: Scarborough.

Best time to visit Scarborough Bluffs

Scarborough Bluffs is outdoors, so weather matters most. The driest, most comfortable months are:

• September: 21°C (70°F) highs, about 9 rainy days, busy crowds.
• June: 24°C (75°F) highs, about 10 rainy days, busy crowds.
• August: 26°C (79°F) highs, about 9 rainy days, very busy crowds.

For the view at golden hour: in mid-September the sun sets at about 19:28 local time (calculated for Toronto).

When to visit Toronto has the full month-by-month picture.

Fit it into your trip

Scarborough Bluffs is not on our short itineraries, so plan it as an extra once you have seen CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium of Canada.

• No. 16 of the 19 sights in our Toronto things-to-do list.
• Listed in free things to do in Toronto.
• One of the picks in outdoors in Toronto.

If you like Scarborough Bluffs

• CN Tower — Entertainment District, 1.5–2 hours
• Toronto Islands — Toronto Harbour, Half a day to a full day
• Kensington Market — Kensington Market, 2 hours
• High Park — High Park, 2–3 hours

Staying near Scarborough Bluffs

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