The Rouge Valley was a wonderful discovery! It took us 2 tries to find our starting point but we then had a fabulous experience.
The Rouge Valley Park is huge, with many trails and many access points. Check here for an overview: http://www.rougepark.com/explore/park_map.php
We started at the Twyn Rivers parking lot. From the 401 take Meadowvale Rd. north, turn right on Sheppard Ave and then left on Twyn Rivers Drive (this comes up quickly, as Sheppard veers right) and go down the hill to the parking area.
The Rouge Valley Park is huge, with many trails and many access points. Check here for an overview: http://www.rougepark.com/explore/park_map.php
We started at the Twyn Rivers parking lot. From the 401 take Meadowvale Rd. north, turn right on Sheppard Ave and then left on Twyn Rivers Drive (this comes up quickly, as Sheppard veers right) and go down the hill to the parking area.
We went in the spring, before the summer crowds. We had a beautiful warm day, and undergrowth was just starting so we could go where we wanted and see everything. From the parking area we headed north, mostly following the river, or trails that paralleled the river, and sometimes improvising a bit. (Approximately the Orchard and Cedar trails.)
We were in fields, in cedar forests, in brush, along bluffs, on rocky riverbeds... it was a wonderful, varied, interesting adventure.
There is a reason this area is becoming Canada'a first National Urban Park... it's huge and lovely! Read here for more information about this new designation: http://www.rougepark.com/about/parks_can.php