The best family-friendly hikes and walks around London

The Thames River winds through southwestern Ontario, flowing for approximately 260 kilometres from its headwaters near Woodstock to Lake St. Clair. It’s London’s defining waterway, flowing beautifully through the city and connecting many of its parks, trails, and natural areas. The river’s forested banks, wetlands, and floodplain habitats support a diverse range of wildlife and create an important green corridor within the urban landscape. As a designated Canadian Heritage River, it is recognized for both its ecological significance and its role in the history of southwestern Ontario.

Thames Valley Parkway is London’s primary multi-use trail system, following the Thames River and its branches through parks, woodlands, and beautiful riverside green spaces across the city. Spanning roughly 45 kilometres and connecting to more than 150 kilometres of additional pathways, it provides ample opportunities for walking, cycling, and running, with multiple access points. Despite its urban setting, most of the route offers beautiful river views, runs along mature forests, and provides access to some of London’s most notable parks and natural areas.

Pottersburg Park is a beautiful mix of open fields, wooded trails, and riverside green space nestled along the Thames River. The park’s easy walking paths are a great place to enjoy views of the river corridor, mature trees, and local wildlife within an otherwise urban setting. It’s also home to one of London’s largest off-leash dog areas, making it a popular spot for dog owners, so you’ll likely get a chance to meet a few furry friends while you’re here.

This simple bridge over Medway Creek is an elevated view over the river, as its waters flow gently over rocky and shrubby shoreline. The creek is a tributary of the Thames River, flowing 38.5 kilometres until it reaches the North Thames River near Western University.

The Medway Valley Trail is the best way to explore London's Medway Valley. The trail stretches from the Sunningdale Road entrance, just past the Fanshawe Park Road overpass, to the banks of the creek. The trail itself is partly paved and partly hard packed dirt. Some of the highlights of the route are the handful of bridges that pass over the river, thick woods and open native prairie.

Storm Pond is an urban pond with a paved trail on its northern shore. There are a few trees around the small body of water, benches for viewing the pond and the green marshy banks.

Thames Valley Trail is a long-distance hiking trail stretching over 270 kilometres from the shores of Lake Erie to St. Marys in southwestern Ontario. Maintained by volunteers, it follows river valleys, farmland, forests and conservation areas, with sections passing through London along the Thames River. This section runs along the river closely and is a great way to spend time in a beautiful natural setting.

The Thames River flows through London, forming the scenic backbone of the city’s parklands and trail system. At the Forks of the Thames, its north and south branches meet before continuing west toward Lake St. Clair. Sections of the Thames Valley Loop and the broader Thames Valley trail network follow the riverbanks, linking riverside parks, natural areas and multi-use pathways along its course.