Things to do · Markham, Ontario
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Bob Hunter Park this fall: plan around the trail closure
Bob Hunter remains a useful fall-walk choice, but a closure affects Reesor Way and Tanglewood. Follow the marked alternatives instead of an old saved loop.
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Pick the open route before the walking distance
Bob Hunter gives Markham walkers a choice of loops, but an old saved trail is not always the route you can use today. Start with the current closure notice, then choose the distance and surface that suit your group.
Bob Hunter was one of the specific Markham suggestions in the October 2023 foliage thread. Parks Canada’s current visitor page adds a material limit: a section affecting Reesor Way and Tanglewood is closed. Do not plan the visit from the Reddit recommendation alone.
Source: Markham Reddit: Fall Foliage, October 9, 2023
Source: Markham: bob
Start at the official parking area
The parking area is at 7277 14th Avenue. It is free but limited. Gates lock at 9 p.m. and reopen between 7 and 8 a.m. Plan your return well before the gate deadline and before dark.
Reesor Way’s published full loop is 3.3 kilometres and rated moderate. That is a route description, not confirmation that the closed section has reopened. The access table includes slopes and natural surfaces, so it is not a flat paved promenade.
Bob Hunter Memorial Park
7277 14th Avenue, Markham, Ontario, Canada
Read the current closure sign and choose a marked alternative.
Source: Markham: bob
Source: Markham: bob
Source: Markham: reesor
Prepare for fewer autumn services
A portable washroom is seasonal. Bring water and a route map rather than counting on a full service stop. Parks Canada also warns that cycling approaches can involve busy roads without dedicated lanes. A route that looks close on a map still needs a safe approach.
Source: Markham: bob
Local does not mean there is only one kind of walk
In August 2024, a Markham hiking question produced two kinds of answer. Some people found the city’s paths too mild and preferred rougher terrain outside Markham. Others recommended Bob Hunter. A January 2025 reply praised its choice of loops while calling it fairly easy for an experienced hiker. Those comments describe different goals, not a single standard of quality.
If you want a local woodland outing with some choice of distance, Bob Hunter is worth considering. If you want steep training, do not expect every pleasant park loop to satisfy that need. The official trail details are a better guide than the word easy on its own.
The published Reesor Way loop is 3.3 kilometres, rated moderate, with a usual estimate of one to one-and-a-half hours. Its surface and grades matter as much as its length. That published route description does not override the current closure affecting Reesor Way and Tanglewood. Pick an open route using the current Parks Canada information before starting.
Source: Best trails for hiking, August 2024
Source: Hiking trails, January 2025
Source: Markham: reesor
Source: Markham: bob
The access road is part of the journey
An October 2022 cycling discussion raised a separate problem: riders found connecting trail sections along Reesor Road uncomfortable because of fast traffic and narrow space. Replies offered alternatives and hoped for future links. That old discussion is not a current approved cycling map. It does explain why a park trail recommendation alone may not solve a car-free journey.
Use the official Bob Hunter access at 7277 14th Avenue if driving. Parks Canada lists limited free parking and seasonal toilets. Gates reopen between 7 and 8 a.m. and lock at 9 p.m. Leave time to return to the car and get out, even if the walk itself seems short.
For walking with a less confident member of the group, begin with the route they can manage comfortably. A loop commits you to finishing it; an out-and-back lets you turn sooner, where an open permitted path allows that choice. Keep to the signed trails and respect closures. The August hiking thread’s complaints about mosquitoes and loose dogs concerned another trail, so they should not be turned into a current claim about Bob Hunter.
Source: Connecting Rouge trails by bicycle, October 2022
Source: Best trails for hiking, August 2024
Source: Markham: bob
Source: Markham: reesor
More place details
Source: Compare these places in Resources
Source: Markham Reddit: Fall Foliage, October 9, 2023
Questions people ask
Where is Bob Hunter Memorial Park parking?
At 7277 14th Avenue in Markham.
Source: Markham: bob
Which trails have a closure?
Parks Canada says a closure affects Reesor Way and Tanglewood. Follow the marked alternatives on site.
Source: Markham: bob
Is parking free?
Yes, but the official page says it is limited.
Source: Markham: bob
When do the lot gates lock?
At 9 p.m. daily.
Source: Markham: bob
When do the gates reopen?
Between 7 and 8 a.m. daily.
Source: Markham: bob
How long is the published Reesor Way loop?
3.3 kilometres, before allowing for current closures or route changes.
Source: Markham: reesor
Is Reesor Way rated easy?
Parks Canada rates it moderate.
Source: Markham: reesor
Are toilets at Bob Hunter Memorial Park seasonal?
Yes. Parks Canada lists seasonal toilet facilities, so do not rely on a year-round toilet stop.
Source: Markham: bob
Are all cycling approaches on protected lanes?
No. Parks Canada warns that approaches can use busy roads without dedicated cycling lanes.
Source: Markham: bob
Should I follow an old downloaded loop through a barrier?
No. The current closure and marked alternatives take priority over an old route.
Source: Markham: bob
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