sunset toronto

The top 10 places to watch an epic sunset in Toronto

You can watch the sunset from almost anywhere in Toronto, but if you're looking for an epic viewing experience, you need to choose your location wisely. The key here is to find a west-facing perch that has lots of visual interest in the foreground, whether that be the skyline or the lake.

Here are my picks for places to watch an epic sunset in Toronto.

Polson Pier

You might not want to run into Drake while snapping pics here, but this is surely the best vantage point in Toronto to see the sun go down on the city. If you head south along the boardwalk, you'll even find a few benches.

Colonel Sam Smith Park

Head to Etobicoke Point for a dramatic view of the sun setting across the lake. This park juts out into the water, so you can watch the day fade away over Mississauga with the Niagara Escarpment in the far distance.

Riverdale Park East

What is already one of the best views of the city only gets better when the sun sets behind the skyline. I remember riding my bike up Broadview a few years back and seeing the sky so intensely pink that I almost crashed. The benches at the top of the hill are the best viewing spots. 

Grenadier Pond in High Park

Head to the east side of Grenadier Pond for a tranquil sunset-viewing spot. If you want an elevated view, you can climb up the hill and look upon the park and the lake all at once.

Sunnyside Bridge

Sunnyside itself doesn't really face the right way to catch the full splendour of the sunset, but the view from the bridge that spans the Gardiner and Lake Shore is a photographer's dream, as the sun dips below the gently pulsing highway.

Leslie Street Spit

You can catch good sunset views near the beginning of the Spit overlooking the marina, but the best vantage point comes when you trek all the way to the end, when you look northwest over Toronto and the Islands. It's stunning.

Marilyn Bell Park

This park provides some dramatic sights of the the sunset's effect over the lake, but you're not looking right at it. If, on the other hand, you head to the western edge of the park, there's a small view area pointed at Etobicoke (and beyond) which provides the angle that you need.

Canoe Restaurant

You'll have to pay a pretty penny for the privilege, but there aren't many places that provide a better view of the sunset over Toronto than Canoe's 54th floor dining room. I love grabbing a drink at the bar in lieu of shelling out too much for the view, but the best seats are on the west side of the restaurant.

Cliff Lumsdon Park

Torontonians can't stop raving about how gorgeous the sunset views are at this waterfront park. Located at the base of Lake Shore in Etobicoke, this post offers an unprecedented view over the water of the sunset.

Sugar Beach

You have to be careful where you sit at Sugar Beach if you want to catch the best part of the sunset. The neighbouring Redpath factory blocks out much of the west-facing view. But if you head to the southern-most tip of the beach, you can snag a lovely view of the sun as it sets over the Toronto harbour.

Lead photo by

Isla Alshanetsky at Leslie St. Spit. Written by Derek Flack. 


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