Guides & Scouts Programs in Toronto's High Park
Have your Guides and Scouts engage with nature in Toronto’s High Park through guided hikes and nature activities designed to develop naturalist, leadership, and stewardship skills.
Registration for Guides & Scouts programs in High Park is OPEN!
Guides & Scouts programs for the 2026–27 season will meet at either High Park Forest School on 375 Colborne Lodge Dr. or the Cottage on 440 Parkside Dr. Please check our How To Get Here webpage to know the correct location for your group.
Our Guides & Scouts programs are designed to encourage teambuilding, stewardship, exploration and observation. Participants may use the experience to work towards earning badges in a number of ecologically-focused areas. Each program includes an interactive guided hike. Depending on the program theme, participants can also engage in nature activities and build on their outdoor skills.
Program Themes
Fire Skills and Storytelling
Connect back to the land and learn about High Park’s ecology through this action-packed program which will explore how storytelling and fire have shaped humanity.
- Learn new naturalist and survival skills by working together
- Learn about the history of fire and how it influenced human development and society
- Work in teams to make tinder bundles out of natural materials
- Practice using flint and steel to light tinder
- Share warmth and stories around the fire you’ve made together!
Creepy Crawlies & Creatures (available October)
Join us on an adventure through enchanted realms of High Park, where spiders spin their wicked webs, and mushroom spores dance with eerie elegance. We’ll explore the magic and mayhem of the not-so-spooky world beneath our feet, to meet the beasts and botanicals that rule the shrouded kingdom in the soil- from the dark corners of High Park’s forests, to the haunted hollows of your backyard!
- Learn about the critical role of decomposers in promoting stable ecosystems
- Explore the relationships between ecosystem components
- Take a survey/tally of different bugs, plants, and fungi
- Conjure up a sense of care for “creepy crawlies” and other nighttime creatures – and see why they’re not so creepy after all!
- Learn to feel comfortable exploring outdoors in the evening
Owl Prowl
In this interactive hike, enhance your senses and get to know a few of High Park’s owl friends! Enjoy a nighttime educational hike and learn what makes owls such amazing creatures!
- Experience a nighttime hike to learn about owls
- Witness an owl’s meal by dissecting an owl pellet around a fire
- Learn about the physical and behavioural adaptations of our owl friends
- Get to know the preferred habitat, food, habits, and vocalizations of owls (practice hooting like an owl!)
- Gain a greater respect and understanding for owls in the wild and how we can support them
- Leave with all the tools you need to go owl-prowling on your own
Fire Skills and Storytelling
Connect back to the land and learn about High Park’s ecology through this action-packed program which will explore how storytelling and fire have shaped humanity.
- Learn new naturalist and survival skills by working together
- Learn about the history of fire and how it influenced human development and society
- Work in teams to make tinder bundles out of natural materials
- Practice using flint and steel to light tinder
- Share warmth and stories around the fire you’ve made together!
Ignite your sense of wonder by experiencing the unique serenity of snowshoeing through High Park by moonlight!
- Go on a unique and educational snowshoe hike in High Park, guided by the moon!
- Interactively discover the history of snowshoeing
- Learn how to properly wear snowshoes and ensure safety
- Practice snowshoeing with techniques for travelling different terrains
- Play games on the trail
- Learn about changes in the park in winter
Dark Sky Defenders
Join the dark side! Toronto’s dazzling city lights illuminate our winter nights, but how do they affect our plant and animal neighbours? On this interactive hike, your troop will:
- Explore the history of humankind’s relationship with light
- Learn how light pollution affects plants and animals, and what we can do to help
- Discover the impact of urban centres on global species decline
- Build confidence safely exploring in darkness
- Enjoy an evening campfire
Dive into the wonders of High Park’s watersheds as we explore aquatic life and water’s critical role in our ecosystems!
- Learn how water moves through and shapes spring landscapes
- Reflect on the importance of healthy watersheds for humans and wildlife
- Contribute to valuable community science by helping conduct a water test!
- See who lives in our ponds and streams, and how they survive through the seasons
- Explore human impact on water systems and how we can protect our most vital resource!
Hangin’ With Bats
Bat-street’s back, ALRIGHT! Immerse yourself in nighttime nature with the world’s only flying mammal, as they feed and roost around High Park!
- Learn about bat migration, roosting, anatomy, and more!
- Bust myths about bats and other nighttime creatures
- Explore bats’ important role in our ecosystems as pollinators, insect control, and nutrient recyclers
- Discuss threats that contribute to many bats’ endangered status in Ontario
- Practice exercising our senses while exploring in the dark!
Owl Prowl
In this interactive hike, enhance your senses and get to know a few of High Park’s owl friends! Enjoy a nighttime educational hike and learn what makes owls such amazing creatures!
- Experience a nighttime hike to learn about owls
- Witness an owl’s meal by dissecting an owl pellet around a fire
- Learn about the physical and behavioural adaptations of our owl friends
- Get to know the preferred habitat, food, habits, and vocalizations of owls (practice hooting like an owl!)
- Gain a greater respect and understanding for owls in the wild and how we can support them
- Leave with all the tools you need to go owl-prowling on your own
Program Details
Up to 30 child/youth participants per visit.
In addition to the HPNC instructors, we require the following supervision ratios from group leaders/volunteers:
- 4-5-year-olds: 1 adult: 2 children/youth
- 6-7-year-olds: 1 adult: 6 children/youth
- 8+-year-olds: 1 adult: 8 children/youth
Program Length
- 1.5 hours
Weekly availability
- Mondays and Wednesdays
- October, November, February, April and May
- 6-7:30PM or 6:30-8PM
We are unable to accommodate requests for programs outside these dates and times due to staffing capacity and logistical constraints. We thank you for understanding.
High Park Nature Centre has two buildings in High Park: the Forest School at 375 Colborne Lodge Drive and the Cottage at 440 Parkside Drive. The Forest School, is slated for renovation in 2026. Depending on when the renovation begins, field trips may be held at either the Forest School or the Cottage.
Please check our How To Get Here webpage to know the correct location for your group. The information at this link will be updated regularly through the year to give you the current accurate location for your program.
We continue to recommend using the TTC or biking as the best way to get to High Park and the Nature Centre. The Nature Centre is situated just a 5-minute walk from the High Park Subway Station. In case you were biking, there are bike racks available in front of the Nature Centre.
A number of changes were made to the travel network within High Park as part of the High Park Movement Strategy that might influence your decision to drive to High Park. In case you’re driving we strongly recommend you to park your car at the public parking lot near Grenadier Cafe.
Visit our How To Get Here page to learn more about planning your trips to High Park.
$325 for up to 30 participants (+ group leaders & volunteers)
NOTE: For groups of more than 30 children, please contact us directly to confirm if this can be accommodated. Please also contact us if you plan on bringing more groups leaders and volunteers than the supervision ratios mentioned above. Additional fees may apply.
Hike routes through High Park might include some uneven terrain and mild slopes.
High Park Nature Centre’s buildings are not yet AODA-compliant facilities.
We try our best to accommodate accessibility needs on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to us about any accessibility-related questions you might have.
Dogs and other pets are not permitted in our programs. However, certified service animals, such as registered therapy or guide dogs, are welcome.
Please ensure you’ve read and understood our registration policies. This includes:
- General Cancellation Policy
- Extreme Weather-Related Cancellation Policy
- Behaviour Policy
- Early cancellation or rescheduling: If you cancel or reschedule your visit 14 or more days before your program date you will not be charged a late fee.
- Late cancellation: If you cancel your visit less than 14 days before your program date you will be charged the full program fee.
- Late rescheduling: If you reschedule your visit less than 14 days before your program date you will be charged a $50 administrative fee.
- Late cancellation and rescheduling fees are not waived for inclement weather or missed days.
NOTE: If you are unable to attend your booked visit, please provide us with as much advance notice as possible. This greatly assists us in scheduling and allows us to offer the spot to another group in a timely manner.
Registration Policies
- General Cancellation Policy
- Extreme Weather-Related Cancellation Policy
- Behaviour Policy
