Warren Woods, Scarborough

These easy trails wander through open fields, wetlands, 15 acres of bog, mature woods, and frontage on the Nonesuch River. You'll find three, flat loops here and the one I completed was about 1.5 miles.

You would never know this quiet hiking area lives just off of Payne Road between Eight Corners and Cabela's. I discovered it, because my son and his friend needed a ride to the Throttle Car Club on a Saturday morning and since I look for (and always find) trails wherever I go, I did a quick All Trails search before leaving the house. Lucky for me, Warren Woods popped up and it was right around the corner from Throttle (behind Cosco).

I'm always happy to find green spaces tucked within industrial areas, because they offer workers a peaceful respite from the noise, pavement, and high traffic. Whether or not these workers choose to visit said green spaces during lunch breaks or after work, well that is up to them. If I worked at Cosco, you can bet I'd be finding my way to Warren Woods any chance I could get.

Trailhead parking is located at 363 Payne Rd in Scarborough. A large kiosk and boardwalk mark the start of the Orchid Trail, a loop that connects with the Cranberry and Sarsparilla Trails. These loops come in and out of the woods, offering variety and shade.

From the Orchid Trail, connect with the Cranberry Trail and follow it to the outer end of the loop where you'll find the Nonesuch River (and a place for dogs to cool off).

On our return to the trailhead, we walked through a large section of wild, low bush blueberries. These trails were a delight and I'm grateful to the Scarbrough Land Trust for maintaining them!