Rather than repeatedly writing about dogs, bikes, wheelchairs and washrooms, I’ve summarized some of the commonly asked questions about the Rattray in this post.
Bicycles, Electric Bicycles and Motorized Bicycles
Bikes (pedal, electric or motorized) are not allowed in the park. The exception is the police patrols who sometimes ride and walk their bikes through the park.
Dogs
Dogs are allowed on leash in the park and you will probably meet a lot of them as the paths are very popular with dog owners.
Fishing
Fishing is not permitted in the park.
Hours
The park is closed between sundown and sunrise. This is a nuisance for visitors who had hoped to listen for owls and other nocturnal creatures or star watch. It is a common rule in Mississauga parks. The trails are not lit.
Lagoon and Shingle Bar
Although occasionally I have seen people walking around the lagoon after entering from the shingle bar, this is not a good idea.
According to the Land Planner for Credit Valley Conservation, “The shingle bar is an area that is sanctioned for public use, but walking off trail, along the edge of the lagoon is not permitted. As I imagine that you can appreciate, Rattray Marsh is an important habitat with many sensitive and significant species that cannot be compromised due to off trail foot traffic.”
Map
A map is available at
http://www.creditvalleyca.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/rattraytrailmap.pdf
Washrooms
There is no washroom inside the park. In the summer, there is a public washroom in Jack Darling park which is east of the Rattray Park. However, that washroom is not open in the late fall, winter or early spring.
Wheelchairs, Stairs and Accessibility
Credit Valley Conservation re-worked the trails to remove the stairs on the Knoll Trail. In theory, this means that the trails are wheelchair accessible, although there may be some problems with the gravel sections between boardwalks if following the main trail along the south side of the park. I would suggest ensuring a non-wheelchair person check the trail in advance, unfortunately. Nearby Jack Darling Park, while not particularly wild, does have more accessible paths although the paved trails may have very steep sections and heavy traffic by bicycles so use caution.
Warbler Watching at Rattray Marsh Park
Warblers of course can be any where in the park. That said, the short path from Old Poplar Road to the main trail is often a good place to look for migrating spring warblers.
Common Yellowthroat warblers are often seen near the downstream bridge.
Yellow Warblers are often nesting along the marsh near the shingle bar.
The Knoll Trail is good in late summer and early fall for migrating warblers.
Shorebirds and Sandpipers at the Rattray Marsh
Sheridan Creek flows through the Rattray Marsh park ending in a wetland before Lake Ontario. The wetland includes two large calm bodies of water, which I call the creek marsh and the Lagoon. The Lagoon is the one that empties into the Lake. The water level in the Lagoon varies significantly depending on whether the outlet to the Lake through the shingle bar is open or plugged. The Lake itself pushes around the shingle and mud and opens or closes this outlet all year long. When it is open and draining well, then a big mud flat can be exposed in the Lagoon, and the muddy edges around the Lagoon emerge.
When the mudflat is exposed, and the outlet it open, shorebirds and sandpipers do stop at the Rattray to feed and rest. At other times, only the resident Spotted Sandpipers, Solitary Sandpipers and Killdeer are common.
If you watch eBird during shorebird migration, you will often see a report of whether the mudflats are exposed or not in the list comments.
Great information. Thank you. Can I ask you about the industrial areas to the west? Do they pollute the air or water for the marsh and parks?
I’m not aware of any complaints against the Lubes plant or the cement factory about polluting the marsh. Certainly there has been quite a bit of pollution caused by visitors to the park leaving trash, shopping carts, and household garbage. The volunteer cleanup each year yields hundreds of pounds of garbage.
Another problem is the invasive alien plants both escaping from home gardens along the edges of the park, and coming in by air and water as seeds.
High number of people on bikes in the marsh lately respond with hostility when informed it is not allowed in the conservation area. Many don’t even dismount when passing on narrow boardwalks. One kicked my dog on the way by.
I’m so sorry to hear about your dog. I wish the Police had been there at the time! (They are the ONLY ones allowed to ride in the Rattray, and the officers I have seen dismount on the boardwalks and walk through.)