“It’s cooler by the lake,” say the meteorologists when reading out temperatures during Toronto heat waves, but it’s also cooler in the ravines. In the noontime sun, it’s hot everywhere, but come evening, the ravines and their creeks, buried or not, are like the city’s air conditioning.

Cycling on hot and humid nights, I’ve noticed abrupt temperature changes as surface streets dip into or pass by ravines, like on Danforth Rd. in Scarborough when it passes over a tributary of Highland Creek north of Eglinton Ave., or downtown on Harbord St. as it crosses buried Garrison Creek and its partially filled-in ravine at Bickford Park.

It’s like finding a cold spot in a warm lake.

The ravines in and around Toronto have come a long way since the 1960s when they were often polluted, used as dumping grounds and utility corridors, and thought of as a place where sinister things happen. The ongoing horror that is the Bruce McArthur investigation, extending as it did into the ravine behind the Mallory Cres. property last week, was reminiscent of those dark times, when the ravines had the reputation as dangerous places. The opposite is true today as Torontonians and visitors continue to rediscover the ravine system.

Here are four favourite ravine walks that you can take to escape the heat. You need not prepare too much; no special gear is needed other than running or walking shoes and a bottle of Toronto tap water.

Rouge National Urban Park

On the east side of the city, the Rouge National Urban Park contains some of the most dramatic topography in the city. Begin at the Rouge Valley Conservation Centre, accessible by bus and located directly across Meadowvale Rd. from the Toronto Zoo. Follow the Vista Trail south, along the edge of the valley with its sheer walls and panoramic view, over to the Pickering side of the river. Follow it to Twyn Rivers Dr. and either cross the river and loop back north via the Orchard Trail along the floor of the valley or continue south on the Mast Trail to the Glen Rouge Campground on Kingston Rd.

Black Creek

At York University, find the trail that runs through the park-like Finch Hydro Corridor along the southern edge of campus and walk west into the gentle Black Creek Valley. As all the trails here are paved, you can walk or cycle them. A short distance north, the creek-side trail ends at Black Creek Pioneer Village, but head south and the ravine trail snakes through a series of neighbourhoods to the expansive Downsview Dells Park. Many stretches of Black Creek are encased in concrete – another kind of urbanized ravine adventure – but along this route the creek is mostly in a natural state, bubbling along beside the trail.

Etobicoke Creek

On the west side of the city, begin at the mouth Etobicoke Creek in Marie Curtis Park. From the sandy Lake Ontario beach, follow the paved trail north, under both Lake Shore Blvd. and the rail corridor. The trail here was damaged by floodwaters a few years ago but has been fixed with some impressive earthworks. Though it’s south of the QEW, the occasional deer can be spotted here too. At the QEW itself, follow the informal path underneath the highway, where you can see the various expansions of the bridge as the route added lanes, like tree growth rings made of concrete. Continue north through the flat ravine floor and find the pedestrianized Middle Road Bridge connecting Etobicoke and Mississauga. Dating to 1909, it was the second concrete-truss bridge built in North America.

Vale of Avoca

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In midtown, the Vale of Avoca is a deep ravine just a few minutes from the busy Yonge St. and St. Clair Ave. intersection, but it feels much farther away. Begin at the eastern end of Shaftesbury Ave. and follow the short path along the rail corridor to the stairway that leads into the ravine. If you’re lucky, a train will pass over the massive trestle that spans the ravine while you’re there as it’s an impressive sight and sound. At the bottom of the staircase follow the ravine trails north beside Yellow Creek. Along the way, note some of the damage to the engineered creek channel, indications of how powerful the water is during rainstorms.

As the paved path rises towards Avoca Ave., look for the narrow dirt path that continues north to the St. Clair Ave. bridge, a cathedral-like space with a soaring iron arches. A little further north the creek disappears underground into a concrete tunnel. Here you can continue into the manicured grounds of Mt. Pleasant Cemetery or take the stairs up to Heath St. and listen as the bustle of the city quickly returns.