Leave No Trace™

Good times in the great outdoors are safer and more rewarding when you Leave No Trace™ of your visit. Please familiarise yourself with these best practices and the Rouge’s Visitor guidelines to enjoy and protect Rouge National Urban Park for generations to come. 

It all starts with a plan

Planning ahead is not only essential for a safe and enjoyable adventure, but also to avoid making choices that can negatively impact the land and waters of the park. 

• Choose activities that match your skills and your groups’ expectations.
• Take responsibility for your own safety and the safety of your group.
• Stay informed with Important Bulletins.
• Check out the Pre-arrival checklist and bring the right gear with you.
• Check weather forecasts and local road conditions.
• Familiarise yourself with Rouge National Urban Park rules and regulations.

Stay on course

Nature is sensitive to human use. Off-trail disturbances can pose risks to wildlife habitats, cause soil erosion, disperse invasive species and damage sensitive or species at risk plants.  

• Stay on designated trails.
• Respect closures for wildlife preservation, infrastructure and improvement projects. 
• Stick to biking on roads and paved trails

Leave what you find, take what you bring

• Leave areas exactly as you found them. Natural and cultural elements such as flowers, plants, fiddleheads, mushrooms, antlers, rocks, shells, driftwood, bricks, and other artifacts should remain undisturbed for others to discover and enjoy.
• Dispose of garbage and food waste in designated bins – do not let it become litter. 
• Note that material labelled ‘biodegradable’ (such as doggy bags) take years to degrade. Garbage should e disposed of properly, regardless of material type.
• Pack out all garbage, including dog waste, if you are in an area without garbage bins. 
• Kindly use the Clear your Gear fishing line receptacles to recycle your fishing line as it poses a hazard to wildlife that can become entangled. 

Keep wildlife wild

• If you see wildlife, stay cool, calm and collected. Keep a distance between yourself and the animal, and move away as soon as you notice a change in behaviour.
• Do not touch or pick up wild animals. This may cause them stress, your scent may cause their parents to abandon them, and there is always a possibility that they have rabies or other diseases. 
• Do not feed wild animals. Your food can make them sick or more dependent on humans and may result in a loss of natural fear instincts which keep them safe from predation. 
• Do not deliberately release any domestic animals or foreign species into the park. This is illegal under the Rouge National Urban Park Act and poses real risks to the ecological health of native wildlife. 
• Take special care on shorelines, wetlands and other water sources as these are critical habitats for birds and other creatures.
• Familiarise yourself with Fishing rules and regulations. Visitors must have a valid Ontario fishing license to fish in the Rouge, and it is the anglers’ responsibility to know the regulations of the area in which they are fishing.

Consider others 

Showing courtesy towards others helps everyone enjoy their outdoor experience to the fullest.

• Do not create excessive noise. 
• Do not consume alcohol within the Rouge.
• Ensure you are not in possession of any prohibited items in the Rouge. Possession or use of firearms, bows and arrows, and illegal substances are not permitted within the park.    
• The use of fireworks within the park is prohibited. 
• Respect area closures. While the Rouge is open 365 days per year, area closures are required under special circumstances. 
• Respect farmers and farmland within the park. For your own safety and to preserve sensitive areas, do not disrupt or travel through any non-recreational agricultural areas. 
• Do not pick or damage crops or naturally growing vegetation. 

No-fire zone

Visitors may not know that Rouge National Urban Park experiences hot, dry weather conditions. At this time, no fires of any kind are permitted in the Rouge. This includes campfires, charcoal barbecues, candles, incense, and biomass fuel stoves. Discarding of any burning substance in the park is also prohibited. 

• Ensure that cigarette butts are extinguished and disposed of in designated receptacles.
• Do not collect or burn deadwood, bark or branches from the forest.
• Report any suspected or potential campfire activity to 877-852-3100. 
• Report any unmonitored fires to 911. 

Canine caution

If you bring your dog with you for a day of outdoor fun the Rouge, remember that you are responsible for keeping your pet under control at all times. Unleashed dogs can damage sensitive plants and disturb wildlife, such as turtle nests. Even a dog’s scent can stress out wild critters!

• Keep your pet leashed at all times.
• Take with you anything left behind by your dog, including doggy bags – even if they are biodegradable!

Illegal dumping at the Rouge

Dumping within Rouge National Urban Park is a pervasive problem that goes beyond basic littering. It involves the disposal of large-scale and/or hazardous waste. Commonly discarded items include furniture, tires, chemicals, renovation debris such as drywall, tiles, and flooring, as well as food waste, scrap metal, wood, yard waste, and more. This activity poses environmental, safety, and aesthetic challenges, impacting both wildlife and visitor experiences.

• If you witness someone actively dumping: call PC Dispatch immediately at 877-852-3100. 
• If you discover evidence of dumping after it has occurred: contact the dumping tip line at 416-282-1019.  

When reporting, try to gather the following details:

• A description of the offender.
• Vehicle information, including make, model, color, and license plate.
• Date, time, and precise location of the incident.
• Description of items dumped.
• If it is safe to do so, a photo of the dumping site.

Individuals found guilty of illegal dumping within Rouge National Urban Park may face fines up to $100,000 under the Rouge National Urban Park Act.