Toronto Outdoor Activities

Ducking around abandoned cars and hollowed-out buildings, paintballers sneak through the postarmageddon-like streetscapes at Sgt. Splatter's, on the hunt to take down opposing team members. Brought to life in 1994 by a Hollywood set designer, Sgt. Splatter's 35,000-square-foot arena gives players the sense that they're immersed in a first-person-shooter video game. Teams go toe-to-toe in one of 20 games—armed with gear from paintball pistols to semiautomatic markers—stepping into the shoes of DEA agents trying to dismantle a drug-dealing operative or mailmen working to prevent a nuclear crisis.

The best climbing gyms have a strong sense of community, and Toronto Climbing Academy's diverse group of beginner and expert climbers engender an encouraging atmosphere throughout the gym. With 11 distinct climbing areas, climbing walls that simulate real-world climbs, and scaling route difficulty, the vast academy accommodates climbing styles of all types. Inverted caves are a siren's call to skilled boulderers, while large holds and 120 extended routes challenge beginners and experts alike. Training tools such as a campus wall—a wall that works only the arms—supplement workouts between climbs. The gym's classes prepare novices for tougher routes with lessons in the fundamentals.

The rugged indoor playing field at Defcon Paintball’s Toronto location span more than 25,000 square feet and beckon sharpshooters to engage in multicoloured campaigns. For each session, players don their gear and load their guns before Defcon staffers helm a comprehensive safety course that outlines essentials such as equipment usage, the rules of the game, and how to ornament opponents’ backs with dramatic chiaroscuro. Participants bob and weave through a dirt-floored indoor course littered with concrete cylinders, ducking behind piles of sandbags as they fire 100 polychromatic slugs at their rivals.

Holding harbour boating licenses and certified in CPR and water rescue, Toronto Yacht Rentals’ captains shepherd passengers through the downtown harbour or out to open water. They pilot their small and medium-sized luxury yachts throughout Lake Ontario, picking new passengers up or dropping them off at any point along the shoreline. They ferry passengers on excursions with completely customizable itineraries and lengths, charting lake waters for night tours of the downtown waterfront, day trips to the islands or Niagara-on-the-Lake, and expeditions to find lost shopping carts.

Infinite Paintball's 18,200-square-foot indoor field is filled with movable obstructions that the staff reconfigure each week to keep competitors on their toes. The well-lit, family-friendly environment lets paintballers move from field to private room, where dye-splattered revellers over the age of 10 can enjoy pizza and soft drinks before heading back out to sling the rest of their 135-round pod of paintballs. Infinite Paintball's safety-conscious team of enthusiasts referee all competitions as well as staff the on-site pro shop, where shooters can browse extra gear such as chest protectors, coveralls, and canvas tote bags to decorate while in the field.

The rumble of engines. The squeal of tires. The victorious flap of checkered flag. Traditionally, the exhilarating sounds of auto racing have been confined to the zooming packs of Indycars that snake around the streets of Exhibition Place every summer. Now, however, visitors to Go Karts at Polson Pier can keep Toronto's race day spirit alive for months at a time. The 0.75-kilometre track invites up to 20 racers at a time to navigate side-by-side traffic in karts that hit top speeds of 40 kilometres per hour. In addition to outmanoeuvring their fellow racers, drivers must also contend with the track itself, where 10 turns challenge reaction time and racing instincts alike. After races end, drivers can recount tales of on-track adventure at other nearby attractions, including a miniature golf course, indoor rock climbing, and a driving range.