Sullivan's Pond is a little park near downtown Dartmouth. It's known for hosting a variety of…read moreevents, such as the Dartmouth tree lighting. The pond itself is home to a wide variety of ducks and geese. While you are, of course, discouraged from feeding the fowl, lots of people do. Danger! Danger! The path closes to the water in the summer? There are lots and lots of birds. And not much of a clean-up crew. Make of that what you will. The park also hosts workout groups, the occasional live music performance and there is a field where you can play a great game of Frisbee with a good friend.

Having lived in downtown Dartmouth before it was cool to do so - meaning, before Two if by Sea…read morecroissants - I was a Sullivan's Pond regular. I'd see the same senior power-walkers every day, I'd have the same conversation with the same cray-cray person every morning as she walked off whatever she was on the night before, and I'd tell myself every day how silly it is that people shuttle in to Point Pleasant when they could be enjoying Sullivan's Pond and Lake Banook's boardwalk. Yep - every day I'd lug my poor confused miniature dachshund puppy out to Sullivan's Pond in hopes of TODAY BEING THE DAY that he'd 'get' what I expected of him when that leash went on. For weeks and weeks we repeated the routine up until he would do the full 5km ish route around the pond, Lake Banook, and Creighton Park. What all this means is I spent about a year strolling through this area, enjoying the flowers and foliage, smiling at happy young, urban families playing with their kids, and picking my jaw up off the ground when the area was invaded by an army of Abercrombie and Fitch models with no modesty for the world rowing championships. We go back every now and then in the summer to relive the memories but all he seems to want to do is scream at the geese. But hey - at least now I can enjoy a latté and a pastry while he does it.

THE DARTMOUTH COMMON IS BEAUTIFUL! Everything is in full bloom right now. The trees are lush and…read moreimpressive, the flowers are splashy and fragrant, while the lawns are soft and perfect for stretching out. Biking into the common a couple of days ago, and up the relatively steep hillside brought me back to memories of Italy, traversing lofty hill sides in the Riviera. The plant life is so lush and perfumy, with birds chirping and bees buzzing, that I couldn't believe such a treasure exists that I'd scarcely been to in this city that I know so well. The park was quiet, with the odd pedestrian walking through, so Andrew and I sat on a bench and marveled at the magnificent view of the harbour and downtown Halifax. The sky was rich azure, the wind balmy and the company perfect. We sat for about an hour and chatted, while we enjoyed the gorgeous scenery, accompanied by a sweet little gazebo. I implore you to go and picnic in this wonderful Dartmouth park! It's about 300 acres of hillside, open to the public since the 1700s. Go enjoy Dartmouth's flourishing downtown scene, and walk through this lush garden park while you're at it.

Beautiful beautiful park. I've never been to a park on a massive hill. The big gates surrounding…read morethe park and so regal and beautiful. There's one particular part of the park by a gazebo where you can see a beautiful view of the harbour. Dogs can be off leash which is nice but just a heads up if you don't like dogs. It's only in a certain part.

Love this trail! It's a favourite in foot and on my bicycle. It's beautiful and you can ride all…read morethe way to Lawrencetown Beach. Only complaint is dog owners who do not clean up after their dogs!

Went for a 4 mile run in the morning and loved the trail. Clean and beautiful. Nice folks greeted…read moreus along the way. Definitely would love to run again and more.

The cutest little park in Dartmouth that you've never heard of…read more Graham's Grove is barely noticeable; you've probably driven by it dozens of times completely unaware of its presence. Sitting just across from the Braemar Superstore, this little park has quite a lot going for it - y'know, other than size. It has a swimmable beach and a dock; both are popular points for kayakers and canoers to put their boats into the water. It has a few open clearings facing Lake Banook - great spots for picnics. There are some benches and picnic tables also littered throughout the space. It's also conveniently located on a multi-use trail that connects between Sullivan's Pond and Shubie Park. To paraphrase Vinyl Cafe, "It may not be big, but it's small."

This is a fantastic find! A small park, but nice trails, a big field, and it's very clean and…read morequiet. Easy to get to with lots of free parking. The only thing you need to watch out for are off leash dogs. Not everyone follows the "on leash" law. Otherwise, perfect.

My wife and I took a detour here while we were staying at the Westin. Probably about a 15 min walk…read morethrough a lovely affluent residential area. The park itself had a very scenic waterfront view and I believe the pictures I posted to Yelp can attest to the serenity and beauty of the park. Well worth the side trip. It is a backdrop to a wonderful city that I am sure to never forget.

Nice park. Nice paths if you have a dog. If you don't have a dog and live off of the park - beware!…read morePeople's big, scary, off leash dogs will bound right at you - standing in front of your back door, on your patio. No owner in sight. More than once I had to run, for what I imagined was my life, as a big, vicious looking dog ran straight to me full speed. I read two 13 year old girls, living off of the park, and the dad were viciously mauled and disfigured, by a dog. Look it up in the old Point Pleasant chat logs and in I Think The Guardian. But, it's nice for occasional walks and they have public restrooms that are open

Beautiful park with lots of history, every time we go we find trails we haven't seen before!read more

This park really has something for everyone on your list, including your dog if you have one. There…read moreare a few ways to get into this large park set along the Shubie Canal system. You can bike there from Downtown Dartmouth in about 15 minutes either going down Waverly Road or entering just past Mic Mac Mall. This is my usual route, but it is also very accessible by car with lots of parking at both main entrances. When you get there you are greeted by well-maintained trails, lovely lakes and paths that take you off into the woods and along the old Shubie Canal system. There are lots of animals in the park and they are very tame and well fed. They might just follow you around a bit which can be a bit strange but just go with it. There is also a great off-lease dog park that is very popular, maybe a bit too popular at times but if you have a dog that likes to go off lease you will enjoy it. The best part of this park is that it is big enough that even though it can get busy it is very easy to vanish into the wood and explore.

One of Halifax's smaller parks but quite enjoyable…read more What is there to see? It's a good spot to enjoy a beautiful view of the harbour and downtown Halifax. I's at one end of the end of the Dartmouth Harbourwalk Trail (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/dartmouth-harbourwalk-trail-halifax) and right next to the Alderney ferry terminal. So it's a good spot to just relax. Kids are part of your life? There is a playground and lots of grass on which to play. More museum-inclined? The World Peace Pavilion has stones from all around the world. Theoretically, it could be a performance space but I've never seen it as such. It's not big, it's not well-known but it's enjoyable.

After a few days of sunny weather and a few weeks of regular ferry service back in order, the Ferry…read moreTerminal Park has once again become a regular haunt to wait out the fifteen-to-thirty minutes in between pick-ups. No - there's not really all that much to do or see here, but as a spot to sip on a cup from TIBS while catching the best views of Halifax around, it really can't be beat. Grab a seat on the pier, soak in some rays, and recharge before heading back over to the Halifax waterfront.

While this is a beach-related park, I don't foresee a lot of swimming here. It's more of a "wade…read moreinto the water a bit" kind of beach. The water's pretty cold and the wind is pretty strong. However, if you're looking for a gentle stroll along the water's edge on the wooden boardwalk, this is the place for you! It's right next to the Fisherman's Wharf shopping/eating area so this is a good way to walk off some of those calories. On a nice calm day, you can also find tons of stones to skip across the water.

Gorgeous little walk near Fisherman's wharf. Boardwalks make it accessible to anyone. Lots of…read morepretty plants, wild roses, rocks and opportunity to see sea birds.

Broad, long, beautiful beach. Great for a nice walk. If it's busy, there is always a quieter spot…read morearound the bend.

If you're looking for a little break from the city without having to go far, Rainbow Haven is one…read moreof the easiest beaches to get to. It's a mere half hour drive from the centre of Halifax, and it is definitely worth the drive! The sand is some of the finest grained sand I've ever had the pleasure to sink my toes into. It's like walking on a little piece of heaven. It's so soft! There's tons of space on the beach for lounging, playing or wandering so even at its busiest I doubt you would have a problem finding somewhere to put a towel down. I love the scenery, whether you're looking out into the ocean or looking out over the expanse of vegetation, it's a pretty special spot. That being said there are sand flies. Lots of them. I got quite a few bites - eek! If you can get past the creepy crawlies, it's really really lovely. The water is a pretty nice temperature too. It's not freezing, but it's certainly not warm. Just watch for rip tides!