I used to think that hiking meant you had to drive hours out of the city to find trails in a forest somewhere. However, you may find that nature is not too far away.
Many years ago, I came across the book Great Country Walks Around Toronto: Within Reach by Public Transit by Elliott Katz. With this book, I learned about the numerous trails in parks and in open natural spaces, and those nestled and hidden in between residential areas and roads.
What I liked about this book is that it includes detailed maps and descriptions of the trails (knowing what kind of fork in the road or bridge to expect next), and how to get to the trails by public transit (what bus to take, where to get off) and car (what streets to take, where to park). Its compact, pocket book size makes it easy to carry around too, which is a great advantage when you're already carrying around your personal items, a water bottle, and field guide books.
This resource opened up my eyes to the numerous trails within my own city of Toronto. This book helped me discover nature within my own city, and that you can escape the city even when you're still in the city.
