Riverwood is Wild and Beautiful

Located in central Mississauga and nestled predominantly along the east bank of the historic Credit River, the 60 hectare (150 acre) Riverwood property is a special place where history, nature, beauty and peace blend together to create an enjoyable and lasting outdoor experience.

A unique all-season destination, visitors will enjoy the freshness and new beginnings of wildflowers, bulbs and grasses in the spring; the cooling shade of 200 to 350 year old trees and mixed old growth forests during the summer; the spawning salmon and breathtaking artist’s palette of vibrant yellows, oranges and reds in the fall; and the tranquility and beauty of the trees and ground blanketed in white snow during the winter. With woodland trails, splendid wildlife and glorious views, Riverwood is the ideal site to observe and enjoy the best of what ‘Mother Nature’ has to offer! Come explore, learn and enjoy!

More about Riverwood - Trails, features and history

Riverwood is co-owned by the City of Mississauga and the Credit Valley Conservation (CVC).

Our Education programs and interpretive guided tours take place at Riverwood. 

A trail system provides visitors to Riverwood easy access to enjoy its natural splendour and cultural heritage.  Trail brochures are available for self-guided walks and we also offer naturalist-led guided walks.

Riverwood’s natural features include:

• woodlands, meadows and tablelands, ravines and slopes, wetlands, creeks and floodplain, and former agricultural lands
• the historic Credit River flows through its western boundary where salmon and trout abound, supporting school program integration
• habitat to over 475 species and animals and plants, including 100 species of resident and migratory birds, white-tailed deer, and raptors such as owls, Cooper’s Hawk, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture
• plant communities include Great Lakes deciduous forest, pockets of Carolinian forest, old growth forest and Oak Savannah, a diverse population of fungi, and wildflowers (link to Wildflowers of Riverwood book)
• the most ecologically diverse community in the Credit Valley watershed

Riverwood is a living laboratory, a significant carbon sink and the “lungs” of Mississauga.

Riverwood preserves a rich geological history of ancient seas and recent glacial events, and a fossil record that dates back 415 million years to the Silurian Age.  Centuries of Credit River activity cut deep ravines and provided fertile terraces. During the late Iroquoian period, Riverwood served as a seasonal hunting and game processing camp, and was later occupied by the Mississaugan First Nations.

Riverwood’s agricultural history is bountiful, with remnants of apple orchards, an allee of Norway spruce (to protect fruit trees from winter winds), and agricultural artifacts. Heritage buildings include the Chappell Estate (with its stone water cistern), MacEwan House and Field Station (rumored to have processed pickles) and the MacEwan Barn.