Bradley Drive runs off of Lincoln Ave and Oakdale Ave (area) and there's some really cool trails here with great big hills to walk up and over. We did a quick scout of the area and then headed over to the 2nd Welland Canal - Merritt (Bruce Trail) Hiking Trail that runs along the old canals by Oakdale Ave and Westchester Ave. That trail will take you all the way up to the railway tracks on Moffatt St but it's blocked off now.
You can park on Moffat Street or in the parking lot near Westchester Ave, Oakdale Ave for the trails, that run north to south through the center of St Catharines.
These trails lead from Thorold Ontario (the mountain locks where Canals, 1, 2 were) all the way to the parks and 406 - Burgoyne Bridge which goes all the way to Martindale Road. Lots of trails to walk along in these areas and they can take from up to 4 to 6 hours to get from one side of the city to the other.
Great in the spring and summer, too cold in the winter. You can park along these areas and go for shorter hikes lasting 30 minutes to an hour but you will have to turn and walk back in order to keep it in that time frame.
The area along the canal by Oakdale Ave is a wonderful place to take your dogs for a walk (on the leash) just make sure you bring along 3 doggie bags to scoop up their poopies. I find that my dog can go about 3 times from walking this far and she's just a little toy poodle.
It must do something for them. There are NO washrooms nearby these trails.
Your best bet is to hop in the car and drive to Hartzel Rd - Tim Hortons. There's also one near Glendale Ave across from the Pen Centre, just past Burleigh Hill. There is another one downtown on King Street and Welland Ave, near Niagara Street.
St Paul Street also has Coffee Cultures and Coffee & Stuff is over a block on King Street, close to James Street. During the evenings after 9 pm there's loads of bars in the downtown St Catharines areas where you can grab hot and cold drinks and food.
One block from Bradley Drive Park is Oakdale Ave - Merritt Trail (Bruce Trail) that goes along the welland canal (#1, 2) and Moffatt Street. It leads to Westchester Ave (N), Glendale Ave (S) (close to the Pen Centre) but blocked off at the railway tracks on Moffatt Street.
