21 of the Best Beaches in Ontario

Ontario is one of the world’s best destinations for beach lovers. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the province’s immense and incredibly diverse geography: Ontario features thousands of kilometres of Great Lakes coastline, including Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron and Lake Superior; there are also countless inland lakes, large and small; and Ontario’s far north is fringed by the wild subarctic tidewater expanses of James and Hudson bays.

Needless to say, you don’t have to look far to find great beaches in Ontario. Get your swimsuit and beach towel ready: for families, adventurers, pet-lovers and more—here’s a short list of favourites to check out this summer.

Best Lake Huron Beaches

There are plenty of Lake Huron candidates for the title of nicest beach in Ontario. Wasaga Beach features no less than 14 kilometres of golden sand, which bustles with sunworshipers each summer, making it akin to Ontario’s Daytona. The beach is divided into distinct areas, including a dog-friendly beach.

Meanwhile, Sauble Beach is a pristine (yet well-loved) Blue Flag beach with about 10 kilometres of white sand, shallow water and fantastic sunsets, making it a great destination for an Ontario beach vacation.

Grand Bend Beach, located less than an hour’s drive west of London, is noted for its vibrant summer scene. Finally, Pinery Provincial Park offers camping, trails and great swimming—as well as excellent dog beaches in Southwestern Ontario.

Plan your trip

Check out Gong Cha for beachside Korean corndogs and bubble tea in Wasaga Beach; Sola’s Grill in Sauble Beach; and Willie’s Beach Bar in Grand Bend.

Warmest Beach in Ontario

It makes sense to look south to find the warmest beach in Ontario. In this regard, Fort Erie’s Crystal Beach could be the winner. Located on the shallow, warm waters of Lake Erie, Crystal Beach (also known as Bay Beach) is perfect for spending a long afternoon in the water. It also features a beach playground for kids and scenic walking paths throughout the Crystal Beach Waterfront Park. Crystal Beach also hosts a waterfront supper market, featuring food trucks and live music, throughout the summer.

Believe it or not, the Northern Ontario city of North Bay is also a contender for Ontario’s warmest beach—or perhaps even the title of Ontario’s best beach town. The city boasts no fewer than 43 beach access points on local bodies of water, including sprawling (shallow, sandy and warm) Lake Nipissing and scenic, island-studded Trout Lake. Shabogesic Beach is located in the heart of North Bay’s downtown waterfront on Lake Nipissing. Shallow, sand-bottomed water warms up quickly for great swimming, paddleboarding and more. The beach features picnic tables, public restrooms and a playground.

Plan your trip

Crystal Beach offers plenty of good dining: try the Crystal Ball Beach Café, Casa Hugo and Shaka Farm to Beach. Stay on the waters of Lake Erie at Long Beach Resort.

North Bay revolves around its Lake Nipissing waterfront, with accommodations like the Sunset Inn on the Park and Comfort Inn Lakeshore. Grab a quick bite to eat at Gd2Go or The Boat, both of which are located within walking distance of Shabogesic Beach.

Ontario Secret Beaches

Looking to find an Ontario uncrowded beach? Get off the main roads to find a gem. For example, Elliot Lake is a quaint town nestled in the Canadian Shield between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, about 20 minutes north of the Trans Canada Highway on Highway 108. Spruce Beach is located on the community’s doorstep, featuring crystal clear water, seasonal lifeguards, beach volleyball courts and more. It’s connected by a trail to nearby Spine Beach.

Farther north, Lake Superior’s Pukaskwa National Park, located 15 minutes south of the town of Marathon, protects the wildest coastline on the Great Lakes. Paradisiacal Horseshoe Beach is located within a short walk from the Park’s Hattie Cove visitor centre and campground, yet it feels like a secret enclave of white sand, azure waters and stalwart rock cliffs.

Plan your trip

In Elliot Lake, check out FireSide Classic Grill or Mum’s Place for a bite to eat. Stay at the Hampton Inn in town or book a lakeside cabin north of town at Dunlop Lake Lodge or Laurentian Lodge.

Pukaskwa National Park offers a beautiful, private campground for tent, trailer and RV camping, nestled in the boreal forest. You can also stay at the Travelodge in nearby Marathon or the Indigenous-owned Pic River Guest Suite, minutes from the Park.

Best Northern Ontario Beaches

Northern Ontario is a great destination for pristine beaches with minimal crowds. Wild Goose Beach, located on Lake Superior about 15 minutes east of Thunder Bay, features perfect sand and fantastic views of the iconic Sleeping Giant.

The Northeastern Ontario hub of Timmins is surrounded by lakes. You can go for a swim at the beach at Hersey Lake Conservation Area, minutes from the city’s core. This expanse of boreal forest includes good hiking and mountain biking.

For a true bucket list adventure, wilderness canoeists can descend the mighty Missinaibi and Moose rivers to James Bay (going on a guided trip with MHO Adventures is a great option or read our Guide to Planning a Missinaibi River Canoe Trip). The trip’s final campsite at Tidewater Provincial Park, near the town of Moosonee, offers the brag-worthy opportunity of dipping your toes into the waters of Ontario’s northernmost coast.

Plan your trip

Thunder Bay offers a wide range of accommodations and dining, as well as some of Ontario’s best mountain bike trails, located close to Wild Goose Beach.

Splurge in Timmins with a stay at the Cedar Meadows Resort and Spa. Enjoy a healthy lunch at Ciao Sandwich Co. or Radical Gardens, and a locally brewed beer by Full Beard Brewing.

You can also get to Ontario’s Arctic frontier town of Moosonee by rail, aboard the Polar Bear Express. Stay at the Super 8 and be sure to hire a water taxi to visit Moose Factory Island, an Indigenous community and site of a historic fur trading post.

Georgian Bay Beaches

Georgian Bay lives up to its moniker as a “sweetwater sea”—especially at the fantastic beaches of Killbear Provincial Park. The Park offers a multitude of beach options, each with its own appeal: big water, stunning views of iconic windswept pine and the 30,000 islands, shallow sand and dog-friendly. It also offers fantastic Ontario beach camping with over 800 drive-in and walk-in sites, all within a five-minute walk from the water.

Prefer the more intimate scenery of an inland lake? Check out the beaches at Grundy Lake Provincial Park, located north of Parry Sound, or Killarney Provincial Park, south of Sudbury and about a 45-minute drive on Highway 637, west of Highway 69. The beaches at Killarney’s George Lake campground offer crystal clear waters and views of red granite shores and white quartzite peaks.

Plan your trip

Killbear Provincial Park is located a short drive from Parry Sound, where you can experience the majesty of Georgian Bay’s 30,000 Islands aboard the Island Queen. Read our Guide to Visiting Killbear Provincial Park for help with trip planning.

Grundy Lake Provincial Park is a great place for beginner backcountry canoe camping. Launch from the main park beach and paddle to one of several water-access campsites, many of which feature private beaches. Read our Guide to Visiting Grundy Lake Provincial Park for help with trip planning.

Get a taste of Georgian Bay at Herbert Fisheries in the town of Killarney.

Ontario’s Best Island Beaches

There’s something special about islands, especially those with white sand beaches. Thousands of islands pepper the sprawling green waters of Lake of the Woods, in Northwestern Ontario’s Sunset Country. Coney Island Park is accessible by regularly scheduled boat shuttles departing from downtown Kenora. Sable Islands are remote dune beaches in the south end of Lake of the Woods, made up of several low islands spanning nearly 10 kilometres. Get there by sea kayak (for advanced paddlers only) or by boat, using the services of a local outfitter such as Harris Hill Resort.

Manitoulin Island is the world’s largest island on a freshwater lake, and its southern shore is made up of many Lake Huron beaches. Visit Providence Bay for clean sand and spectacular open water views.

Plan your trip

Kenora is a bustling community featuring the iconic Husky the Muskie monument on the Lake of the Woods shore. Check out Lake of the Woods Brewing for craft beer and pub fare. Waterfront camping is available at the town’s Anicinabe Park.

Accessible by road (Highway 6, south of Espanola) or aboard the Chi Cheemaun Ferry, Manitoulin is truly a world apart. Manitoulin Eco Park offers private wooded campsites, cozy rental cabins and some of Ontario’s finest stargazing, or stay near the beach at the Huron Sands Motel in Providence Bay. Enjoy freshwater fare at Lake Huron Fish and Chips.

Other Standout Beaches in Ontario

Pancake Bay Provincial Park, Lake Superior

Located about an hour’s drive north of Sault Ste. Marie on the Trans-Canada Highway, Pancake Bay Provincial Park offers some of the best camping in Ontario with beach access. Pancake Bay offers over 300 drive-in campsites, all within a short walk to a massive beach that once served as a campsite for fur-trading voyageurs.

Lake Superior’s crystalline waters lap up against three kilometres of brown-sugar sand, creating a paradise that could be mistaken for the Caribbean. Don’t be misled into thinking that Lake Superior is too cold for swimming. Water temperatures in shallow shoreline areas become comfortable (albeit still refreshing) for a dip by mid-July (and often earlier), and warm rapidly during periods of calm.

Plan a trip

Rather not camp? Book a room 15 kilometres south of Pancake Bay at the Voyageurs’ Lodge in Batchawana Bay. Be sure to indulge in one of their famous apple fritters. Sunnd Nordic Eco Resort offers glamping in unique geodesic domes just north, off the Trans-Canada Highway.

Bell Park and Moonlight Beach, Sudbury

There are dozens of gem-like lakes located within Sudbury city limits. Minutes from downtown, Ramsey Lake is home to Bell Park Beach and Moonlight Beach. Both beaches rank amongst Ontario’s cleanest beaches, having earned Blue Flag status for environmental quality. Bell Park offers a scenic boardwalk, while Moonlight Beach is part of the Lake Laurentian trail network for hiking and mountain biking. Both feature plenty of space for soaking in the sun and building sand castles, and gradual drop-offs and warm water make for excellent swimming.

Plan your trip

Nearby places to stay include the Travelway Inn, the Hampton Inn and the Moonlight Inn and Suites. Dining options like Laughing Buddha, Nikki’s Jamaican Kitchen and La Fromagerie are but a few examples of great places to eat in Sudbury. When you’re done at the beach, be sure to check out Science North, one of Canada’s best science centres.

Sandbanks Provincial Park, Lake Ontario

Sandbanks is top of the list if you’re looking for a dune beach in Ontario. Sandbanks Provincial Park protects the world’s largest bay-mouth barrier dune formation in the world, on the shores of Lake Ontario in scenic Prince Edward County. You’ll find family-friendly swimming at three stunning dune beaches, easy hiking trails and unique Discovery Programs to learn more about the region’s rich ecology.

The Park offers over 500 drive-in campsites for tent, trailer and RV camping, available May through October. Reservations are available up to five months in advance of your stay. Note that Sandbanks gets quite busy in the summer months. Day visitors will need to book a daily vehicle permit up to five days in advance.

Plan your trip

Besides great beaches, wine-lovers flock to Prince Edward County for great tours. After a day at the beach, visit Slickers in Picton for ice cream. Countylicious is a popular dining festival in the fall. You can also sign up for a unique all-day culinary adventure in Prince Edward County throughout the summer months.  

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