The summer season means it’s time for some fun in the sun and enjoying some much-needed time at the many beaches in Toronto. During your tours of Toronto, you’ll notice a surprising number of beaches, whether at the famed Sugar Beach with its iconic pink umbrellas or the many choices across the Toronto Island.
Naturally, you’re unlikely to be the only one looking for a spot at the beach, and many of these beaches in Toronto come at the expense of space and privacy. With these popular beaches becoming very crowded, especially on weekends and hot sunny days, it can be a challenge to put down a beach towel, let alone unwind for some relaxation.
Fortunately, many lesser-known beaches in and around Toronto offer a reprieve from the crowds you’ll find at the popular hubs such as Woodbine and Toronto Island during the summer.
The following are some of the best beaches in Toronto to avoid crowds this summer.
Marie Curtis: East and West
On the east bank of Etobicoke Creek, where the water empties into Lake Ontario, sits Marie Curtis Park East Beach. The best ‘lesser-known’ beach in Toronto, the park was formerly part of the Long Branch neighbourhood before a hurricane struck in 1954, causing mass destruction to many of the homes in the area. Those houses that remained after the hurricane were moved away from the shore to prevent this from happening again.
Since then, the area has been converted into a largescale park. In the park’s southwest corner, the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto has put a plaque to honour Marie Curtis, a Long Branch resident who worked tirelessly to see the park’s construction.
The playground at the park is popular with kids, and there is plenty of room and greenery for everyone to enjoy, making this a great stop on your list of things to do in the summer with your kids this year.
Meanwhile, to the west, lays the shores of Marie Curtis Park’s West Beach. While relaxing on land is a great option on the west beach, swimming is not recommended due to the area’s history of poor water quality. If you want to jump into Lake Ontario, use the east beach instead! It is easily accessible through a pedestrian bridge in the area.
Rouge Beach
The GTA’s largest and greenest park, Rouge Park, is home to 5000 hectares of wetlands, hiking paths, golf courses, and expansive forests. Because of this, Rouge Beach makes the list of the best beach in Toronto, drawing visitors from Scarborough and Pickering who enjoy swimming, fishing, and strolling. Still, the city’s easternmost beach is pleasantly quiet in comparison to the zoo that can occupy Woodbine beaches every summer.
Rouge Beach Park is found at the mouth of the Rouge River. An area that is primarily still undeveloped is traversed by the Rouge River and its principal tributary, Little Rouge Creek. Early eighteenth-century explorers named the river because of the water’s red hue. As the river travels toward Lake Ontario, the red clay in the river’s banks gives the water a distinctive red hue.
Frenchman’s Bay
Frenchman’s bay is a unique beach near Toronto, located directly next to the Pickering Nuclear Station. This is one of the world’s largest and oldest nuclear power stations.
The Toronto Region Conservation Authority manages this environmentally sensitive area, and the spot is completely safe for Toronto beach enthusiasts to enjoy.
The Toronto beach serves as a barrier between Lake Ontario and the bay, for which it is named, resulting in a shallow sandy strip in the midst of the vast landscape surrounding it.
Colonel Samuel Smith
The next best beach in Toronto on our list is the one located at Colonel Samuel Smith Park. This largely unnoticed protected area has a sandy Toronto beach that extends just over 100 metres alongside a tiny lake that is warm enough to swim in by late spring. The large grassy spaces that extend beyond the beach also make this a great location for picnics in between swimming sessions.
Colonel Samuel Smith Park, which spans approximately 200 acres, is a terrific location to relax for a while. There are a few rocky beach areas where you may unwind while enjoying the downtown Toronto skyline and keeping you in close proximity to many hidden gem restaurants in Toronto when you’re ready to pack up for the day!
Colonel Samuel Smith Park is a well-known location for kiteboarding and windsurfing, while the entire shoreline offers a variety of fishing options suitable for anglers of all ages. You will almost certainly witness sailboats drifting around Lake Ontario during your stroll through Colonel Samuel Smith Park, which also serves as home to the Lakeshore Yacht Club. At this best beach in Toronto, you’ll swear you were at one of the cottage country properties, observing all the summer fun on the water.
Gibraltar Point Beach
This Lake Ontario-facing strip of sand is tucked in between Hanlan’s Point and Centre Island, miles away from the nearby city. What’s left of the Gibraltar Beach Sand Dunes is this sandy beach. They formerly covered the entire island’s south shore. The Scarborough Bluffs to the east produce the runoff that forms these dunes. Due to the uncommon species that can be found here, it is still considered to be an Environmentally Significant Area. Don’t forget to look at the woven fence at the entrance to the sand dunes, which was built to assist stop erosion. From the Mainland Ferry Terminal on the Waterfront, take the Centre Island Ferry.
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