At these provincial parks across the province, you'll find serene lakes, unique swimming holes and beaches with bright turquoise-blue water.
As a further incentive to get outdoors, all Ontario parks are free to access today, July 21, 2023, as part of Ontario Parks' Healthy Parks Healthy People event. However, you may also be able to borrow a day pass from your local library, a feature that's available year-round.
Grab your swimsuit and the sunscreen! Here are a few provincial parks in Ontario with gorgeous swimming spots you'll want to check out.
Sandbanks Provincial Park
Price: Daily vehicle permits start at $12.25
Address: 3004 County Rd.12, Picton, ON
Why You Need To Go: Located in charming Prince Edward County, Sandbanks Provincial Park has everything you need for the perfect outing.
Here, you'll find the world's largest baymouth barrier dune formation; huge sand dunes that were formed by glaciers more than 12,000 years ago.
The park is perhaps most famous, however, for its beaches. You'll find three natural sand beaches here each more scenic than the last.
To experience the iconic turquoise waters found here, head to Outlet Beach, which is located in the East Lake sector of the park and is said to be the most popular.
Alternatively, to see the huge sand dunes for yourself, you can head to Dunes Beach located in the Dunes day use area off West Lake.
There are also several hiking trails that will take you past the dunes and other areas of the park.
Accessibility: All-terrain wheelchairs available.
Sandbanks Provincial Park website
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
Price: Daily vehicle permits start at $12.25
Address: Wasaga Beach, ON
Why You Need To Go: Wasaga Beach is a classic swimming spot in Ontario, and for good reason. The beach is the longest freshwater beach in the world, with more than 14 kilometres of white sandy shores along the Georgian Bay.
There are eight differnet beach areas you can access in Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, each with its own parking lot and nearby amenities.
Visitors flock here for the soft sand, warm, clean waters and panoramic mountain views across the Bay.
The park also features biking and hiking trails and a historic site that tells of Wasaga's naval history.
Be sure to stay until sundown to catch a marvelous sunset.
Accessibility: Beach is wheelchair/stroller accessible. Some other accessible services offered at the beach.
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park website
Killbear Provincial Park
Price: Daily vehicle permits start at $12.25
Address: 35 Killbear Park Rd., Nobel, ON
Why You Need To Go: Killbear Provincial Park is known for its rugged, rocky shoreline and beautiful views of windswept pines on rocky islands.
However, you may not know that the provincial park also has some great swimming spots.
The park is home to seven campgrounds, each with its own designated beach, as well as a beach in the park's day-use area.
The beaches here are clean with sparkling water. According to the park, there are also kilometers of adjacent shoreline, some rocky and some sandy, where you can take a refreshing dip surrounded by views of the park.
Besides swimming, there are also a number of hiking trails that lead to lookout points with incredible views of Georgian Bay.
Killbear Provincial Park website
Rock Point Provincial Park
Price: Daily vehicle permits start at $12.25
Address: 215 Niece Rd., Dunnville, ON
Why You Need To Go: Just under 2 hours from Toronto, Rock Point Provincial Park lies on the shores of Lake Eerie.
Here, you'll find rolling sand dunes and a beautiful beach with serene blue waters.
A platform overlooking Lake Eerie and built on top of the park's sand dunes can be reached via the park's Woodlot hiking trail, a 2-kilometre trek through wetlands and old farm fields that delivers gorgeous views.
You can also find exposed fossils of a coral reef dating back over 350 million years ago embedded in limestone along the beach, a unique feature of the park.
If you do go swimming, be cautious — the beach gradually drops off and is not marked with a buoy line, and no lifeguards are posted at the beach.
Rock Point Provincial Park website
Lake Superior Provincial Park
Price: Daily vehicle permits start at $12.25
Address: Lake Superior Provincial Park, ON
Why You Need To Go: This iconic provincial park can be found along the Trans Canada Highway about 15 kilometres from Wawa, Ontario. The park offers some incredible hiking, with 11 trails and multiple waterfalls to discover.
You'll find some of the most scenic swimming spots in the province here, like Katherine Cove, a beach with crystal-clear turquoise waters. Just a short walk from the beach you'll find Bathtub Island, another stunning natural swimming spot with a unique, basin-like shape full of shallow water.
For a soft, sandy beach, you'll want to head to Old Woman Bay, which offers incredible views of 200-metre-tall cliffs.
Until mid-September, you can also check out the Agawa Rock Pictographs, 35 red ochre pictographs that are accessible by foot when the lake is calm.
The park also has two campgrounds and is a great spot to fish, bird-watch or canoe.
Lake Superior Provincial Park website
Pinery Provincial Park
Price: Daily vehicle permits start at $12.25
Address: 9526 Lakeshore Rd. RR2, Grand Bend, ON
Why You Need To Go: A visit to Pinery Provincial Park in Grand Bend is a must this summer if you want to swim in blue waters that will have you thinking you left Canada for the Caribbean.
Located on the shores of Lake Huron, Pinery Provincial Park offers world-famous sunsets and beautiful sand dunes for a true beachy getaway about 3 and a half hours from Toronto.
The park offers several scenic hiking trails that will take you through dense forests and to great lookout spots, as well as opportunities for canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking.
There are also 124 different species of birds nesting in the park, creating some great viewing opportunities for birdwatchers.
By though the most beautiful feature of the park has to be the sandy stretch of beach at the park. Here, you'll find 10 kilometres of Lake Huron shoreline where you can swim in some of the bluest water in Ontario.
Pinery Provincial Park website
Enjoy!
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
