We love swimming and paddle boarding with our dogs! We hope you do too! Here is our thoughts on the beaches we have visited.
Amazing Beach! – 5 Tail Wags 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Really Great Beach! – 4 Tail Wags 🐕🐕🐕🐕
Good Beach – 3 Tail Wags 🐕🐕🐕
OK Beach – 2 Tail Wags 🐕🐕
Not-so-great Beach – 1 Tail Wag 🐕
Algonquin Provincial Park, Huntsville, Ontario – 🐕
When we visited Algonquin Park we stayed in Canisbay Campground. We were excited that there we several dog beaches in the park. We visited all of them and were very disappointed in everyone of them. There were not beaches at all but paths to water surrounded by wooded shoreline or a rocky beach. Not one of the “beaches” would the dogs swim at, let alone us. We started asking other campers who had dogs. In Canisbay there was a dog beach that was decommissioned that everyone still used unofficially. It was beautiful and perfect but not an “official” beach. You do not take an official path to get there either. Thank you to those people who told us, you saved our week camping trip!
Arrowhead Provincial Park, Huntsville, ON – 🐕🐕🐕🐕
Arrowhead has one main beach in particular that allows dogs and it is fantastic. This beach is off the main road that goes through Arrowhead Park. Seeing this park from the road makes this a very busy beach for dog owners. If it is not a quiet day, I urge you to go to the “Pet Area” on the map. We went on the July long weekend and there was only two other families! This is an on leash area. Both beaches are tons of sand and lovely swimming. Click here for our summer visit and here for our fall visit.
Bon Echo Provincial Park, Cloyne, Ontario – 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Bon Echo has a wonderful beach for dogs and their humans. It is away from the public beach and is dedicated to dogs. The beach itself is all sand but the hang out area is grass. There is lots of space to play in the water and out of the water. This beach is leash free.
Cherry Beach Dog Park, Toronto, Ontario – 🐕🐕🐕
Cherry Beach has an extensive off leash dog park and the beach is part of this park. There is fence dividing the dog park from the public beach. We didn’t swim with the dogs so we are unsure what the water area is like. Shoreline was all sand but not really set up for humans to hang out.
Memorial Park Beach – Meaford, Ontario – 🐕🐕🐕🐕
Meaford Dog Beach is part of the main beach. The dog beach itself is at the very end. The beach is very sandy and has lots of places to hang out on the sand. This beach is leash free.
North Beach Provincial Park – Prince Edward, Ontario – 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
North Beach is small but one of my favorite places to go. The dog beach is far away from the main public beach. It is not on Lake Ontario but rather on the North Bay Lake. The beach is all sand and swimming area gradually gets deeper. The water is clear and makes for a wonderful afternoon. This is an off leash beach and swimming area. Once back in the park area, it is on leash. Click here for our visit!
Sandbanks Provincial Park – Prince Edward, Ontario – 🐕🐕🐕🐕
Sandbanks is exactly as its name states, tons and tons of sand. The beach is gorgeous and at the end of the beach is the dog beach. This beach is on leash. The water is clear and the sand extends as far as you can walk in the water.
Turkey Point Dog Beach – Turkey Point, Ontario – 🐕🐕🐕
Turkey Point Dog Beach is part of the main beach at Turkey Point. The beach is very sandy and the water is all sand and shallow. The beach is on leash. With the dog section part of the main beach it can get crowded.
Summary Chart
| PARK | Type of Park | Leash Free Beach | Leash Free Swimming | Leash Free Play Area | Swim with Dog? |
| Algonquin Park | Provincial Park | Wooded entrances – on leash | No | No | Yes |
| Arrowhead | Provincial Park | No | No | No | Yes |
| Bon Echo Provincial Park | Provincial Park | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cherry Beach | City of Toronto Beach | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes fence between this beach and the public beach |
| Memorial Park | Municipality of Meaford | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| North Beach | Provincial Park | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Sandbanks Park | Provincial Park | No | No | No | Yes |
| Turkey Point | Provincial Park | No | Yes | No | Yes |
