North Beach is going to the dogs, literally!

Even an arctic dog can enjoy the beach!

When summer hits in Ontario, it’s beach time! For many of you without a year-round fur coat, you might get by in the city, but for a pup like me, the beach is where it is at.

My pawrents are always up for a day trip and one of their favourite locations to bring me is North Beach Provincial Park, in Prince Edward County.

Prince Edward County is about a 2 hour drive east of downtown Toronto. That may seem like a long drive to some of you pups out there, but trust me, it is well worth it. And if you are anything like me, you will just sleep through the ride anyway. Gawd, how I love being a dog!

North Beach Provincial Park is around a 40-minute drive from another of my all-time favourite summer hangouts, Sandbanks Provincial Park. When Sandbanks is at capacity, which is pretty much every warm weekend in the summer, then North Beach is an excellent alternative.

Beach baby, beach baby!

North Beach is often overlooked compared to Sandbanks (it’s much quieter than Sandbanks – even on a mid-summers day), despite the expanse of sandy beaches and the incredible sunsets you can see almost every evening. The dog beach at North Beach, yes there is a dog beach, is where I first learned to swim. The water is fairly warm and shallow most of the year – perfect if you aren’t the most confident swimmer. The sand and water is clean, well clean by dog beach standards, and you can dig, swim, collect sticks, sunbathe and run around to your heart’s content.

Cheers to sand in your paws

If you are looking for a beach without the maddening crowds, then you are going to LOVE North Beach Provincial Park. What helps to keep the summer crowds down is that it’s a day-use only park, so no overnight camping facilities.

The sandy beaches of North Beach are sheltered from the open waters of Lake Ontario by a one kilometre ribbon of sand, making it ideal for swimming, boating, a picnic, digging in the sand, or just plain chilling’.

Things to remember

While this park doesn’t have trails, flushing toilets or any other amenities (not that we dogs care about those things!), it’s a perfect place to relax and spend the day with a picnic and your pooch.

North Beach Provincial Park is open June through September and is located at 440 North Beach Rd., Consecon, K0K 2T0.

Please see here for more information on this seriously underrated park!