Woodbine Beach

I recently visited Woodbine Beach and was reminded why it’s one of Toronto’s favorite spots for outdoor fun and relaxation. The wide stretch of sandy beach along Lake Ontario offers plenty of space to lounge, play volleyball, or take a refreshing swim. The water was clean and lifeguards were on duty, which made it feel safe for families. I took a long walk along the Martin Goodman Trail, which runs right beside the beach. It’s perfect for cycling, jogging, or simply enjoying the views of the lake and city skyline. The weather was sunny and warm, making it an ideal day for being outside. The adjacent Woodbine Park is a great complement to the beach, with green spaces, picnic tables, and a playground for kids. I noticed quite a few families and groups enjoying picnics, and there was even an off-leash dog area where pets were happily playing. The beach was fairly busy, especially as it was a weekend, so parking was a bit of a challenge. I’d recommend arriving early or taking public transit to avoid the hassle. Also, the water was a bit cooler than expected, but still pleasant enough for a quick swim. Overall, my recent visit to Woodbine Beach was refreshing and enjoyable. Whether you’re looking to relax on the sand, get active with sports and trails, or spend time with family, it’s a fantastic urban getaway.

A great place to bring your family during the day. Also safe to hang out alone. Overall, I highly recommend visiting. Water was cold because it's Lake Ontario and hasn't been hot enough yet!

What an amazing sandy beach. Arguably one of the best in the GTA. Massive playing areas and plenty of space for outdoor ball games. Very close to Toronto downtown so you have to go through the beast Gardnier if you coming from the west. Be prepared to add extra 20 mins to your commute. Gets extremely busy and overcrowded on the weekend. Huge downside is the limited parking spots. You would be lucky if you get anything after 10am. If you travelling with kids, this might be challenging. Parking at the beach is $9 for all day on weekend and around $20-25 for near by private parking spots. Another issue is there is only one washroom which is a nightmare due to the volume of people visiting. Hygiene was a significant concern in and around washroom. Would definitely not visit on the weekend again.

Currently has water on the shores, lots of volleyball nets and poles available, bike lanes, wheelchair and stroller friendly boardwalks that are wide and clean, hotdog stand available, restaurant and a cafe nearby, a playground, 2 public washrooms available, parks are clean, and some grass are not mowed yet. Not so busy on weekdays during the day. Free parking monday to friday until 5pm. To my recollection it is around (i think, may not be accurate): $1.75/ 1/2 hr. Mon-fri Daily max after 5pm: $6 Weekends, holidays: $10/hr

Woodbine Beach in winter is peaceful and scenic, with snow-covered shores and stunning ice formations. It’s great for quiet walks, photography, and outdoor activities like jogging. However, it can be very cold and windy, with limited amenities and slippery paths. Dress warmly and enjoy the tranquility!

Woodbine Beach comes alive in the summer—golden sand, cool lake breeze, and endless energy. Whether you’re swimming, playing beach volleyball, or just soaking up the sun, it’s the perfect escape without leaving the city. The trails, food stands, and scenic views make it a go-to spot for chill days and fun evenings. Just get there early—weekend crowds are no joke! Vibe: Laid-back, lively, sun-soaked Best for: Beach days, biking, picnic

We hustled down to Toronto for Canada Day fireworks and woodbine beach was a wonderful reminder why Toronto is Toronto! Beautiful sand, sand just like sandbanks, to be honest. And the fireworks: totally worth it. It was our kids' first fireworks and one to remember! Core memories. Totally coming back for a beach day!

Pretty beach with a park nearby and an area with nets for volleyball!!!! Came here for senior’s skip day and lucky for us the weather was weathering so everything looks so niceeee, sand was warm but water was FREEZING!!! Came on a Friday’s noon so there was not many people but it started to get crowded pretty quickly around 1.30pm, so i would recommend to plan the trip ahead or go on a week day instead, assuming it would be crowded later in the afternoon-evening and on weekends

Not bad for Toronto beach. Water is a bit dirty sometimes, cold, also crap ton of rocks that will make you say ouch as you are going into the water. A lot of people comes here, usually a huge crowd. A fight usually breaks out. Anyways, it's a lot of fun if you go bunch of people. Best Toronto has to offer

I recently returned to my old neighbourhood on a rare Monday off from work. I should do it more often! I grew up in The Beaches. One of the beaches (yes, it's plural and I will never call it The Beach - ick!) is Woodbine Beach. I lived in an apartment on Queen Street East until I graduated from high school. I lived three minutes away by foot, at most, from this beach. I went to Kew Beach Public School and spent many outings here. Woodbine Beach will always have a special place in my heart. The Leuty Lifeguard Station, affectionately known as The Leuty, still lives on. It had an issue with it sinking a while back, but seems to be fortified more when I took a look. As the name implies, it's at the base of Leuty Avenue. Several feet away from The Leuty are a couple of chairs. You can sit and enjoy Lake Ontario. They were already taken when I was there. I have never been a sunbather. I tend to be more of an active beachgoer who does stuff and forgets that my sunscreen needs re-application! It is a habit of mine, when it's warm out, to walk on the boardwalk and sand. I did both last week. I also have a habit of taking photos while I'm down there. My mom and I spent many weekends strolling, playing, and taking photos of the area when I was growing up. I am glad that she established this fine ritual and I continue to do it. When there are Victoria Day fireworks at Ashbridges Bay, seeing the fireworks at Woodbine Beach is another fond memory that I have. The view is perfect ,and it's nice to do it with friends and family. There are volleyball nets further west of The Leuty. I also spent many summers swimming at the Donald D. Summerville Olympic Pool. One final memory is spending some time with three of my friends in grade 11. I had a small pocket radio. My friend had it blasting in her jacket pocket. Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up" was playing and we all sang it loudly as we walked along the boardwalk. Older me apologizes to everyone listening to our singing. However, it's a moment that I cherish. These days, I drop by to reminisce. In the past, I'd come here to relax, think, and unwind. I still do all these things these days, but not often enough. Woodbine Beach always screams home to me. There were a number of folks riding their bikes and jogging. I drove over here and didn't have a problem finding a parking spot on the street on an early Monday afternoon. It's a nice beach to visit. It's huge, so there isn't an issue practising physical distancing when you are here. (377)

It has a long and wide wooden trail that goes along the water. And comes with a beautiful sandy beach. There are plenty of volleyball nests that can be used by the public. It's suitable both for families and young generations. It has free parking, but if you are going during the weekend or holiday, there would be no spot left after 10 am.

Before I begin this review let me start off by saying that this review is based solely on my opinion and my opinion alone so with that being said let's go!!.. My family had an all weekend wedding celebration and this was one of the to do events on the list. We arrived here late afternoon in which we realized it wasn't such a good idea ( my cousins had advised us about the parking situation a day earlier but we didn't listen) because the traffic was horrendous at the time of day we arrived! ( I think it was about 4 or so in the afternoon ). We finally found a spot after circling the area a few times or so until finally finding a spot about a few blocks away! A few extra steps in a day never hurt nobody,at least that's what I have heard. So we proceeded to the beach and found our party and decided to join them. We had a great time eating food off the grill,socializing and playing volleyball games. I was told by my family who live in the area that alcoholic beverages were prohibited at this beach ( you know we had a few bottles stashed away for safe keepings just in case anyone got a little thirsty while we were there!. The reason I left one one star is because aside from the traffic it wasn't enough parking lots or parking period for that matter in such a huge beach area. Hint: Make sure you get there early enough if you want a decent park!!..But overall we enjoyed ourselves and I would return the next time I'm in Canada!.

This beach is great, very clean, there is a boardwalk if you don't want to walk in the sand. There are facilities for those who decide to go in the water. There is a kids playground right next the boardwalk. There was food stands but they were not open when we were there on a weekday. Parking is free till 5pm, may be quite a challenge to find a spot on the weekend, it's not huge but it's a popular beach. Sometimes they have events on the weekends. Recommend as a good visit away from the busy city.

This is an amazing place to play sand related sports! Tons of space available to gave a gathering with family and friends.

Beautiful beach in East Toronto! It's perfect for a dip though the water is a the colder side. Ideal for a summer afternoon with friends or family.

One of the best beaches in the city, It's huge, it's clean, there are alot of things you can do You can always find parking space, There are some food options on premises, Always nicely patrolled and security/police are everywhere It's the Beach to go to!

Great beach! I've been going here for years as it is close to my house and there's always something to do here. Summer of course is it's most popular season but on the weekends they have a lot going on from volley ball tournaments to the annual fireworks (Victoria day, Canada Day etc.) There is always a swimming pool with a diving board as well if you aren't into swimming in the lake. There's a cute restaurant on the beach as well and a Tim Hortons so if you get hungry there's always options (and of course don't forget about the ice cream trucks!).

Woodbine Beach has a lot going for it! Volleyball, a huge pool, white sand for kilometres. I will never fully be comfortable swimming in Lake Ontario in Toronto, so it won't get the full five stars from me... but most people (including my spawn) are down to clown in the water. The good news is during Covid, even with the extra influx of people desperate for some sunshine, this beach is still big enough to socially distance. I had a nice day with my family here recently, and we will likely do it again before the end of summer. Long live poutine trucks.

Pretty full beach. Lots of volleyball courts to play on. A good washroom area. A boardwalk for people to walk on and a separate marked part for cyclists and rollerbladers. They have someone renting out canoes and another for bicycles.

I love woodbine beach and the Kew-Balmy Beach just next to woodbine beach. It's sometimes crowded but a great place to enjoy an afternoon of sunshine and fun. Check out this video to view Woodbine Beach and many other great beaches: https://youtu.be/ZA6FItYEF9s

Come early in the morning for a nice quiet time listening to the sound of water and enjoy the sunshine.

It's a lovely area. The beach has no access to the disabled.(Ideal a single paved walkway to the beachfront.) However the boardwalk is very nice. It's very clean and well maintained.

My favorite beach in Toronto. Great place to socialize , play beach volleyball , BBQ , jogging ,swim, salsa and walk your dog . It gets pretty pack on the weekends during the summer as there is OVA (Ontario volleyball association) leagues . You need to bring your own nets to set up . Many poles here for u to set up. Some people play till end of October /November. My group plays 2 vs 2 at the beach. U can refill your water bottle next to the washroom . U can also shower at the swimming pool after a game of volleyball . There is a trail for u to go for a walk. There's people cycling ,playing kite and surfing as well. Met so many fun and relaxing people here . Make sure u put extra layer of sunscreen .

I'm always here whenever I need to get some fresh breeze and a break from my every day grinds. This is the best spot to walk and relax. It's not as crowded as other beaches in Ontario. I admit that it isn't as nice as Sugar Beach but it is a nice, perfect place to get your mind off things. It's nice to sit on a rock and observe people and the views. I live in Vaughan but I don't mind to bus/subway all the way here to relax and refresh myself. It's always a nice and cheap getaway for me. I love to look at people exercising, or walking their dogs; kids running around and laughing, couples walking, etc... The sights, the sounds, and the atmosphere of Woodbine Beach make it the most peaceful place to escape my stressful daily life.

My friend and I really needed a place to go out from the city life and we discovered Woodbine Beach! We went during the week so it wasn't that crowded, plenty of place and sand to walk around and do whatever you want. Lots of people were playing Beach Volleyball on the side. However, one thing I didn't really like about this place was that the lake water was FREEZING. But if you're there to sunbathe, why not just stay in Toronto. I really liked the place and we ended up having a pretty good time for the summer!

Summer is short so we decided to head here and make the best out of it. Plenty of rocks so its a little annoying going into the water. Water is always cold but eventually you get used to it. Clean sand if you prefer to lay down, relax and get a tan. Sexy people everywhere. I suggest bringing a volleyball or a Frisbee. 30 min drive. Totally worth it!

Great place to walk along the boardwalk on a sunny day. Everyone knows of Woodbine beach and everyone comes here. Sometimes it gets really busy and parking can be a nightmare. Usually recommend taking transit to and from here. They've opened new restaurants which I haven't really been interested in trying. Really like the bar restaurant feel a lot more for the beaches. There's an Olympic sized swimming pool you can go to as I never really recommend swimming in the water. There's a nice paved road for cyclists, runners and rollerbladers. There's also a really long boardwalk you can walk along with benches on the side. At one end there are posts that you can attach a volleyball net too so I've been down here for beach volleyball and some bbq. Again it gets busy so the earlier you are the better. People bring portable grills and bbq and sometimes there will be a free picnic table for people to utilize. Always a good time.

good beach...the only thing i didn't like was that they were so many rocks all over the place and it was very bumpy. overall it was a very good beach! i would not recommend this place if you are staying for a long time but if you are staying for a quick stop this would be a perfect fit for you, 4 stars.

Great place to enjoy with the family, walk the dogs, renew the energies, bring the kids to play and have fun.

This is one of the best spots to walk in the city located right along the lake. I always love enjoying my morning coffee while sitting on the bench or even better sand here. Very peaceful escape from the busyness of queen street.

To begin, more reviews of this are available under a different name of Ashbridge's Bay Park. The park and the beach are one and the same, just differentiated at times. To get here, the quickest way from downtown is to take the Subway's green line east until Woodbine, and take a Woodbine bus south. The buses are pretty frequent and take only about 12-14 minutes from the station. An alternative way is to take the Queen Street car eastbound until Coxwell, and walk south about 10 minutes. I like the beach because I love beach volleyball. It gets me going to see so many people exercising and taking care of themselves. I think Woodbine beach is a treasure that is underrated. People fly to Miami's South Beach to get something similar, but in Miami the salt water makes your mouth taste like salt all day. I realize South Beach has a night club scene that Beaches East doesn't, but this beach is right here to use. Food and drinks is very expensive, about 3.50 for a small Gatorade and 4.00 for a bottle of Diet Pepsi from the hot dog vendors on the boardwalk. Enjoy, you can't go wrong going here for a suntan, picnic, or a nice long walk/run.

I read the reviews, I put it on the to see list, and off I went..... Got there, it was nice enough but not really what I expected. Was all rather bland, yes there is water, yes there is sand. Is that it tho...... Suppose for the locals this is a nice place to escape life but for the tourists ..... Give it a miss next time i'm there Visited June 2015

Came here on a Tuesday afternoon and the beach was nice and empty. The beach was clean, the water was clean and the washrooms were clean, shocking to see a clean washroom at a beach. The vibes were overall really nice. The beach is pretty big with plenty of space. It also has numerous volleyball nets, which is awesome. There is a nearby Tim Hortons and the town is a little walk away as well. Overall one of the better beaches I have been too.

Go-to place for viewing fireworks! The fireworks would be very close, almost feels like right above your head! Tip: Go there early to find a nice spot as traffic tends to be bad on fireworks days... bring a warm jacket and blanket if you are there early to wait for the fireworks!

Went here last summer, i love this beach! Volly ball an walkin around in the summer heat is just awsome! Great place for a picnic too an just chat an party around at night! Not too far from toronto :)