A sandy beach with clear water, so close to home! If, like us, your trips to the beach usually include one of the non Lake Ontario popular destinations (Crystal, Dover, Wasaga etc) and you are looking for something a little closer to home, then you might want to give Bronte Beach a try.
Our family really enjoys the beach and we’ve visited Bronte Beach a couple of times in the past. I’m not quite sure why we forgot about it this summer – up until now – but perhaps it’s because I heard it was a victim of the 2017 summer flooding of Lake Ontario.
But as we were driving back home from Shell Park one day, I noticed a bunch of beach umbrellas so we decided to investigate….
Right in our own backyard
If you’re a fellow Oakville dweller then you’ll appreciate the closeness of this beach. I recently wrote about our trip to Valens Lake in Hamilton and thought that it was a fine place if your kids were just looking for a beach. If I compare these two places, on beach alone, I prefer Bronte Beach.
Bronte Beach is just west of Bronte Rd, south of Lakeshore Rd. W. off of W River St.
If you turn left into the driveway that leads to the beach (just off W River St.) you will get to an itsy bitsy teeny tiny parking lot. Don’t go there.
Instead, park in the little ‘park’ area just south of Lakeshore Rd W. When you turn left onto River St. it will be on your left. This is your best bet to find a parking spot. Learned that the hard way! All parking is free!
Nice Sand and Water and the fish were alive!
I didn’t see a single dead fish! 🙂 Seems like most of us have been conditioned to have an aversion to Lake Ontario beaches, but the water quality checked out and the beach area was nice. We saw schools of little fish near the shore, my son enjoyed trying to ‘catch’ them.
The water is clear and the temperature varies from ‘Canadian warm’ to freshly melted ice age glacier (as it was last weekend). Lots of people are swimming or wading in the water each time we’ve been there.
The sand was nice and fluffy without any rocks, the entry to the beach was also smooth.
We wen’t on a hot Sunday and there was still plenty of room on the beach to find a good spot. Lots of shaded areas to set up your gear.
The rocks on one side of the beach were a hit with our kids.
Walking Trails
There are a few different paths around the area.
A walk up the staircase near the beach, for a bit of a view.
The marina areas are pretty and it makes for a pleasant stroll with the kids.
There are other paths as well, but we didn’t get a chance to check them out.
Bronte Beach – Better than Expected
Go, you’ll like it! For us, it’s a big bonus because it’s so close to home. My kids enjoyed playing in the sand and it’s great way to spend time at the beach without going very far.
There is a building with clean washrooms but there are no food stands or concessions. Lots of people walking their dogs as well. All parking is free.
What is your favourite thing about Bronte Beach? Are there any other areas to this beach that are worth exploring? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook.
