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Best Collingwood Beaches
If you’re visiting Collingwood and Blue Mountain in Ontario on a summer weekend, the clean clear waters of Georgian Bay are sure to lure you in.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to the best beaches to visit, with my personal reviews on all of them.
About the Beaches of Southern Georgian Bay
Southern Georgian Bay around Collingwood and Blue Mountain is a brilliant summer destination known for its varied landscape, clear waters, and outdoor adventures.
That’s why my husband and I moved here.
Located about two hours north of Toronto (depending on traffic, which can be horrendous), this stunning area offers a variety of bayside landscapes, from sandy shores to rocky coastlines.
The Main Beaches
The three major beaches in the area are Sunset Point Beach in Collingwood, Northwinds to the west and Wasaga to the east.
Beaches Off the Main Track
There are also many lesser-known spots that offer a quiet appeal, and are a good alternative to the Big Three especially on hot sunny weekends.
Best Spots to Lay Your Towel From Wasaga to Thornbury
This guide highlights beaches on Southern Georgian Bay within an easy walk, cycle or drive from Collingwood and Blue Mountain Village.
The list runs from Wasaga east of Collingwood to Christie Beach west of Thornbury.
Check out some other fun things to do at Blue Mountain.
Things to Know About Collingwood Beaches
- Generally the water around Collingwood is shallow.
- Wasaga excepted, most beaches are a mix of sand, shale and pebbles. (Hey, it’s not the Caribbean. We take what we can get.)
- Beaches are generally unsupervised so use caution.
- Many beaches don’t allow tents or other structures.
- Over the last couple of years they’ve started charging for parking just about everywhere, so be prepared to pay or hoof it a fair distance.
- If there are high waves and the water is murky, stirred up by the wind, I don’t go in.
- Sunsets can be INCREDIBLE.
Sunset Point – The Best Beach in Collingwood
If you’re looking for a beach smack in the town of Collingwood, Sunset Point Beach is your place.
It’s a scenic spot across from some of the ritziest homes in town, and extremely popular with both day trippers and locals.
There is one sandy area in the centre that is the best for families with kids, and Sunset Point’s Chipper snack bar is known for it’s crisp delicious fries.
My go-to spot is the grassy area at the west end of Sunset Point where there are a few benches, picnic tables, a small playground and a lot more tranquility.
It’s no picnic (unless you are, of course, actually having a picnic) to get into the water at this end as it’s a shallow shale area, but the water is clear (and you’ll often find me lazing around here with a book during the week – not that that’s a draw).
Sunset Point Beach can get crazy crowded on summer weekends and parking can be tricky but the beach is large, with a fair bit of room to spread out in.
It also has accessible well-maintained washrooms and a beachfront promenade.
If you don’t live in Collingwood, parking across the street is $10 per hour to a maximum of $50 per day, and on a weekend it can fill up fast.
Where is Sunset Point Beach? It’s at 79 St Lawrence St, Collingwood.
Craigleith Provincial Park
Keep an eagle eye out for fossils on the fractured shale at the beach at Craigleith Provincial Park, where the 400-million-year-old rock holds secrets from the past.
Day rates are available for this admittedly non-beachy beach, where you’ll see campers and day trippers picnicking, paddling or pulling up lawn chairs and sitting with their feet in the water.
Prices are reasonable, averaging about $15 for the day, though it varies somewhat.
Where is Craigleith Provincial Park? The campground itself is a long narrow strip of land that runs between Highway 26 and the waterfront.
Northwinds Beach at Craigleith
Northwinds is the best-known beach in the Town of Blue Mountains, (which, by the way, is a municipality, not a town and includes the town of Thornbury and Blue Mountain Village.)
Located just off Highway 26 at the bottom of Grey Road 19, Northwinds is the closest beach to Blue Mountain Village, which makes it a perennial hit with vacationers staying at one of the hotels there.
A Relaxed Vibe
When my husband and I were looking for a home around Blue Mountain, we rented a condo across the road from Northwinds Beach for three months and soon fell in love with its relaxed atmosphere.
It has a more natural feel than the urban park-like vibe of Sunset Point Beach, and has both shady and sunny areas, bathrooms, a small playground and some grassy spots to lie out on.
It’s also a good place to launch your stand up paddleboard or kayak.
Sandy or Rocky? Northwinds is Both
There is some sand but, depending where you go in, it can be rocky, so water shoes are a good idea.
There is paid parking at the beach but it fills up quickly. It’s probably easier to try for parking at the Craigleith Heritage Depot across the street.
Travel Tip: Take care when crossing the highway and cross only at the lights. There is a lot of traffic along there, and we’ve seen a couple of accidents.
Where is Northwinds Beach? It’s 10 km west of Collingwood on Highway 26. It’s also a great stop on the Georgian Trail if you’re cycling or hiking.
Blue Mountain Private Beach Club
If you don’t mind paying for the privilege, Blue Mountain Village has a private white sand beach that is one of the nicest in the area.
If you’re staying at the Village, check with your hotel to see if access is included. It’s definitely included in the Play All Day Pass.
Great Amenities
There are a lot of amenities at the beach club like a snack bar, volleyball net, non-motorized boats (included in the admission fee), and cabanas (for an extra charge).
Parking is limited so if you’re a resort guest, take the private shuttle from Blue Mountain Village. There are two accessible parking spaces and accessible washrooms.
Where is Blue Mountain Beach? A 10-minute shuttle ride from the Village, Blue Mountain Beach is west of Collingwood past Craigleith.
Council Beach – An Insider’s Secret
When the bigger beaches are overrun with sun seekers we head to Council Beach, an unprepossessing beach recognizable by a big hulking boulder just offshore.
There is a swing set, a portable toilet, a couple of picnic tables, and a bit of tree shade if you’re after some relief from the sun.
Where is Council Beach? It’s just off Highway 26 at Lakewood Drive (Grey Road 40). There is a small amount of paid parking, and from there a short path takes you to the beach.
Peasemarsh Conservation Area
Peasemarsh Beach is another little hideaway set in a nature preserve just east of Thornbury off Highway 26.
This smaller, quiet beach is much less known than Sunset Point or Northwinds, and is an okay mix of sand, rocks and pebbles.
Set in Nature
The surrounding Peasemarsh Conservation Area has an easy network of shady trails ideal for a wood-scented nature walk, and is bordered by the slow green waters of Indian Brook.
While the beach itself is not large, it’s a nice off-the-beaten-path experience for visitors if you’re not craving many amenities.
There is a paid parking lot and basic portable toilet facilities.
Where is Peasemarsh Conservation Area? It’s 18 km west of Collingwood off Highway 26.
Little River Beach Park in Thornbury
Thornbury is an upscale town on Georgian Bay with inviting cafes, boutiques and a popular ice cream shop named Pom Pom.
The beach is adjacent to the pier and it’s a close stroll to the main street. (For ice cream. Did I mention ice cream?)
Amenities
Amenities include good washrooms, benches and a nice playground. There is some parking right along the beach.
The truth is that Mark and I rarely go there, probably because it was closed for restoration when we first moved to Collingwood and we never got into the habit.
When we’re in Thornbury we go to Bayview Park.
Where is Little River Beach? You’ll find it at 4 Harbour St, Thornbury.
Bayview Park in Thornbury
While the small beach at Bayview Park is nothing to crow about, the park itself is serene and spacious with a lot of grass to lay your towels out on, a path along the waterfront, a sheltered picnic area and serviceable washrooms.
It’s closer to Collingwood than Little River Park (something to consider if you’re cycling there on the Georgian Trail), but not as close to the shops on the main street.
There is parking along the street by the park.
Where is Bayview Park Beach? It’s at 60 Bay Street East, Thornbury
Christie Beach
Another beach in the Blue Mountains region is Christie Beach. It’s a mainly sandy beach towards Meaford off Highway 26 at the end of Christie Beach Road and is frequented by locals.
It’s family-friendly but not super large so it can fill up on weekends.
Also note that it’s bordered by private cottages – please respect the boundaries and don’t trespass onto their property.
There is parking, but not much of it. Washrooms are available.
Where is Christie Beach? It’s 28 km west of Collingwood between Thornbury and Meaford.
Wasaga Beach East of Collingwood
Wasaga is one of the most famous beaches in Ontario and a full destination in its own right – but we often drive up for an afternoon as it’s only 20 minutes away.
Running along Georgian Bay for a whopping 14 kilometres, Wasaga is the longest freshwater beach in the world, and it’s a sensational sandy spot with a vintage vibe.
The beach is so long it’s divided into several beach areas and the atmosphere can be quite different.
Which Beach Area to Choose at Wasaga
The best parking, at the romantically-named Beach Area 1, isn’t my favourite stretch of beach (too frenetic) but it’s the most commercial, with restaurants, a few beachy-type shops, paid parking and public washrooms.
I prefer the sleepier west end beach areas, though it’s harder to find parking there. We’ve been known to bring our bikes and cycle down from the paid parking area at Beach Area 1.
Where is Wasaga? It’s 20 km east of Collingwood and 150 km north of Toronto.
Are Collingwood Beaches Worth It?
A beach day on Georgian Bay is a different experience from typical cottage country lounging.
Covering 15,000 square kilometres, it’s a huge body of water and the horizon is vast.
Slightly mysterious, especially when the waves are up and the water a strong steely blue, the bay also has a playful side when the sun is shining, the beach parasols are out and the water is pale turquoise.
Ever changing, the bay around Collingwood is endlessly captivating and one of the top summer spots in Ontario.
