Free
Shore Lane Trail
A free town trail behind the beach, linking neighbourhoods and park beach areas, for a walk or a bike ride without a park permit.
Georgian Bay, Ontario
Wasaga Beach
The longest freshwater beach in the world, on Georgian Bay, with a free town trail behind the sand, a dune forest of hiking trails, and a river mouth at the west end.
Photo: Sunset over Georgian Bay at Wasaga Beach, Wikisherby, CC BY-SA 4.0
Wasaga Beach is a town built behind a 14-kilometre strand of sand on Nottawasaga Bay, the south end of Georgian Bay. The beach itself is mostly a provincial park, split into numbered areas. A vehicle permit is required in the park lots, which often fill and close on summer weekends. Behind the sand, the Town's Shore Lane Trail and a wider trail network are free to walk.
Inland, the Wasaga Nordic and Trail Centre is the start of more than 30 kilometres of trails through raised beaches and parabolic dunes, the largest of their kind left in Ontario. At the west end, the Nottawasaga River meets the bay, and Nancy Island holds the story of a War of 1812 schooner.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Town trails
More than 100 kilometres of on-road and off-road trails through town and along the water, managed by the Town and Ontario Parks, open year-round.
Free
Nottawasaga River
The river that meets Georgian Bay at the west end of the beach, with public views from bridges and parks near the mouth.
Cheap
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
About 14 kilometres of freshwater sand, reached from numbered beach areas. A vehicle permit is required in the park lots, which often fill on summer weekends.
Season In 2026 the summer season is April 6–October 12; a winter season is scheduled December 11, 2026–March 21, 2027 (check before you go).
Cheap
Boardwalk at Beach Areas 1 and 2
A boardwalk to the sand at the busiest end of the park, useful for strollers and wheelchairs when it is in place. A park vehicle permit is required to park.
Cheap
Dune trails at the Nordic and Trail Centre
More than 30 kilometres of hiking trails through raised beaches and parabolic dunes, starting at 101 Blueberry Trail. A park permit is typically required.
Cheap
Ganaraska Trail in the dunes
A section of the long-distance Ganaraska Trail that passes through the park's dune forest, reached from the trail centre.
Cheap
New Wasaga
A quieter beach area east of the river, with first-come parking rather than advance permits. A vehicle fee still applies.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Nancy Island Historic Site
A small island in the Nottawasaga River, with the story of the schooner Nancy in the War of 1812. Admission is free; parking is paid and first-come.
Season Seasonal; in 2026 open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. until October 11 (check before you go).
Free
Mosley Village
A short, walkable stretch of shops and food near the main beach areas, a few minutes from the sand.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Free
Shops near Beach Areas 1 and 2
Cafés, take-out and souvenir shops at the busy end of the beach, best in the morning or evening when the sand is less crowded.
Free
Town shops and cafés
Independent shops and restaurants in town, a short drive off the beach for a quieter meal.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park day-use permit
A daily vehicle permit for park beach-area lots, which can be reserved up to five days ahead. Lots often fill on summer weekends.
Nancy Island Historic Site
Admission to the island is free; optional guided tours and talks are offered in season. Parking is paid and first-come.
Season Seasonal; in 2026 open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. until October 11 (check before you go).
Part of our Georgian Bay guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- The beach is better in the evening, when the parking lots thin and the bay is still in the sun.
- A long walk on the sand and a day in the dune trails are too much to add to a drive through.
- Collingwood and Midland are close, but each is a different day, not a last-hour errand.
Nearby and worth the drive
Collingwood and Blue Mountainabout 25 min · Guide ↗
The ski hill, the harbour and the Georgian Trail.
Midland and Penetanguisheneabout 40 min · Guide ↗Martyrs' Shrine, Sainte-Marie and a hidden harbour.
Ready-made trips with Wasaga Beach
Good to know
- Parking: Wasaga Beach has both municipal and provincial park lots, and the permits are not interchangeable. Park lots at Beach Areas 1–6 can be reserved as a daily vehicle permit up to five days ahead. On summer weekends the lots often fill and the gates close. See Ontario Parks and the town parking page.
- Dunes: Stay on marked trails and boardwalks. The dune plants are fragile, and walking off-trail damages them.
- Tourism: explorewasagabeach.com is the town tourism site; wasagabeach.com is the municipal site.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Sunset over Georgian Bay at Wasaga Beach, Wikisherby, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The Nottawasaga River at Wasaga Beach, Giorgio Galeotti, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The long crescent of Wasaga Beach on Georgian Bay, Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US), CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: A boardwalk to the sand at Wasaga Beach, Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Nancy Island Historic Site in the Nottawasaga River at Wasaga Beach, seen from the Main Street bridge, Christian Budach, CC BY-SA 3.0