Toronto's chillest and most local-feeling beach. Dog-friendly, bonfire-friendly, and dramatically less crowded than the Beaches. Weekend BBQs and the wind off the lake make it feel like cottage country.
Neighbourhood: Port Lands · Address: Cherry St, Toronto, ON · Hours: Open 24 hours
Why Visit
Cherry Beach gives you unmatched park-and-party freedom, with fire pits, actual beach bonfires, and space to spread out your crew (or your dog) away from the summer stampede at Woodbine. Come for the chill local crowd and stay for that unmistakeable cottage-country breeze.
What Makes It Unique
Unlike the city’s east-end beaches, Cherry actually feels like Toronto’s backyard—most people here are locals, and dogs run free in a massive off-leash zone. The grilling area, free parking, and lack of crowds make it the opposite of the Beaches boardwalk scene. You’ll hear more portable speakers than baby strollers.
Cherry Beach is the most authentically local beach in Toronto — a stretch of sand along the Port Lands waterfront, east of the Cherry Street bridge over the Ship Channel, that the city's tourism infrastructure has largely overlooked and that Torontonians treat accordingly: as their beach, not a visitor attraction. The beach extends for roughly 300 metres along the open Lake Ontario shoreline, facing south and catching the prevailing south-southwest lake breeze that makes it the windsurfing and kiteboarding destination of choice for experienced riders in the city. On summer weekdays the beach is occupied almost entirely by residents from the surrounding East Toronto neighbourhoods who value precisely the absence of crowds.
The off-leash dog area at Cherry Beach is one of the most generously scaled in the Toronto park system — a large section of the beach and adjacent park area is designated for off-leash use, and the Dog Owners' Association that maintains the area has kept it well-organized. The dog beach is a social institution in its own right: the regulars know each other's dogs' names, the morning crowd is reliable, and the community that has formed around the space is one of the more cohesive urban dog communities in the city.
The waterfront at Cherry Beach offers a distinctive perspective on Toronto's industrial and natural history. Looking west from the beach toward the city, the view includes the smoke stacks and grain silos of the Port Lands industrial landscape and the distant Financial District skyline beyond. Looking south, the open lake extends to the horizon with Lake Ontario's grey-blue colour and the smell of fresh water carried on the lake breeze. This combination of industrial heritage, natural shoreline, and urban skyline creates a compositional quality that photographers find distinctive.
Cherry Beach is accessible year-round, and winter visits — particularly after a major snowstorm — have their own reward: the beach empty except for the wind, the ice shelf forming at the waterline, and the lake in its winter grey palette. The Port Lands redevelopment project will eventually transform the area significantly; visiting now captures the beach in its most unencumbered form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cherry Beach in Toronto dog-friendly?
Yes — Cherry Beach has one of the best off-leash dog areas in Toronto. A designated section of the beach and adjacent park is maintained as an off-leash area year-round, managed by the Cherry Beach Dog Owners' Association. The area is large and well-maintained, and dogs can access the water in the off-leash area — one of the few places in Toronto where dogs can swim off-leash in the lake.
Is Cherry Beach good for swimming?
Cherry Beach is designated as a Toronto city beach with seasonal water quality monitoring. On days when the swim advisory is clear (posted on the City of Toronto beaches website), the lake water is suitable for swimming. The beach is less monitored than the main Beaches strip at Queen East, but water quality is generally comparable. Windsurfers and kiteboarders use the beach regularly.
Where is Cherry Beach and how do I get there?
Cherry Beach is on Cherry Street in the Port Lands, east of downtown Toronto. By bike, the Waterfront Trail runs along the lake directly to Cherry Beach from downtown. By car, take Cherry Street south from Lake Shore Boulevard East. Parking is available in a large lot adjacent to the beach at no charge. The beach is approximately a 30-minute bike ride from downtown along the waterfront trail.
What are the facilities at Cherry Beach?
Cherry Beach has washroom facilities (seasonal), picnic tables, and barbecue stands available in summer. The off-leash dog area has water bowls and waste bag dispensers maintained by the Dog Owners' Association. There are no concession stands at the beach itself. Tommy Thompson Park is accessible by continuing east along the waterfront trail.