Our snazzy new Swim Guide lets you locate beaches near you, figure out which ones are safe for swimming (the green ones!), and plan your next trip to the beach. It’s free, and it’s fun, and it’s available now online and for your smartphone.

Centennial Park – Deseronto: Located near downtown Deseronto, this park also offers paths, a view of the bay, and washroom facilities. Steam locomotives used to rumble by this spot, back when the Bay of Quinte Railway was still in operation.

Centennial Park – Northport: This quiet Hamlet was a prosperous port back in the steamboat days. Northport’s park provides a picturesque view of the Bay of Quinte. The area is part of Prince Edward County, or “The County” as it is known locally. The County is surrounded on three sides by the waters of Lake Ontario. It is renowned for its rural landscape and exciting restaurant and wine community.

Frankford Park: This small beach provides access to the Trent River, which flows into Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte at Trenton. Nearby there are also trails, volleyball courts, and a campground. The Park is on an island-like spit of land that sits between the Trent River and the Trent Severn Canal.

Legion Park: Legion Park is at the corner of Cameron and Matthew St. in Marmora. The town’s name is latin for “marble” and was chosen because of a giant white marble rock that once stood near Crowe Lake. The beach here is part of the Crowe River. The Crowe River is a long river and gets its water from 2000 square kilometres of land. The Crowe River begins in Haliburton County and flows all the way to Lake Ontario after joining up with the Trent River in Northumberland.

Moira Lake: This beach is near Madoc, Ontario. There is a boat launch nearby. This town was once an important stopover on the road from Toronto to Ottawa. It is named for a Welsh prince believed by many people to be one of the first Europeans to discover America in the 12th Century. In 2010, a group of local residents announced plans to reinvigorate the area, so expect more beach improvements to come!

Roblin Lake Park: Roblin Lake is a rare kind of “lake within a lake”. It is nestled in Prince Edward County and is a kind of “fossil water”, a pool left behind by the glaciers that was once connected to Lake Ontario. Roblin Lake is home to one of Canada’s most famous A-frame log cabins, built by one of the country’s most famous poets: Al Purdy.

Tweed Park: Tweed Park is located on Stoco Lake. The Lake is part of the Moira River system. It is also fed by the Clare River and Sulphide Creek. The Moira River flows out to Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte at Belleville.

Wellington Beach: When visiting Wellington Beach, be sure to take note of several improvements courtesy of the local Rotary Club in 2009. There are thirteen different interpretive signs here to help you understand the local history and natural environment.