Love this place! Gives you access to the water directly and the view? STUNNING!…read more Always a great spot to catch a good sunset. Mostly usually less crowded so that's a plus too.

Today we went to Lake Simcoe public beaches. But calling them "public" is a stretch. Local people…read morehave taken over the beaches, placing heavily armed police to guard the parking areas and not allowing anyone they don't recognize. The "public" parking was half full, and they let in people they recognized but not strangers. The police were nasty, very aggressive, and threatened us. When I stopped a few times on the shoulders and entered one of their members-only parking lots to let my daughter use the washroom, they sent a police trooper in a vehicle to escort us from Simcoe County. This is the first time I was afraid for my life in Canada. Worse, this is funded by our tax money to defend public property from the public.

Small beach off the beaten path…read more Minet's Point Park is a quiet beach in Barrie situated south of Centennial Park across the Kempenfelt Bay. We chose to come here for our annual beach trip as the other beach is always packed with festivities and crowds in summer. In contrast, this beach was quiet this past weekend with a good amount of beach space. There are a few picnic tables and a large kids playground with a few features similar to those at the bigger park. No BBQ is permitted. The beach is unsupervised but there is a buoyed area. Windsurfers were launching nearby while ducks roamed about. The only downside is the expensive parking at $15 hourly and $60 max for the day. Street parking is by permit only. Skip it or hit it? For a quieter beach day, this is a decent pick in Barrie.

Minet's Point Park is a city park with a beach included. It…read moreis unsupervised, so use at your own risk. Alongside the kids swimming area, marked with buoys, there is a boat launch used by kayakers and made it fun to watch as you laze around the waterfront. The parking lot is right there, in direct view of the beach which is outstanding. A treed field adjoins the parking lot so nature is right there to greet you as you step out of your vehicle and take in the greenery. There is even a small picnic area that can accommodate the party grillers in the crowd, the ones that make everyone jealous with their delicious smelling griddles. As if that weren't enough to make this spot super family friendly, there is a young kids play structure directly behind the beach to top it off. There are some stones mixed in with the sand here, and some can't handle that so if it bothers you, then bring crocks or something to wear into the water. The swimming was good here with clean water and just a few waves that day from power boats going by. The bathroom is located further away near the park entrance, and the mens side at least was filthy and stank. You should avoid going in unless you have to. The view is nice looking at the north side of Barrie, with a side view of the end of Kempenfelt Bay, the harbour front downtown area with all the action happening. Nice view!

The parking lot is a short walk to the sandy beach. There are some rocks when entering the lake but…read morethey aren't a problem if you wear water shoes. The water is shallow and safe. In June the water is cold but your body will adapt quickly on a warm day. Power boats aren't allowed in the roped off swimming area. There are picnic tables and a general store that sells fast food and souvenirs. The bathrooms are fairly clean with flush toilets, sinks and mirrors. The park also has change rooms. They offer educational sessions for children at certain times. The only thing keeping me from giving this provincial park 5 stars is the reservation process. Once you reserve a day pass, you can't get a refund if the weather forecast changes to cold or rainy and you can't even move your reservation to another date. So your money is lost. But if you don't reserve in advance for a Saturday or Sunday in the summer, there's a chance they will be full. The website doesn't give a price for seniors. There is a discount but it's well hidden.

Sibbald's provincial park is a great place for families. They have activities throughout the summer…read moreteaching kids and families about the different things around the park. A few walking trails. Some nice little fishing holes close by.

It's a beautiful park at the shore of lake Simcoe . There are a few small beaches and barbecue…read morespots. Parking is paid for Non Residents of Innisfil. You can also rent Kayaks and canoes. There's also a snack shop . There are couple parking area's that are reserved for Innisfil Residents only . Enjoy this beautiful spot but be respectful to the lake don't dump your garbage in the lake .

I just wish everyone would go home and take their garbage with them. Stop polluting and trashing…read morethe park. Leave!

Gigantic park that never seems crowded like my beloved Bellwoods park…read more Sunnidale has a huge wooded area in the back, which is great for hikes, a playground area for the kids, tons of flat cleared areas for cross country skiing or snowshoeing. In the July and August months, this place is crawling with wedding parties waiting around for pictures.

This is a review for day-use only, as the park is actually closed for camping during this time of…read morethe year. There are a couple of day-use lots on the outside of the actual park for locals to use, I don't believe you can drive into the park proper to use it for day use. At the time we visited, Orillia was close to peak color, so it was a fantastic time. It was a nice day for a hike, and there were quite a few other people using the park as well -- there's a little beach area in the day use part as well as a playground and places for taking your dog on leash. We went and followed the trails in the park, there seems to be a few that can be used, one in the treeline and one along the lake. You can make a decent little loop of a couple of kilometers. There's nothing incredibly challenging about this little hike, to be honest, but the tree colors make for some gorgeous photos. I'll definitely want to come back and visit here and go camping during the season. A really lovely provincial park!

A beautiful park with a ton of great features…read more This is a beautiful park with everything: a beach, a children's playground, a baseball diamond, biking/walking trails, large green areas, an ICE CREAM SHOP!, beach volleyball courts and ample parking. My brother-in-law actually got married here, and it was a beautiful wedding. This past weekend was the first time I actually walked around the park, and I loved how peaceful and beautiful it was. Definitely a great place to spend a sunny afternoon.

This is a beautiful park with several short (less than 2 kilometres) hiking trails that go into a…read moreforest. There are lots of different plants, neat wooden bridges, super big trees and an abandoned old car, for some reason. It's a pretty easy walk, the ground is soft and there weren't any inclines or tough, rocky areas that I could see. It was just nice and serene, except for the sounds of some wood processing plant nearby. There's parking enough for about 20 cars, and it's free.

If you're looking for a gentle hike with the kids, this is a great spot. Boardwalks, benches and…read morebridges make this great for grandma and grandpa too. trail maps are available and informative. Admission by on your honour donationof what you feel is appropriate.