This was a cute beach and town to visit. Having to pay to access a beach is a bummer (looking at…read moreyou New Jersey), but I get it. Having to pay for parking on top of it is even worse. We went an hour-ish before sunset and the meters were off so that helped a bit. The beach area was packed and people were having a great time. The water was clear, trash free and we could let the kids swim without having to worry or constantly watch them. The facilities were being cleaned while we were there and it had a nice playground for younger kids. It was nice to watch the sailboats head out the marina on a beautiful day. The town was quaint and I can see why families like it. If you're looking for a cozy beach town, this seems to be a great spot. (We also had a chance to visit Lakeside Park Beach, Port Dalhousie and it's also another good option). I only took off a star because it felt like a bit of a money grab, but they're clearly putting effort into the beach and facilities so I can't complain too much.

Crystal beach is one of my favourite beach in Ontario!…read more Pros: Crystal clear water Water is not too cold Clean beach Soft fine sand Shallow water even as you go further in Calm waters Clean washroom Cute restaurants around the area Nice playground for kids Family oriented Ice cream shops for the kiddies Cons: Parking is so expensive at $15 to park all day. Used to be $10 precovid. To get in admission it's $10 per person it used to be $5 pre-Covid. This can get expensive with a large family Gets pretty busy in the summer time Smaller beach compared to the other ones in Ontario Restaurants are about a 5-10mins walk away so it's best to bring your own lunch and a cooler of drinks with snacks If you're looking for a clean beach and don't mind paying for the parking and admission this is the beach for you. I took one star off for the parking and admission. Otherwise 5 stars all the way!

We were in NOTL during a sweltering heat wave and would have dearly loved to swim here. But you…read moreabsolutely need water shoes! The "beach" is very pebbly, not sandy, and so is the lake floor. Too sharp and hard on our feet. I wish we'd known ahead of time.

You can't beat the views! You're at the point where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario. If you…read morelook across the river, you will see Fort Niagara on the American side (New York State). We did not walk to the Queens Royal Park. We will have to do that on our next visit. Rather, we stopped near the Battlefield of Fort George National Historic Site. When you're done shopping and eating in the town of Niagara on the Lake, make your way over here for nature at its finest. There's a reason why they called this the Great Lakes.

I love Hamburg Beach! It's $25 for residents permit for the year but well worth it for the…read morebeautiful sunset views with the city skyline and wind turbines off to the right. Many people gather at sunset do it creates a nice, family friend environment. There is plenty of space of recreational activities and ample parking.

We were traveling through the area and wanted to enjoy the local park and beach. These folks are…read morenot tourist friendly at all. There is no option for any general public parking at this one and only beach in this town. They will fine you $100 if you are not a local with a parking permit.

We came out of the way to enjoy a nearby beach after a day spent at Niagara Falls. We found out…read morethat if you're not a resident then you have to purchase a $50 day pass in order to go to the beach. I get it that you're trying to keep it from being overcrowded but that's a bit ridiculous for a day pass.

You need to be a resident or buy tickets beforehand on the website and there is a capacity. Be more…read moreprepared and plan.

Okay, let's be honest. I would not have ever heard of Lakeside Park had it not been for the song on…read moreRush's third album Caress of Steel. I had love the song, and always thought it would be cool to visit it one day. Well that day had finally come. I was in town last year, and thought what a perfect time to make my pilgrimage and see what this Park was all about. About. I was very sad when Neil passed away in 2020, and had heard they had built a pavilion bearing his name so I had to see what that was. I arrived in this little small touristy town and saw all kinds of cool little businesses and places to park and saw the sign up ahead that said Lakeside Park. As I entered into the park it was a very nice area. Well kept plenty of greenery, and it is right next to the water. It was a pretty warm day so we were getting some nice cool breezes. As I looked around I saw the Neil Peart pavilion. I had made it. As I wandered over to it, there were people hanging around inside. Having some get-togethers, little parties, people working, or just hanging out in the shade. Enjoying the cool breezes. I couldn't help but feel a little bit sad, as Neil's music and lyrics had meant so much to me growing up. In fact, he was the one that inspired me to pick up the sticks and learn to play the drums. As I walked around the park and sat on the benches, and just enjoyed the scenery, I could imagine all of the things I had heard about in the song and how cool of a place this must have been back in the day. Even if you're not a fan of Rush, this is a great place just to hang out and have a picnic or just enjoy a nice day out. Bottom line? I will absolutely make this an annual pilgrimage when I am in the Ontario area. It is well worth the short drive, and is a must see for Rush fans.

This beautiful park is at the end of the peninsula and next to the Port Dalhousie harbor (harbour?)…read morewhich includes TWO lighthouses. Both of them are on the other side of the inlet. A massive parking lot (pay at the kiosk and display the receipt), the fabulous carousel, picnic pavilion, beach volleyball courts and yes, accessible restrooms. The Rotary Club Bandshell and Neil Peart Pavilion are also here. And if you're wondering why the pavilion is named for a rock drummer, Neil spent all his childhood in Port Dalhousie after his family moved here when he was two years old. [Review 1479 of 2024 - 156 in Ontario - 22502 overall]

A great place to go and rock climb while enjoying what nature has to offer. Over the years, there…read morehas been significantly more foot traffic, and as a result, more noise pollution and waste items have been popping up. I think that with more focus on an "all things in, all things out" approach, this area would be better for both bouldering enthusiast in addition nature fanatics alike!

Another vacation win- they have something here I have never seen- a nature trading post! You can…read moretrade rocks, crystals, fossils and such for their inventory or participate in a point based scavenger hunt, taking photos throughout the park, and redeem points for something in their inventory. I ma a huge rock hound, crystal nut- not just because my name is Crystal, I've loved picking up shiny rocks since I was a small child. Quartz and mica are two I remember finding often as a child. Here- they had a huge inventory of various raw and polished stones, fossils, animal bones and such. And that was just in the Nature Exchange! The park is wonderful too, plenty of trails to lead you down by the river, wonderful trees, great overlook viewpoints throughout. As part of the Niagra Parks system, they have bike trails too. We stopped here twice, once to explore and once for me to pop back in with my photos and pick out a raw piece of turquoise! A birthday win for me! Shout out to the young lady who talked to me in the morning, she wasn't there when I returned- and I am pretty sure the 2 young men thought I was crazy (I am), but they were all very helpful for this big kid out playing in nature!

My family and I were taking a day trip to Niagara area and Buffalo. We spent the afternoon and…read moreevening in Niagara Falls in July a couple years back. We have previously done the ferry (Canada side) years ago when I was a kid. We were just walking around the park because we never been the American side. The observation area, ferries and gift shop were pretty busy, especially during long weekends and holidays. The park has the 2 of the 3 Falls (the 2 smaller ones). I kind of feel like the park sort compensates for having the 2 smaller falls. It was a little bit glummy when we visited but was nice to visit the American side of the falls. The pathway and trails were well maintained and wide enough that you don't feel crowded. The park felt quiet and less busy but well visited once you were walking around.

Very impressed with Niagara Falls State Park. Came on a hot and busy Tuesday afternoon. Parking is…read morehard to come by on the street, so we paid to use a garage. The park was vibrant and full of visitors. I was impressed with the overall cleanliness of the park, as well as clear signage and displays for all the attractions. The highlight to me was the new visitor center. I believe the last time I tried the visitor center was 2019 and upgrades have been made. It's so modernized and attractive. Many clean bathrooms to use, lots of interactive displays, a cafe, and gift shop. You can tell a lot of money went into improving this place. I also liked that there were so many public restrooms available throughout the park and seating options including picnic tables and benches. We also saw lovely hanging baskets throughout the park. Everything looked so good and well maintained. A great park for a day trip. Make sure to check out the maid of the mist at least once!

Lovely park with lots to do! We were visiting the in-laws in Welland and was told that a brand new…read moresplash pad opened in June, so we took our toddlers there on a hot Saturday morning and the kids had a blast! The water wasn't super cold and was a perfect way to stay cool in the 30+ temps. There was a variety of spouts that little hands can spin/rotate and another area that has mushroom-like structures where the water comes down from above, in addition to the sprays that come from the ground. The water structures were spaced apart and the splash pad was spacious enough to avoid the kids from running into each other. There's also restrooms in a community center close by. In addition to the newly installed splash pad, the park has a large pond where ducks hang out (see pic), with a couple of "houses" installed in the center of the pond for the ducks to chill out on. There's several beach volleyball courts, a toddler playground that needs updating (it has a small climbing thing with small slides and a few swings), a newer playground that was a bit further off from the splash pad (we didn't play there but it looks fun and new), open grasslands, picnic tables that are covered (you'll probably need to book these through the the city). If you're in Welland and have kids, this is a great park to take the kids to! I hear that the duck pond freezes over and turns into a skating rink in the winter.

This is a lovely hike early in the day. Tons of stairs, you have to go up them on the way back…read more The path is fairly well marked, but has plenty of areas with a drop off so pay attention. I'm pretty familiar with this hike and enjoy it. Easy parking nearby.

Devil's Hole State Park is just a short distance from Whirlpool State Park…read more Tip: From the overlook, you can't see Devil's Hole; you'll have to hike down the trail to see it. The rocks along the wall on the trail are VERY sharp, so excercise caution while you're hiking here - it's a LONG way to the store for band-aids ;-)