Gairloch Gardens — Attraction in Oakville

Beautiful garden walk, down to the lake (from Lakeshore drive to the waterfront), with a small paved walkway actually on the waterfront. On part of the shoreline there is a small chain fence (which is more for esthetics, as it wouldn't do much in terms of stopping someone from falling over into the water/rocks) and the rest of the shoreline walkway is contoured with an approx. knee high cement wall, perfect for snapping beautiful lakefront photos, but not so good for keeping the little ones out of harms way.

There are a few benches along the stretch of waterfront where you can sit and catch your breath, or simply take in the beautiful unobstructed view of the lakefront, but no clusters of benches or anything of the sort, as they are nicely spaced out to allow for some privacy. There are also benches along the walkway from Lakeshore down to the waterfront part, again nicely spaced out.

Due to Covid-19, the art gallery that is located inside the beautiful historic house down on the water, is currently closed off to the public, but the outdoor sculptures on the property remain standing for viewing/pictures.

The parking lot at the top of the park (right off of Lakeshore Rd) is small, and offers parking on a first-come-first-serve basis, excluding about half of the parking lot that on Saturday's ONLY require a permit for parking. So this already small parking lot, that can fit maybe 30 vehicles, drops down to about 15 on Saturdays, unless you have a permit of course (how and where you obtain one of these permits is unknown to me). The stretch of Lakeshore Rd that this park sits on does NOT allow for road parking either, therefore you'll either want to get a spot on site first thing or you'll have a bit of a trek ahead of you. Nonetheless, the minimal parking probably keeps the park's population low, which is fine by me, as this is a very peaceful place.

You forget that you're surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the world when you step into this small, rare, stretch of natural land. In my opinion this is what keeps me coming back to this park, just the quiet it offers me. It's a little escape for my fiancé and I, but I encourage you to bring along your camera, as there are tons of hidden spots for beautiful photos which include:

The water fountains along the main walkway towards the lake, the waterfront itself, a lifesize bird cage-like sculpture on the east side of the property, complete with a couple benches inside of it, a gorgeous stone archway covered in vines, also located on the east side of the property (right next to the gallery/the house), a hidden little stone/wood gazebo right on the water in the south-east corner of the property (this one is well hidden, just walk all the way to the east of the park, then down to the water & you won't miss it), an adorable little bridge in the middle of the property, that spans over a small creek/river, the actual gardens themselves, located throughout the whole park, and finally there is a wooden fence enclosure on the west side of the property that houses a beautiful rose garden in the summer, but as of right now (May 12th, 2021) there are no flowers, as they haven't bloomed quite yet.

All in all, I love this park/walkway, and there isn't too much you could do to improve it, but I do think it is missing a couple of things, for example: a public washroom.

The last time I visited (May 12th), the whole park was buzzing with swarms of gnats (these are little mosquito-like bugs that don't bite or do anything, except fly in your mouth and nose and are VERY annoying) which was slightly unpleasant, but that's nature I guess, not much you can do about it. They will dissipate as the summer comes and as it gets warmer, but right now, it's gnat season, so anywhere you go on the waterfront, you're bound to encounter a few swarms of them. They love the humidity, which is why they get progressively worse the closer you get to water. But the park is still beautiful and as long as you don't mind these little guys,...

Awesome diversity to have fun on a sunny day, hang out to take photos of nature, and or chill alone or with friends or family. Nestled in a beautiful pocket along the water near an affluent area of Oakville, I felt like I had a day trip to the cottage travelling from Toronto. Manicured lawns and gardens, a lily pond with ducks. I didn’t see any frogs lol, tall grass, great shade from the sun of large trees. The lake right there. Not a beach, but everything else you would find in a beautiful novel that sounds too good to be true. Love it! The only thing that would have been nice, is with all the fountains present gushing water, if the water to the water fountain was turned on so o could enjoy a drink. And you have only a port onto behind the gorgeous heritage house in the back. I chose to take a quick jaunt into the very beautiful strip up the road on lakeshore and visit a Subway shop for a sandwich and a drink and use the facilities. Btw awesome subway location. Why is everything in Toronto so hurried and tense? Born and raised in Toronto. Love the city. Still it’s nice to get away. Btw spend the money on the 407 hiway of coming and going back to Toronto. You will easily triple your money back in fuel savings and the stress of traffic chaos. And totally worth the 45 km trip from the Keele and Finch area I live in. Awesome place. Add a bathroom with multiple stalls and some drinking fountains that function and you have a day...

Such a beautiful place for a picnic, small family gathering, dates, spending time alone - the environment is inviting and calming. Beautiful rock formations near the water for sitting listening to the waves. You can bring some snacks, feed the ducks, read a book, watch the sunset over the water. There are many benches, garbage bins to ensure no littering. There are a few ponds which have fish, frogs and turtles. There's a rose garden perfect for photos. There are many gardens scattered throughout the area, perfect for photos. There's many trees providing shade. I highly recommend coming here to enjoy some peace and nature without having to venture too far away from home.

Be prepared to have some patience when trying to find parking. There is very limited parking but it's worth it to visit the park.

I've only discovered this park about 2 months ago and I've had a chance to visit almost once a week.

I highly...