Lakeside Park Beach — Local services in St. Catharines

One of the nicest beaches in the St. Catharines area. Theres a huge parking lot, although you have to pay for parking now, which is $3 an hour, for a maximum of three hours. St. Catharines residents can apply for a $15 summer parking pass online. There’s a convenience store which has food and drinks such a popcorn, hotdogs, fries, and icecream. There’s huge washroom and change room areas. There’s a large grassy area and picnic tables. There’s also a shelter/ pavilion with picnic tables that you can rent out. There are Canadian geese in the grassy area typically so you have to be mindful of where you walk. The sand is clean, light and smooth. The water is clean, clear, calm and shallow for a great distance. There’s very few to no rocky areas in the water. As a result, the lake & beach area is great for water sports such as spikebouy, spikeball or football. The beach is long with lots of space to sit. There’s some shaded areas and trees as well. There’s opportunities to walk along the pier, picnic, or a ride a carousel. The beach is also close to restaurants, coffee shops (Balzacs, 416 Coffee, Thistle Cafe and Bookstore) and ice cream stores. However, the last few times I went there were some people who made the beach feel somewhat hostile through being disrespectful of others through their noise or displays. Overall, it’s a nice beach to go for a beach day, or a stroll with a friend,...

Lakeside Park Beach at Port Dalhousie is a great place to enjoy with family and friends on any summer day, especially on week days (weekends are a nightmare to find parking spots as there are not enough spaces for all visitors). Water is clean and there are a couple of places to buy snacks.

This amazing beach/park remains a cherished historical and recreational site, reflecting both its past as a bustling amusement destination and its present as a serene waterfront escape.

Let's remember that Port Dalhousie was originally a key transportation hub due to the Welland Canal, which connected Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, allowing ships to bypass Niagara Falls. This made it an important port in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Nowadays, the carousel and the events and festivals are an important part of the Niagara Region. The park has been a gathering place for community events and celebrations. It's definitely a great place to visit if you are...

We recently moved to St Catharines and truly enjoy this city. We were pleased to discover Port Dalhousie and Lakeside Park Beach. Even with a full parking lot, and on the weekend, there are spots available on the beach, although you need to bring your shade. The sand is super soft and you can wade out a 100m without going past your waist. On a clear day, you can see Toronto on the horizon.

I’m not sure if there’s an organized league but there are six full sized beach volleyball courts there.

The town of Port Dalhousie is very touristy, but in a positive way. There are lots of restaurants, pubs etc…, so you aren’t just confined to the beach. ‘

My only negative was the state of the washrooms, which understandably, being open to so many people, do suffer. Aside from that, you can spend a full day at the beach and have all kinds of selection of things to do and see. We will definitely...