French for ‘almost an island’, Presqu’ile Provincial Park is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario just south of Brighton. The park is on a piece of land that juts out into Lake Ontario and resembles a peninsula (hence, the French name). Presqu’ile offers a variety of recreational activities and campgrounds, and is especially known for bird watching, as it’s an important stop over for migrating birds and monarch butterflies.

Presqu’ile was formed when a limestone island was connected to the mainland by a sand spit. This type of land formation is called a tombolo and was created as wind and waves piled sand and gravel from the lake between the limestone island and the mainland. The water and wind reinforce the peninsula with sand and cause the beach to grow by almost 2 metres each year!   

What to do at Presqu’ile Provincial Park

The beach at Presqu’ile is gorgeous. It’s 2.5km of sandy beach, perfect for families and great for swimming. There are no lifeguards on duty though.

The beach at Presquile Provincial Park is sandy and perfect for kids!

In addition to the beach, the park features a mix of sand dunes, limestone outcroppings, reedy marshes and wet meadows. The wetlands are one of the larger wetlands along the north shore of Lake Ontario.

This trail leads through some sand dunes to the beach at Presquile Provincial Park.

Presqu’ile is a popular place to walk and hike all year round, as it’s flat and has great views of Lake Ontario. The park has over 16km of trails, including a 1km Marsh Boardwalk trail that takes you through the wetlands. Other trails range from 1km to 4.5km and lead through woodlands, meadows and along the shoreline.

The trail along the shore at Presquile Provincial Park.

Along the shoreline, you’ll also find the second oldest operating lighthouse in Ontario, which was completed in 1840. In the summer and on weekends in the fall, the Lighthouse Center is open for visitors. There is a one way road that goes to the lighthouse and loops back if you don’t want to walk there.

The lighthouse at Presquile Provincial Park is the second oldest operating lighthouse in Ontario.
Presqu’ile Lighthouse (DavidR.York / CC BY-SA)

In the summer, guided walks, campfire programs and children’s programs are offered daily. In the spring and fall, guided walks, bird walks and other nature activities are offered on weekends.

Bird Watching

Presqu’ile is a popular bird watching spot and one of the premier birding locations in the province, as it’s a perfect stop over for migrating birds and monarch butterflies. The Waterfowl Viewing Weekend in mid-March is a great opportunity to see thousands of ducks. Volunteers are available that weekend to help identify the different types of ducks and operate the telescopes. The long weekend in May is the traditional peak of spring bird migration. Bird walks and evening programs introduce and educate about the Whimbrel and warblers that pass through the park. September is also a prime time to see shorebirds. On Labour Day weekend, there are special hikes and programs to learn more about migrating Monarch Butterflies and shore birds.

Presquile Provincial Park is a popular place for migrating birds in September.
Migrating birds at Presquile Provincial Park

Camping at Presqu’ile Provincial Park

Presqu’ile has 8 campgrounds, with 5 open from April to October and the other 3 open from the May long weekend until Labour day. The campsites range from the shoreline to the forest. Elmvale campground is open only in the summer and has sites directly on the shoreline. High Bluff campground is open until October and has a few sites directly on the water, while others are a mix of sunny, open sites and wooded sites. High Bluff, Trails End and Pines have electrical sites. There’s also one roofed accommodation and a few group camping sites. We stayed in Maples campground, which is non-electric and has large forested sites with plenty of privacy. It also has a comfort station! (which is a bonus when you’re camping with kids)

When to visit Presqu’ile Provincial Park

We visited Presqu’ile Provincial Park in September when it wasn’t as busy, but the weather was still great and we had the beach mostly to ourselves! There were plenty of people out walking along the beach and other trails, and having a picnic lunch along the road to the lighthouse.

Kids will love the beach at Presquile Provincial Park.

We didn’t realize, but September is the perfect time of year to see migrating birds and butterflies. We saw many people out bird watching on the trails and even the beach. I’d love to come back in the spring and see the ducks and the spring migration of birds.

Anytime of the year that you choose to come, the park is great! Camping, swimming and hiking in the summer, bird watching in the spring and fall and even hiking or skiing in the winter. The popular road loop out to the lighthouse is cleared in the winter and there are also 12km of ski trails.

How to get to Presqu’ile Provincial Park:

Presqu’ile Provincial Park is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, just south of Brighton. Brighton is off Hwy 401 at Exit 509 (at the “Big Apple”). The park is about 2.5 hours east of Toronto and 1.5 hours west of Kingston.

Sunset at Presqu'ile Provincial Park.
Sunset at Presqu’ile Provincial Park

Check out our Destinations section for ideas and kid-friendly places to travel to, including Pinery Provincial Park.

For tips on travelling with kids, be sure to check out our Tips for Travelling section.

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