Cherry Beach

Leash-Free Dog Park

The gold standard in a playground for dogs

There are quite a few off-leash dog parks in Toronto, and they vary widely in terms of fun factor.

Sign for Cherry Beach, Toronto.

Cherry Beach is the best one that I've visited for several reasons.

Size

It's huge! I walked from one end and back and clocked 1 km. It's so large that you need to make sure you don't lose your pet.


Dogs playing near Lake Ontario in the Cherry Beach Leash free park in Toronto.

Parking 

There's plenty of it. And it's free.

Beach

Dogs can play in the lake from within the fenced area.

Dogs playing in Lake Ontario while off-leash in the Cherry Beach Park, Toronto.

Washrooms

Available and open year-round.

Washroom on Cherry Beach in Toronto.

Trees

There is a forest to walk through. We came in February, so it wasn't green yet. The temperatures were still below freezing, so it wasn't muddy either.

Forest with dogs playing next to Lake Ontario in Cherry Beach Leash-Free Park.

Views

It's always fun to look at the iconic buildings when you visit this part of the city. 

View of CN Tower from Cherry Beach.

From this point, you can see Tommy Thompson Park, also known as the Leslie Street Spit. 

Dog looking over Lake Ontario from Cherry Beach, Toronto.


There was a huge ship docked beside the dog park when we were there. I presume that they come and go. If you have kids that love "mighty machines," this might be a great viewpoint. 

Ship in Toronto Harbour next to Cherry Beach.

Dog walkers

If you go during the week, you'll meet many dog walkers. This is the number one choice for many dog walkers given its location and the size of the park. If dogs are not getting along, it's possible to move to a different area to avoid any problems.

Map of Cherry Beach and surrounding area for dog-friendly hikes.

Additional walking

If you need a longer walk, put your dog on a leash and travel the rest of the beach and join up with the Martin Goodman Trail.

We considered walking to the Distillery District. It's possible, but there is a lot of construction in the area, so it may not be the most pleasant walk. Consider driving there after visiting the beach.




Location: Cherry Beach, Ontario, Canada

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