Wasaga Beach

Wasaga runs about fourteen kilometres along Georgian Bay and is usually described as the longest freshwater beach in the world. The water is shallow a long way out and warms quickly, which is why it draws large crowds from Toronto on hot weekends. The Nancy, a British schooner of the war of 1812, was destroyed near here in 1814 and the silt building around her hull created Nancy Island, now a historic site with the recovered hull under cover. Behind the beach lie substantial parabolic dunes and the Wasaga Beach Provincial Park protects sections. Piping plovers returned to nest here in 2007 after decades of absence.

History

The Huron-Wendat lived here for centuries until 1649, and the name is a shortening of the Algonquin Nottawasaga. The schooner HMS Nancy was scuttled in the Nottawasaga River to keep her and her stores from the Americans, logging carried the area through the 19th century, the first permanent settler, John Van Vlack, arrived in 1869, and the Vanvlack Bridge of 1872 gave access to the beach; from 1915, when John McLean opened the Capstan Inn, followed by his Dardanella Dance Hall in 1918, Wasaga Beach grew into a major resort (Wikipedia, Wasaga Beach).

What you'll find

• The fourteen-kilometre beach - shallow warm water on Georgian Bay.
• Nancy Island - the hull of an 1812 schooner under cover on an island she created.
• The dunes - parabolic dune systems behind the shore.
• The piping plovers - a nesting population returned after decades away.

When to go

June to September for swimming; the town is quiet and largely shut in winter. Weekend traffic from Toronto is heavy and parking fills by mid-morning on hot days.

Before you go

Summer weekends are extremely crowded with traffic backed up on the approach roads. The town has a reputation for rowdy nights in peak season. Plover fencing closes beach sections.

Nearby

Blue Mountain lies west; Barrie is southeast.