Ottawa is a city built on water, with the Ottawa River, the Rideau River, and Gatineau Park's lakes all within easy reach. This list was compiled from the City of Ottawa's official beach pages, the National Capital Commission, Ontario Parks, and municipal and township sources for beaches a bit further out. It leans on supervised, city-monitored beaches first, then widens to nearby lakes and river spots that locals actually drive out to on hot weekends.
1. Mooney's Bay Beach
Area: Riverside Park, on the Rideau River near Carleton University · Specialty: shallow, family-friendly swimming
Mooney's Bay is Ottawa's most popular municipal beach, set on an artificial bay of the Rideau River with a wide stretch of sand and shallow water that's well suited to young kids. It's one of the City's four supervised beaches, with lifeguards on duty daily from noon to 7 p.m. through the summer season, plus a canteen, change rooms, tennis courts, and paddleboard rentals on site.
2. Britannia Beach
Area: Britannia Bay, on the Ottawa River in the west end · Specialty: open-water swimming with sailboat views
Britannia is generally regarded as the best of the City's beaches for actual swimming, set on the Ottawa River in Britannia Bay where sailboats drift past. It's supervised by lifeguards daily from noon to 7 p.m. during the summer season and has washrooms, outdoor showers, a canteen, and free parking, along with a lifejacket loaner program during supervised hours.
3. Westboro Beach
Area: Kichi Zībī Mīkan, west of downtown Ottawa · Specialty: riverfront beach with a year-round restaurant
Westboro Beach sits on the Ottawa River with a view across to Quebec, and it's as much a hangout spot as a swimming beach thanks to its renovated pavilions, seasonal cafe, and year-round restaurant. The City runs supervised swimming here in summer, and the site has outdoor showers, a playground, and riverfront lookouts along the Capital Pathway.
4. Petrie Island Beach
Area: Orleans, on the Ottawa River · Specialty: three separate beaches, including one geared to young children
Petrie Island, in the east-end suburb of Orleans, actually has three beaches: a North Beach facing the Quebec shore, an East Bay Beach looking downriver toward Cumberland, and a smaller beach aimed at families with young kids. Lifeguards are on duty daily from noon to 7 p.m., and the site adds hiking trails, a turtle pond, and canoe and kayak rentals through the adjacent marina.
5. O'Brien Beach, Meech Lake
Area: Gatineau Park, Municipality of Chelsea · Specialty: clear lake water inside Gatineau Park
O'Brien Beach is one of two public beaches on Meech Lake inside Gatineau Park, prized for clearer water than the rivers closer to downtown and a forested setting that feels well removed from the city. The National Capital Commission staffs it with lifeguards from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer, and it has change rooms, dry toilets, and paid parking, though alcohol and pets aren't allowed.
6. Parc du Lac-Leamy Beach
Area: Leamy Lake Park, Hull sector of Gatineau · Specialty: urban lake beach with paddleboard rentals
Set in Leamy Lake Park, the largest urban park in the capital region, this NCC beach draws a Class A water-quality rating and is easy to reach by pathway from downtown Gatineau. Lifeguards cover it from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through the summer, and there are volleyball courts, a play area, a food concession, and on-site paddleboard rental through Paddlefit.
7. Fitzroy Provincial Park Beach
Area: Fitzroy Harbour, northwest of Ottawa on the Ottawa River · Specialty: calm, shallow river water with two beach areas
Fitzroy Provincial Park has two beaches, a main day-use beach with a comfort station and volleyball court, and a Camper's Beach inside the Two Rivers Campground that suits families with small children. There's no lifeguard on duty at either, so it's a swim-at-your-own-risk spot, but the shallow, calm water along the Ottawa River frontage makes it a popular Ottawa Valley day trip.
8. Constance Bay Beach
Area: Constance Bay village, about 45 minutes from downtown Ottawa · Specialty: long, broad sandy shoreline
Constance Bay is a several-kilometre stretch of shallow, sandy shoreline along the Ottawa River in the city's quiet west-end village of Constance Bay. There are no lifeguards, but there's free parking, public outhouses, and nearby restaurants and a general store, and Ottawa Riverkeeper collects water-quality data here even though no public health authority formally monitors the beach.
9. Barnet Park Beach, Calabogie Lake
Area: Calabogie, in the Ottawa Valley · Specialty: clear lake water with a gradual, kid-friendly slope
Barnet Park Beach sits on Calabogie Lake within walking distance of Calabogie village, with sand and grass areas along clear water and a gradual slope into the lake that's easy for small children. It's a fuller day-trip destination than the city beaches, with kayak, canoe, and paddle boat rentals, a canteen, an LCBO outlet, and hiking and biking trails nearby, and the water is sampled weekly through the summer.
10. Burnstown Beach
Area: Burnstown, Township of McNab/Braeside, Ottawa Valley · Specialty: clear Madawaska River swimming
Burnstown Beach is a sandy stretch on the Madawaska River in the village of Burnstown, roughly an hour west of Ottawa. The Paddle Shack, right at the beach, rents kayaks and paddleboards for exploring the river beyond the swimming area, making it a popular stop for people combining a swim with a paddle.
