crystal beach

This was the location for a family reunion in the midst of summer. Once a resort that was accessed by ferry from Buffalo, it is now a closed community with a private beach. But, next to the private beach is a public beach area. There are motels in the area. It was a perfect for us since the crowds were all centered at Niagara Falls, a mere thirty minutes away. We could go on "field trips" and return to a haven away from the lines and crowds of the Falls. The beach time was superb.

Nothing special down there. A beach in the summer full of people everywhere...snack bar and washroom....a couple stores around....that's it.

Large clean beach with an amazing view of lake Erie, warm clean water, many little shops and bars/restaurants with in walking distance!

This is a beautiful white sand beach, kept very clean. It is huge, lots of people from everywhere on weekends, and summer time. During the week not so busy. This is a great palce for a family, or friends outing. There is a small snack bar, but a few good restaurants near by. In a small community, a nice drive along the water way, see some old wealthy peoples homes, and several boat clubs. It's also great for biking, or walking in Crystal beach. The area has changed a lot over he years, with some new gated communities. Real estate is cheap here, some great buys to be had. This is a wonderful beach, fun for the whole family. The water is not very deep for a ways out, but then there is a drop off point far out. Lots going on with boats, seadoo's, ect... Lots to do in this lovely little community. Enjoy the beach, please don't litter! A very minor fee for parking all day, $5.00, is fine.

Once upon a time Crystal Beach, Ontario was the Coney Island of the Niagara Region. Gone are the days of the giant roller coaster and the carnival rides, gone are the games of chance. And sadly, gone are the days of the big, wood floor dance hall with throngs of people dancing away to the live music of Tommy Dorsey and other fabulous "big bands". Today Crystal Beach is a somewhat sleepy resort town of white sand beaches, lots of restaurants and a combination of brand new gated communities, higher end condos and century old family estates on the beach front. There are several very good restaurants in town such as the Crystal Chandelier and the Singing Siren, there are wide expanses of beautiful white sand beaches and a few shops to entertain you on those less than sunny days. Great place for a family vacation. Even better place to buy a summer home (if you can afford it!)

Overall the beach was great, clean water. Our 2-year old son loved it. It got crowded in the afternoon though. It was Labour day weekend so crowd was not unexpected. Washrooms were only a few and not enough for so many people. The male washroom at the Waterfront park was even more disgusting. Needs proper maintenance.

Perfectly safe and clean beach for families with security at the front gate. You can't beat all day parking for $5 right at the beach. The sand is so soft and clean, great for digging and playing in. The water is clean and clear. There are also quaint restaurants nearby.

Tried to revisit my youth but the amusement park was gone-- all that was left was the propeller from the Crystal Beach Boat that used to take us from Buffalo to Crystal Beach. But they've turned it into a nice park-- boat launch--quaint little stores and restaurants.

Clean beach with low water levels and 5 dollar for all day parking. safe for families and nice playground near the boat dock. Not much in town and many closed business. Not like years past but still a great beach and scenery.

Gone is the amusment park, but now we have a new beach, landscaping and so many flowers. Boy has it changed

If you are looking for a place and not wanting to spend too much money, this is the best place ( weather permitting). Crystal beach is the best beach for small kids. It has a big beach, with soft sand, and very shallow water. There's a paid parking lot, for only $5 for a whole day, 6am-11pm. It's a perfect place for picnics and families with young kids. Try not to go on weekends, it can get very busy.

where to begin. feels like a prison, everythings fenced off signs everywhere stating private property and no tresspassing, we went with our dog and were told no dogs allowed anywhere on the beach, we wanted to see the lighthouse and walked to see it with our dog..we came to a gate and were stopped and told no dogs allowed because we had to pass through a gated community to get there,, as we were being told no dogs allowed we pointed out people walking their dogs within the gate, we were told they lived there and were allowed to but we were not. so we left and went to the beach without our dog and were greeted at a gate by a drunk security guard...seriously a drunk security guard demanding to check everybodys bags, he even had his booze beside his chair.. we said we were gonna report him, he says i don't care, he gave his name and centeck the company he worked for and said go ahead laughing...downtown where the parking is is an un kept dump, there is garbage everywhere diapers pot and pans just left there the whole week were there. my girl was almost attacked by a local drunk walking our dog on our last night there, he ran away after she started to call the police. the beach is a joke, tiny and overcrowded because all the beach to the right and left is privatly owned to the water by snotty rich americans who don't even use the beach, and make sure you don't either with their no tresspassing signs. i used to love this place when i was younger, but now money talks and they could care less about tourists. absoutly the worst vacation we ever had, never to return there and will tell everyone we know not to go there either..this was our experience at crystal beach ontario.

The beach is what we came for and we were not disappointed. The well-used public part of it offers about 300x50 m strip of fine sand. It is fairly well maintained and clean. Going into the lake, it is shallow for the fist few dozen metres and quite safe for kids. I never spotted any stones or other potentially dangerous objects on the beach or in the water. Water itself is very clear, generally clean and significantly warmer than Lake Huron/Georgian Bay. There is a concession trailer near the main beach entrance offering burgers, hotdogs, fries, ice cream and pop at reasonable prices.The beach is mostly being visited by families, although some younger girls and boys can also be seen.The town doesn't offer much in terms of sightseeing or stuff to do. There are several restaurants, but not anything that is really worth visiting. It is a charming little cottage community that still lives in the 20th century. If you don't like commercialized, you will probably like it as well.

Crystal Beach is a wonderful little community that has come a long way since the famous Crystal Beach Amusement Park closed in 1989. IT has been a run down town for many years especially since it was so seasonal with the amusement park.After the park closed, the community went downhill quickly, however, local businesses and the Town of Fort Erie have invested in the area and brought it back during the past ten years. The center of the residential area that really went downhill has been brought back to life and it's a nice area to live. A lot of residential properties are seasonal (many non-winterized cottages), however there are now more full-time residences than ever before. The cost of property and rents are among the lowest in Niagara. If the village had high speed Internet, I'd move there in a heartbeat!The village's trademark is the decorated bicycles that you will see all over town. There are at least 25 of them and they really bring a sense of local community!There are quite a few new dining establishments and some of them very good!Crystal Beach Waterfront Park is a fantastic park that is a small peninsula sitting well out into Lake Erie. It's a great family spot that includes a kids play zone, ampitheatre and boat launch. There are live concerts at the ampitheatre all summer. There is also great fishing from shore and the beach is fantastic! It's a long white sandy beach just west of the Waterfront Park that is a very popular place. It's quite crowded on weekends.For those that crave more adventure during their summer vacation, Sherkston Shores is right next door! The best of both worlds - the Shores' activities and Crystal Beach's beach!Do not pay attention to all of the naysayers here. Most of them are long time residents that don't appreciate what they have. (I highly suspect most of the negative comments are from one person that has multiple TA accounts each with a different persona.)Crystal Beach is not what it was, it has come a long way in ten years. It's a wonderful little village with a great beach located on the shores of Lake Erie, only 15minutes to the USA, 2 hours to Toronto and overall, hosts a great relaxing and quiet lifestyle for visitors and residents.

The area is kind of depressing because of its economy. But the beaches are nice and there is much to do in the area (Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, etc.) I am sure the future will be great for the area.