Hanlan's Point Beach

The crowds fall away as you walk west. The paths grow sandy underfoot. Tall grasses bend and hiss in the wind. Then the land opens, and the lake is in front of you, wide and bright to the horizon. This is Hanlan's Point Beach, at the quiet western tip of the Toronto Islands.

The beach takes its name from the Hanlan family. They lived on this point in the nineteenth century and ran a hotel here. Their most famous member was Ned Hanlan, a rower. He grew up on these waters and became a champion, winning races in many countries. For a time he was one of the best-known athletes alive.

Long ago, this western point was a busy place. There was an amusement park here, with rides and crowds and music. There was a stadium too, where baseball was played on summer afternoons. People came across the water by the thousands on warm days. The point once had a louder and brighter life than it has now.

One moment from that old stadium is still remembered today. In 1914 a young player named Babe Ruth came here with his team. He hit his first home run as a professional on this ground. The ball, people say, flew out toward the lake. Ruth would go on to become the most famous name in the sport. Part of it began right here.

The amusement park and the stadium are gone now. The crowds moved on long ago. The point grew quiet again. Nature slowly returned to its edges. Today the beach is calm and open, a place to walk, to swim, and to watch the water, rather than a place to ride and cheer.

The beach itself is wide and soft. It faces the open lake, so the water stretches to the horizon with no far shore in sight. The sand is pale and clean. Grasses and low dunes grow behind it. There are fewer buildings here than elsewhere on the islands, and the whole feeling is more natural and more wild.

Hanlan's Point Beach is also one of the few clothing-optional beaches in Canada. The city marked it that way in 1999, though the point had a relaxed reputation long before then. The rule here is simple: people may choose for themselves. Visitors come for the openness and the calm, and the beach is shared with care and respect.

Look to the north and you will see something you might not expect. Just across a narrow channel of water sits an airport. Small planes lift off and come down again close by. The island airport sits right at the edge of the point. You can watch the planes climb out over the lake as you rest on the sand.

This beach faces west, and that makes it special at the end of the day. As evening comes, the sun drops slowly toward the lake. The water turns gold, then orange, then a deep and quiet red. People stop what they are doing and turn to watch. Of all the places on the islands, this is one of the finest for a sunset.

Come prepared, because the point is quiet. There are few shops out here, and very little shade. Bring water, bring food, and bring sunscreen. Bring whatever you think you will need for the day. The long walk or short ferry ride that keeps the crowds away also keeps the services few and far between.

There is a ferry that comes straight to Hanlan's Point. If you want the beach and little else, you can take it directly, and skip the busier centre of the islands. The boat sets you down close to the sand, near the western edge of everything, where the land runs out into the lake.

Sit for a while before you leave. Feel the wind coming off the water. Watch a plane rise, a sailboat pass, the light slowly change over the lake. This point has been loud, and it has been quiet. It has held champions and crowds, and now it mostly holds the wind. Let the lake have the last word.