TNT!MEN Directions to Hanlan's Point Beach

I want to go nude at Hanlan's Point!

Great idea! To get there, you have to take the ferry from the mainland. You'll find the ferry docks at the south end of Bay Street, on Queens Quay West. (If you are coming by subway, you can walk the few blocks south from Union Station, or take the LRT one stop.) Walk south around the Harbour Castle hotel. The sign indicating the ferry docks is pretty small, so you might miss it.

On hot weekends, there may be long lines at the ticket gates. You might save some time at the automatic ticket machines on site, but those can have longer lines, I've found. If you buy a strip of ten pre-paid tickets (from the "Prepaid Tickets Only" booth), you can sail past the lines. A strip of 10 tickets generally gives you a small savings.

The ferry costs $6.50 return for adults, $4.00 for students and seniors. There is no extra charge for a bicycle. Take the Hanlan's Point ferry, usually at gate four. The biggest crowds are typically for the Centre Island ferry, so just walk around them.

Ferry Schedule

The summer schedule is on the bottom of this page. During the day on weekends, the Hanlan's Point ferries leave every 30 minutes at quarter after and quarter to the hour (e.g. 9:15 and 9:45). The City of Toronto website has a complete ferry schedule and directions.

Finding the Beach

Once you land on the island, follow the roadway south, away from the ferry docks. There are signs pointing to the nude beach, but they aren't easy to see.

When the path splits, take the right (western) branch. At the tennis courts, you'll see a break in the trees to the west. This leads to the supervised (clothed) swimming area. Once you reach the beach, turn left (south) and walk past the barrier screen to get to the nude beach. There are signs up, and a big fence around the nude part, so it's pretty hard to miss once you are on the beach.

What Should I Bring?

The snack bar near the beach has been closed every time I've gone. I wouldn't count on it being open. You should bring plenty of water to drink, and some food. There are washrooms and showers at the snack bar, and nicer showers half-way back to the ferries.

The sun can be very intense, so PLEASE wear a lot of sunblock. You might also want to bring a beach umbrella if you have one because there is no shade from the afternoon sun. A hat might be wise, too.

A clever entrepreneur has a business renting out beach umbrellas and chairs. I think the umbrellas are about $10, the chairs around $5, though I think there's a cheaper combo price.

If you see anyone getting naked outside the approved area, you might want to warn them that they could be ticketed.