The beach is nice and clean and the water is warm and shallow but it was very crowded. Everyone packed a few feet from each other. I am 100% in favour of the fees and rules because if they didn’t have them the beach would be chaotic and filthy. The beach is an hour from Burlington and the security and fees are for crowd control. Why do people need a tent at the beach? The idea is to lie in the sun. Thank god they don’t allow them. They block the view and take up too much space. The new thing seems to be small wagons filled with junk. Times have changed and Crystal Beach is doing what they have to do to allow most people to have a good time and so jerks who want bbqs, tents and to bring loads of crap with them don’t ruin a beautiful beach experience for others.

We went at end of August to Crystal Beach. It was crowded as always but managed to park free much further from the entrance. The entrance fee is still$10/person which used to be free a few years ago. It went to $5/person and now it is $10/person. You can find several small restaurants if you don't want to haul your cooler with you in the send. They give you a bracelet so you can come back. A shore is very rocky with sharp small rocks but if you enter the water where the rubber path ends you can walk in without any trouble; no rocks. The worst is that you can't take any sun tent onto the beach, only umbrellas, which will get blown away if the wind is strong and hit other beachgoers. There is no shade on the beach. There is an area where you can shower to wash off all the sand at the washroom area which is very useful. Pros: Lots of sun, lots of sand, warm water temperature Cons: Crowded, no shade, no sun-tent allowed-only umbrellas, expensive for a small beach (300 m sandy shoreline)

Just went to Crystal Beach on a very hot day. Wonderful breeze and the water is so clean. You can see the bottom, walking in on soft sand. The water level going in quite far is low so it is great for young kids to safely play in. I was just at Wasaga Beach a few weeks ago and it is cheaper, and the beach is long, great for walking but the water is dirty looking. Yes Crystal Beach is very expensive. For 2 people we paid $30.00. My mistake going on a Friday as it is considered weekend rates at $10.00 a person. During the week is $5.00 per person. Parking you have a choice of lots or street parking with a cost. Directly across the entrance to beach is a lot where it says $4.00 per hour or max $15.00. There is a machine to pay and you get a ticket to put in windshield. Directly across from this lot is another lot where there is an attendant and a sign for $10.00 parking no ticket given. There is security at entrance of beach and they search EVERYONE'S bags and wagons. That is ok with me. Just go by the rules, they do not want problems and want to keep their beach clean and a pleasant experience for everyone.