James N. Allan Provincial Park

A brief, but memorable visit during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The place was packed, as expected. There is access to the beach and there are some nice trails around

We went to this park for viewing solar eclipse on 8th April. There was no entry fee, and it was comparatively less crowded. Anyway it's less known, has easy access to the lake, ample parking.

Been coming to the James Allan beach for a few years now and overall it is a peaceful and quiet beach with very few people. The beach is a mix of pebbles and sand (more pebble than sand). The beach doesn’t seem to be maintained to any extent, and you will get a scattered fish washed up and maybe some excess vegetation. However, some days for the peace and quiet, you can turn a blind eye to that and enjoy it. Worth checking out if your looking for a less crowded beach.

The road was a bit rough coming in... I wouldn't suggest going past the parking area if there has been heavy rain recently. The beach was great - one side had a bunch of dead fish washed up but the other side was pretty clean. Nice little beach. Wasn't alot of people out so it was pretty quiet.
I didn't see any washrooms or change areas but we went past the parking area.

The drive in can be a little sketchy as it’s down a dirt road. During the spring to fall it’s maintained but the winter can be very bumpy.
Most people are respectful and clean their mess up. The beach is very quiet and large.
Large parking lot for the beach and as of recently a safer entrance to the beach from the lot.