Swimming at Brebeuf Beach

Brebeuf beach - a hidden jewel!

In our river kayaking piece, we remarked about the beautiful sand beaches you'll find all along the Riviere Rouge.  Well, the Rouge continues south to the town of Brebeuf and beyond, and after a beautiful waterfall beside highway 323, you'll find a spectacular white sand beach.  The is the municipal beach of Brebeuf, and it is a hidden jewel in the Laurentians.

We've driven through Brebeuf dozens of times on our way to Tremblant via Ottawa.  Blueberry Falls (chute aux bleuets) is easy to spot but the beach is relatively hidden.  Head south on chemin de la rouge just west of the bridge over the falls, and there is ample parking on the right side.  Just cross the bridge over the river to the central island which forms the beach.  There is a charge -$6.50 for adults - and it's a bargain.  The beach is quite spacious so even on a busy day, you won't feel crowded.  The water is fairly shallow and deepens very gradually, so it's great for kids.  We don't have kids and like it anyway...

The water as seen through our beach chair

We're blessed with great swimming spots in the Tremblant area.  The others we've written up are on beautiful lakes, and those are hard to beat from a pure swimming standpoint.  But if you're looking more for sunbathing on a sandy beach, you can't beat Brebeuf!

July 2018 Update
The first few days of July were unusually hot with daytime highs in the mid-30's and humidex values over 40 degrees celsius.  Of course, that meant beach weather and so we upgraded our beach gear with a proper umbrella.  Brebeuf beach was one of several we visited during this stretch and it did non disappoint.  There is still a small fee for usage, but the beach is lifeguarded and the sand is incomparable in the region.  An awesome day!