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Best Kids-Friendly Swimming Lakes Near Vancouver For Your Awesome Family Summer Experience!

Enjoy fantastic summer weekends with family at these freshwater lake beaches near you: happy to share our favourite places 🙂

Looking for a family-friendly beach near Vancouver to get away on a hot summer day? If you are like us, you must be tired of Vancouver’s overcrowded swimming pools and city beaches. You'll give anything to find warm BC lakes outside of the city to enjoy quietly with your family. Luckily we are sharing our collection of freshwater lakes near Vancouver, which are perfect for outdoor adventures with kids, swimming, relaxing and having a family picnic on a hot summer day. 

We list both: lakes near us that we visited with our family, and beaches around Metro Vancouver that are still on our list to visit but we’ve heard a lot about it. All locations are within 1.5hr drive from Vancouver, most are less than an hour. Our favorite lakes such as Buntzen, Sasamat, Cultus, and other lakes have links to more detailed reviews of our past visits. Hope this list is going to be helpful for your next family outdoor adventure!

Oh, before you plan your visit to any of the lakes, we want to remind you about Leave No Trace principles and why these are important to be followed, whether you are going for a day picnic or for a week-long camping trip: Leave No Trace & Outdoor Ethics – Zero Impact Family Adventures

***This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. All product recommendations and feedback are ours and based on personal experience. Please refer to our Disclosure Policy. 

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Without further due, let us present, in no particular order, the best and our favourite swimming lakes near Vancouver:

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Sasamat Lake aka White Pine Beach, Port Moody

Where: Sasamat Lake – HERE

Sasamat Lake has the warmest water we've experienced at a BC lake so far. The lake boasts a set of soft sandy beaches – the famous White Pine Beach is one of them.

BBQ tables are available, but there are not too many, and washrooms along the beach. Sometimes teenagers will be selling cold pop for cash, otherwise, there are no on-site food options. The best about this lake: it does not allow motorboats. You are welcome to bring your own floaties and paddleboards though. 

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White Pine Beach is one of the most advertised beaches near Vancouver. That's why Sasamat lake is extremely popular with families with little kids – it’s a soft beach is just perfect for teaching kids how to swim. But this also means that on hot summer weekends the beach can be overcrowded. They keep adding parking every year, still, if you are not through the gate by about 9:30-10am, your chances of getting in are extremely slim.

Another word of caution: every year visitors spot black bears in the area, sometimes right at the parking lot, so be careful exiting the car. 

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Buntzen Lake, Anmore

Where: Buntzen Lake – HERE

Buntzen Lake near Vancouver is one of the most peaceful, serene, clearest lakes in British Columbia. The air is so fresh, and the place's energy so strong that you get instantly recharged and rejuvenated the minute you step out of your car! The warm and clean waters make it one of the absolute best swimming lakes near Vancouver. Ok, maybe not one of the warmest lakes in Canada, but definitely the most beautiful absolute best lakes for swimming in British Columbia!

In the summer, Buntzen is very popular with families with little kids. You’ll find plenty of BBQ tables, proper washrooms, a separate dog beach and a pier for boat launching. Motorboats are not allowed, but you can bring your kayaks, paddleboards, and floaties. 

Read our blog post with guidelines on visiting Buntzen Lake, including maps of surrounding family-friendly hiking trails: Buntzen Lake – True Zen & Best Swimming Lake Near Vancouver.

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Alouette Lake, Maple Ridge

Where: Alouette Lake – HERE

Alouette Lake, located within Golden Ears Provincial Park, is one of the most spectacular & scenic lakes in British Columbia. The view of the mountains is breathtaking! The lake waters are extremely clean but are quite cool even on the hottest summer day as the lake gets its waters from the surrounding mountain creeks. Alouette is at the top of the absolute best swimming lakes in BC on our family's list!

In the summer, Alouette is very popular. There are a few beaches around the lake and a few campsites. You’ll find plenty of BBQ tables and proper bathrooms, a volleyball playground even, and a separate dog beach. Motorboats are allowed – there is a separate boat launch area further within the park.  You can bring your paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, and floaties of course!

If you want to “spice up” your time at the beach with a cool refreshing hike, we strongly encourage you to drive 7-8 min further into Golden Gates Park towards North Campground. You’ll find an astonishing 100% stroller-friendly and wheelchair-accessible hike there to the Gold Creek Falls. See the details here: Gold Star Stroller-Accessible Golden Ears Provincial Park Nature Trail

To help our active parents who can't seem to figure out how to get their kids to enjoy hiking, we have prepared this post: Five Tried-And-True Outdoor Activities To Get Kids to Absolutely Love Hiking – find many creative ideas, kids outdoor activities, treasure hunts, and nature experiments within!

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Cultus Lake, Chilliwack

Where: Cultus Lake – HERE

Cultus Lake is one of the most popular and the most advertised freshwater swimming lake near Vancouver. Indeed, the place is fantastic for families with kids! There are more than a dozen little beaches around the lake. The most popular beach is at Cultus Lake Provincial Park and others are at nearby campgrounds. 

The water is super clean, and is remarkably changing color depending on the time of day! It looks amazing sky-blue turquoise from above, where at the eye level it shines pure platinum. Beaches range from soft sandy at some locations and a bit of bitter-rocky at others. 

Motorboats are allowed, there are special boat launch areas with parking. In our opinion however, there are almost TOO MANY boats on the water…  it takes away from the wild experience. Kayaks, paddleboards, floaties are always welcome of course. 

Depending on the time of day, you can opt-in to visit the Cultus Lake Adventure Park and the Cultus Lake Water Park. There are plenty of other smaller attractions around, many ice-cream shops and great places to eat!

In case you get bored with beach fun, and want to hide from the afternoon heat, we have an exciting (and free) treasure-hunt adventure for you! Check out this unique easy kids-friendly hiking experience near Cultus Lake: Teapot Hill – Treasure Hunt Hiking Adventure Your Kids Will Absolutely Love!

Of course, there are many other kids-friendly family Cultus Lake hikes. There are also plenty of other easy kids-friendly hikes near Chilliwack you can have a blast exploring! Here is one of the ideas just 15 minutes away: Bird-Lover Heaven! Dazzling Home of Pacific Great Blue Heron

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Rolley Lake, Mission

Where: Rolley Lake – HERE

Rolley Lake is a perfect location near Vancouver for some relaxing family picnic. 

At the peak of the beautiful summer, say NO to overcrowded beaches, motorboat noise & parking nightmare! Say YES to clean lake water, fresh air, and a refreshing kids-friendly forest trail. We consider it our best-kept secret as well, as, on a hot summer day when other beaches are already closed for too many visitors, Rolley Lake always has a spot!

Beach is soft sand, water is clean and shallow, the recreation area has picnic tables for family BBQ. There is a large campsite nearby as well. 

Check out our blog post with a detailed guide on visiting Rolley Lake, hiking trails around including Rolley Falls trail! Best Kept Secret Lake Location to Enjoy a Family Weekend Near Vancouver

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Devils Lake, Mission

Where: Devils Lake – HERE

Devils Lake has been an accidental find and a truly spectacular gem to our collection of amazing places. Devils Lake has that mystical feeling from thriller movies. Crystal clear water, the quiet serenity of the surrounding foresty hills, ..and NO people!  Of all the lakes in BC, this Devils Lake is the most unusual place we've encountered.

Yes, there is no specific recreation area here per se, but you can park in a small pocket along the road and hike about 10 min to the lakeshore. The beach is ok: a bit chunkier sand and grass, but the water is clean and pure. If you are into fishing or kayaking – this is exactly your spot!  Here is our blog post with tips and advice on visiting Devils Lake: Devils Lake In Mission BC – Both Family Fun & Mystical Experience

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Trout Lake, Vancouver

Where: Trout Lake – HERE

Trout Lake is located right in Vancouver. It is nice and cute, with sandy beach and kids-friendly facilities. There is even a playground with swings! Yet in the summer months there are too many people here for our taste. Hence we like to get away from the city and enjoy one of other awesome “wilder” swimming lakes near Vancouver.

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Harrison Lake, Harrison Hot Springs

Where: Harrison Lake – HERE

Harrison is not the closest among lakes near Vancouver but definitely is worth a visit. This spectacular Lake is one of the most epic swimming lakes in BC.

Harrison Hot Springs is a mini-resort vocational town. It has everything you need for enjoyable family beach time, and it is only 1.5 hours away from Vancouver. There is a large soft sandy beach, with spectacular views of the mountains. The water is warm and clean, one of the warmest lake water in BC. They even have a floating water park right off the shoreline! 

In addition to the main beach at Harrison Hot Springs, there are many little beaches around this beautiful BC Lake. One of our accidental yet absolutely spectacular finds is a little private wild beach – Sandy Cove Beach. Here is a blog post about hiking Sandy Cove trail and getting to this hidden gem beach: Stunning Colours of Sandy Cove Beach Trail near Harrison Hot Springs

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Alice Lake, Squamish

Where: Alice Lake, Squamish

Alice Lake is a small wild lake within Alice Lake Provincial Park near Squamish. There is a nice sandy beach here, picnic tables, and even a camping area nearby. The water is cool, yet warmer than the ocean. Visitors will find many excellent hiking trails nearby, for example, the famous Four Lakes Trail.

Considering the location, however, the area is frequent by wildlife, including bears. Hence it is important to ensure you properly dispose of and remove all your garbage from the park once you are done with your amazing family getaway.

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Browning Lake, Squamish

Where: Browning Lake here

Browning Lake is located at Murrin Provincial Park, just past Sea-to-Sky gondola – you are passing it every time on our drive to Squamish or Whistler.

The water of Browning Lake is beautifully clean and refreshing. The beach itself is tiny, however – probably the tiniest of all the swimming lakes in BC that we've seen. There are a few picnic tables, bio-washrooms next to the parking lot, but no running water, nor any food options. 

We still encourage you to visit, as Murrin Park offers hikes for every experience level, and it is a popular location for rock climbing enthusiasts. Here are some notes from us: Howe Sound EPIC Views from Jurassic Ridge at Murrin Provincial Park – Squamish Best Hikes

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Other Swimming Lakes Near Vancouver

Below are other swimming lakes in BC that are on our list to visit still! Even though we haven't gone there yet, I do not have any reason not to mention them here. We’ve heard fantastic feedback from our family friends with small kids on many of the lakes near Vancouver listed below. Check them out too!

• Deer Lake, Burnaby – one of the closest public beaches near Vancouver
• Burnaby Lake, Burnaby – one of the closest public beaches near Vancouver
• Albert Dyke Lake, Abbotsford 
• Laxton Lake, Abbotsford
• Chilliwack Lake, Chilliwack
• Hayward Lake, Mission
• Rice Lake, North Vancouver
• Cat Lake, Squamish
• Brohm Lake, Squamish

Lakes Near Vancouver You Can NOT Swim

Here is the list of Lakes near Vancouver that you can't swim in with your kids. The reasons could be: swimming here is prohibited, or too dangerous, or the water is too cold… or the lake is almost completely inaccessible with kids. Here are some of those:

• Joffre Lakes near Pemberton, BC – swimming is prohibited
• Rohr Lake near Pemberton, BC – swimming is allowed, yet the lake is hard to access – it requires a 2.5-hour hike that is not kids-friendly.
• Hoover Lake near Mission, BC – swimming is allowed, yet the lake is accessible through a 2-hour hike.
• Mystery Lake at Mt. Seymour near Vancouver – the lake is accessible via 1-hour hike and the water is very cold.
• Pitt Lake near Pitt Meadows – swimming is not recommended and there are no public beaches

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Exploring with Kids? DOWNLOAD our FREE outdoor treasure hunt sheets!

If you know of any more family-friendly beaches near Vancouver and beautiful swimming lakes near Vancouver, send us a note! We are always on a lookout for warm swimming lakes in BC to explore with our family and friends.

What lake would you rate as the best lake in British Columbia? We are curious to know!

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Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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