Parks and the outdoors in Kingston

13 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Kingston.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

See
Bellevue House National Historic Site of Canada
A finely-maintained Italianate villa with lush gardens which served briefly as the home of first Canadian prime minister Sir John A. Macdonald. House and grounds restored to the 1840s with guided tours by interpreters costumed in clothing of the era. (During the 2018 season, interpretive programming and guided tours of the heritage grounds and heirloom orchard will continue but the interior of the house will be closed for maintenance; there will be no admission fee.) A Parks Canada national historic site. Visit time: 1-2 hours.
May–Oct: 10AM-5PM$4/person
See
Cataraqui River and LaSalle Causeway Bridge
Water and steel. 1915 two-lane Strauss trunnion bascule lift bridge carries Highway 2 across the southern endpoint of the Rideau Canal waterway directly to the foot of downtown Kingston. Fine scenic view of the downtown when approaching from Fort Henry Hill. Visit time: 15 min max.
Do
City Park
Although the surface isn't as regularly conditioned as Market Square, this the place to go if you want to play hockey, since hockey isn't allowed on the Market Square rink.
Do
Frontenac Provincial Park
30 minutes north by car, opportunities for walking and picnicking, fishing, canoeing, wildlife viewing, boating, swimming and cycling. Winter activities.
Do
Fruition Berry Farm
Pick your own strawberries, raspberries, peas and beans. Fall corn maze and pumpkin patch. Picnic, nature walk, children's playground in a beautiful country setting.
June-Oct (weather and crop conditions permitting)
Do
Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises
Three boats (Island Queen, Island Belle, Island Star) leave Kingston downstream on the St. Lawrence River to circle the Thousand Islands. A round-trip is 1½, 2 or 3 hours; selected runs offer sunset cruises, dinner or dancing.
May-Oct: 11AM-6:30PM$25-73/person
Do
Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area
Hiking, canoeing or kayaking in summer; snowshoeing, cross country skiing, or skating on the pond in winter. Rentals and lessons.
$5.50/person
See
Marine Museum of the Great Lakes
History of shipping and shipbuilding on the Great Lakes, including the history of the Calvin Shipyard formerly on Garden Island. This museum reopened at the 1892 federal Kingston Dry Dock, a national historic site, in late 2021.
Eat
The River Mill
Offers delicious contemporary cuisine, and has a great wine list
Do
Victoria Park
Facilities similar to "City Park", including a rink with boards for hockey, and an open rink for skating amidst the trees.
Do
Waterfront
Kingston has a lively waterfront that, depending on the day, may afford opportunities to partake. Richardson Beach extends the full length of the Queen's University campus, Kingston General Hospital and City Park, and sports two large, permanent sculptures: "Time" and "Pollution".
Do Not mapped
Haunted Walk of Kingston
90-minute guided walking tours of Kingston (from Prince George Hotel), Fort Henry (from fort main gate) and Gananoque (from visitor centre, 10 King East, Gan) complete with ghost stories. The same company operates tours in Ottawa and Toronto.
$13.75-15.75/person
Do Not mapped
Skeleton Park Arts Festival
Late June (summer solstice). A free, community-focused arts and music festival.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Kingston (CC BY-SA 4.0).