Squirrel Creek Conservation Area on the Otonabee River is less than a half-hour's drive south from Peterborough. It is owned by the Otonabee Regional Conservation Authority and maintained by the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan. Squirrel Creek is open from the Victoria Day weekend in May until Labour Day and features a public beach, picnic shelters and baseball diamonds. It also has a boat launch for fishing in the area. There is no overnight camping at Squirrel Creek and gates close daily at 9:00 p.m.
Less than 10 minutes southeast of downtown Peterborough, Beavermead Park has six soccer fields, a pavilion with picnic tables and a playground for children. The park is also popular for camping, and visitors can also bike or rollerblade through the park's paved trail. Beavermead features a public beach and two beach volleyball courts on the eastern shore of the Otonabee River's Little Lake.
Only a 20-minute drive north of Peterborugh, the Selwyn Beach Conservation Area is open from July 1 until Labour Day weekend. A daily fee is charged per vehicle entering the conservation area. The 42-hectare area is managed by the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority and features a gently sloping beach on the northeast shores of Chemong Lake. Camping, hiking and fishing are also popular activities at Selwyn Beach.
The sandy shores of Birdsall Beach on Rice Lake is about 40 minutes southeast of Peterborough. The Birdsall Beach Resort allows visitors to camp overnight on fully-serviced sites or setup tents on minimal service lots. The resort also offers a two-bedroom cottage unit for rent. Next to the resort is a 650-acre conservation area where visitors can enjoy hiking. Fishing and boating are also popular pastimes on Rice Lake.
