Also known as Cloverdale Beach, Accidental Beach is a phenomenon that formed right in the heart of downtown Edmonton during the construction of the Tawatina LRT bridge.

The beach stretches the length of several city blocks and boasts a view of downtown Edmonton. There is limited parking in a residential area along 98A Avenue and a challenging, unmarked footpath access that is extremely steep. Note that river currents constantly change the condition of the beach and that there is ongoing construction immediately upstream.

Cloverdale Beach first appeared in the summer of 2017. Large rock jetties have been placed in the river for bridge construction and the jetty on the southmost riverbank has created a large backwater in which a large amount of sediment was deposited during spring freshet. When river levels are moderate to low, the large stretch of sand is exposed as a beautiful beach right in downtown Edmonton! The LRT bridge is scheduled to be complete in 2020, at which time the rock jetties will be removed and the beach will be washed away.

The description above was copied from or heavily based on Swim Guide, with permission.

More Information

• Swim Guide - Weather and water quality for Accidental Beach and 8,000 other beaches.