Formby Beach in April
Why Spring Is the Best Time to Visit

I've said it before and I'll say it again: summer at Formby is brilliant, but April is the month I actually look forward to. The beach car park reopens, the dunes are greening up properly, the squirrels are out and active, and you're not fighting for a space at the National Trust entrance with half of Liverpool. Here's what April at Formby looks like in practice.

The beach is back

The main National Trust car park at Formby Beach (L37 1YH) reopens in April after the winter closure. That sounds like a small detail but it changes the experience significantly: you can park properly, walk through the pinewoods to the beach, and do the full Formby day out without having to figure out alternative parking on Shore Road.

April beach conditions: cool, often breezy, bright on a good day. The sand is wide and flat at low tide. You won't be paddling in April unless you're committed, but the beach is completely usable for walking, kite flying, or letting kids exhaust themselves in the dunes. Bring layers. The wind off the Irish Sea has a genuine edge before May.

Red squirrels in spring

April is a genuinely good month for red squirrel sightings at Formby. The juveniles from winter breeding are starting to emerge and explore. The squirrels are active and feeding, which means more movement and more chances to spot them in the pinewoods between the car park and the beach.

The squirrel trail runs through the pinewoods on the NT estate. Walk slowly, make less noise than your children are making, and look up into the lower canopy rather than on the ground. Early morning is better than midday. If you arrive at the car park before 9am on a weekday in April, your chances of a decent sighting are genuinely good.

Natterjack Toads: the April bonus

Late April is when Natterjack Toads start calling at Ainsdale NNR, which is just north of Formby. The males produce a rasping, churring call on warm evenings: genuinely one of the stranger sounds you'll hear on the Sefton Coast. The calling starts when evening temperatures exceed about 10°C, usually late April into May.

You don't need access to the NNR itself to hear them: the calls carry. A still evening in late April around the dune slack area is worth trying for. It's one of those wildlife experiences that surprises people who weren't expecting it.

Crowds: or the lack of them

Before Easter weekend, April at Formby is genuinely quiet. Weekday April visits are often just dog walkers and birders. Even at weekends it's manageable compared to June, July and August when the car park queues start before 10am and the beach is dense with families.

The exception is Easter weekend: that brings a proper crowd. If you're visiting over the Easter bank holiday, book your parking in advance and go early. An 8am start on Easter Monday is a completely different experience from arriving at noon.

What to bring

• ✓Waterproof layer: April weather on the Sefton Coast is unpredictable. Blue sky and sunshine can become horizontal drizzle in 20 minutes.
• ✓Warm mid-layer: the wind off the Irish Sea is cold before May even on sunny days.
• ✓Binoculars if you want to do the squirrels properly: they give you distance that doesn't frighten the animals.
• ✓The NT app downloaded and parking pre-booked over bank holidays.
• ✓Dogs are welcome on the beach and in the pinewoods: on leads near the squirrel reserve.