Sandbanks Provincial Park

Sandbanks Provincial Park is a nature reserve in Prince Edward County on Lake Ontario in Canada. The site consists of several campgrounds, a large dune system and sandy shoreline that runs for several kilometers.

Intensive logging in the 1880s destabilized the soil and allowed the dunes to drift inland. The settlement of Athol had to be relocated in 1881 after sand covered its buildings and roads.

The name comes from the shifting sandbanks that reshaped the shoreline over many decades. Today locals and visitors use the wide beaches for swimming, picnicking and watching migratory birds that rest along the lakeshore.

The campgrounds offer sites for tents and trailers, with some areas closer to the water than others. Paths lead from the overnight areas to the swimming beaches and through the dune landscape, which can be explored on foot.

The barrier dunes here form the largest formation of this kind at a bay mouth anywhere in the world. Sand still moves along the eight kilometer shoreline and reshapes the beach during strong winds.

Location: Prince Edward County

Inception: 1970

Operator: Ontario Parks

Website: https://ontarioparks.com/park/sandbanks/fr

GPS coordinates: 43.91861,-77.29361

Latest update: December 12, 2025 08:36