Are there Sand Dunes in Ontario? The best known is Sandbanks Provincial Park in Picton. The park is considered one of the best sandy beaches in Ontario and contains the largest bay-mouth barrier dune formation in the world. The 1,550.87-hectare (3,832.3-acre) park was established in 1970 and operates year round. Birdwatching, camping, cycling, fishing, and swimming are among the activities available in the park. This sand dune came about 12,500 years ago, formed by glaciers. They drifted inland with timber cutting and poor farming practices.
In 1881, the West Point Road was buried under 30 metres (98 ft) of sand and the town of Athol, Ontario was forced to relocate after facing a similar event. In the 1920s, Sandbanks was the site of an intense reforestation project. The sand dunes extended over a further 34 hectares (85 acres). To recreate the Carolinian forest that had pre-existed there, the reforestation project used poplar to prevent the sand dunes from burying roads and orchards.
The park has capacity limits and the Wikipedia entry says that these are commonly reached by 10 am. You have to book a day use reservation to get in at all. That's a busy place. In the Q and A here's a question that got my attention:
Q The beach is really busy. What else can I do at the park? A Try another beach, take a hike, go for a paddle. Ha ha!
The next choice of sand dunes might be Sandhill Park is on the north shore of Lake Erie at Port Burwell. It is under 2 hours drive compared to the over 3 hours to get to Sandbanks. Closer, but less scenic. Accessible without the warnings of of reservations. Definitely worth considering.
Our pictures today show Florida's sandy beach patterns and the sand dunes in Colorado.
