Sandbanks Provincial Park Park

Address: Sandbanks Provincial Park, 1098 County Rd 12, Picton, ON K0K 2T0, Canada

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

Hours: Park open year-round; seasonal services vary (beach facilities busiest May-September).

Admission: Entrance fee (day-use) varies by season; single-day vehicle permit typically CAD 17-20 (check Ontario Parks website for current rates).

Sandbanks Provincial Park is a provincial park on Prince Edward County in southeastern Ontario, noted for long sandy beaches and extensive coastal dune systems on Lake Ontario. The park is a popular destination for swimming, camping and windsurfing.

Visitors come for broad sand beaches that back onto high dunes, sheltered bays for swimming and family-friendly campground facilities. The dune ridges and beach faces are the park’s primary natural attractions and attract large summer crowds.

The park’s sand features originated from glacial and postglacial processes that deposited and reworked sand along the Lake Ontario shore. Park management focuses on dune stabilization and restricting access to sensitive areas.

Sandbanks sits on the northern shore of Lake Ontario within Prince Edward County, close to the town of Picton. The landscape is low-lying lakeshore with sandy spits, sheltered bays and wooded inland areas.

• Fragile dunes: Dune vegetation is fragile so stay on marked trails and boardwalks to avoid accelerating erosion.
• Camping demand: Campgrounds are extremely popular in summer; book sites well in advance for holiday weekends.

What to See#

• Beaches: The park’s main beaches are long sandy shorelines on Lake Ontario that provide bathing, windsurfing and shoreline access. These beaches back onto distinctive dune ridges that are ecologically sensitive and protected.
• Dunes: Extensive dune systems formed by postglacial sand deposits, with fragile vegetation and walking trails that are routed to limit erosion. Dunes are the park’s defining landscape feature and require visitors to stay on marked paths.
• Campgrounds and day-use: Large reservable campgrounds and day-use areas that serve peak summer visitors, with developed facilities for tents and RVs. Campsites fill quickly in summer weekends and holidays.

Sandbanks is on Prince Edward County’s north shore near Picton. From Toronto, drive east on the 401 to exit toward Prince Edward County (follow County roads / Highway 33). The park is well signposted from Picton and County Road 12 provides direct access. Limited seasonal bus services connect Kingston and Belleville to the county; car access is the most practical option for day visits and camping.

• Arrive early in summer: the north beach and parking fill by mid-morning on sunny weekends.
• Walk the Dunes Trail for sweeping views of Lake Ontario and to see migrating shorebirds in spring and fall.
• Book camping well in advance for July-August; Sandbanks is one of Ontario's busiest provincial parks.