Sandbanks Provincial Park is a provincial park located on Lake Ontario in Prince Edward County near Picton, Ontario, Canada. The park is considered one of the best sandy beaches in Ontario and contains the largest bay-mouth barrier dune formation in the world.
Three expansive sandy beaches that some say are among the best in Canada; Outlet Beach is perfect for families, with shallow waters and gentle drop off
Location jutting out into Lake Ontario means that this park is a bird migration hotspot in spring and fall
Walking trails that allow visitors to experience the dune and wetland habitats of the park
Daily interpretive programming for the whole family during the summer months
Great starting point to explore Prince Edward County known for its bicycle touring, wineries, food, and antiques
Sandbanks is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the summer, but make sure to book your entrance permits in advance to avoid disappointment.
Rules and Regulations
Please review the Rules and Regulations and Reservation Penalties for camping in Ontario Parks.
Please also review our privacy and security information.
You can request a refund for certain cancellations. Please use the Request for Refund form.
Visit these Twitter feeds for information about capacity and conditions at popular beaches in The County. These Twitter feeds are managed by the individual beaches and the municipality cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information. For Sandbanks and North Beach Provincial Parks, it’s best to check their reservation system for up-to-date availability of day use permits. For Little Bluff and Wellington Rotary Beach, if there are no recent Twitter updates, this generally means there is space available at the beach.
Visit the three Beaches at Sandbanks Provincial Park
Sandbanks Dune Beach - the most secluded of all the beaches in the park, The Sandbanks Dunes Trail, will bring you right through the massive sand formation
Lakeshore Beach - situated on the western shore of Lake Ontario, gently sloping into the water. Much longer than Outlet Beach, it stretches from West Point in the south 7 km to the village of Wellington in the north.
Outlet Beach - is the most widely known. With its expansive, two-kilometer-long shoreline, and soft, white sand. A day-use-only beach, you're required to book your visit in advance to guarantee entry.
Length of Stay - Car Camping in 2024
The maximum length of stay for car camping at select parks is seven or fourteen nights between July 1 and the Saturday of the Labour Day long weekend.
The maximum stay on a campsite at all other parks and during off-season is twenty-three consecutive nights.
Stays that overlap with July 1 and the Saturday of the Labour Day long weekend may be eligible for longer stays as follows:
Parks with a 7-night maximum length of stay
Arrivals between June 15 and June 30 can book a maximum stay to the departure date of July 8.
Arrivals that begin 7 days before the Saturday of the Labour Day weekend will be eligible to book a maximum stay of 23 nights.
Parks with a 14-night maximum length of stay
Arrivals between June 22 and June 30 can book a maximum stay to the departure date of July 15.
Arrivals that begin 14 days before the Saturday of the Labour Day long weekend will be eligible to book a maximum stay of 23 nights.
Book your daily vehicle permit in advance!
Advance Daily Vehicle Permit Rules
Daily vehicle permits are available in advance of arrival at participating parks. Buying your permit for one of these parks in advance gaurantees your spot.
Advance daily vehicle permits can be purchased up to 5 days before your visit starting at 7:00am ET.
Daily vehicle permits purchased in advance are non-refundable and no changes may be made to your arrival date or park.
If you are driving a different vehicle than the one you originally identified at the time of booking, only the registered permit holder can change the vehicle licence plate information. To do so please log onto your Ontario Parks account and click the “Preregister” button on the reservation detail page, or update with park staff upon arrival at no additional cost.
Seasonal vehicle permit holders MUST obtain an advance daily vehicle permit to guarantee entry. Seasonal vehicle permits must be displayed during your visit.
Daily vehicle permits purchased in advance are only valid for the park they were purchased for; they cannot be used to gain entry to other provincial parks.
A daily vehicle permit is required for each day you visit, you are required to carry proof of purchase when arriving at the park either by having a digital or printed copy of your confirmation letter.
For more information on purchasing daily vehicle permits in advance, please visit our day use page.
Bookings can be made five days in advance at: https://reservations.ontarioparks.com/
Print out your Reservation
The advantage at Sandbanks is the bypass lane, For those folks who print out their reservation and place it on the dashboard of their vehicle, they can simply use the bypass lane without having to engage with park staff.
Reservations
Annual Day-Use Vehicle Permit 2024
$99.00 CAD
Description
Valid from January 1, 2024 until December 31, 2024. Plan a year of park adventures. With this permit, you can enjoy unlimited day-use entry to over 100 provincial parks. Use this seasonal permit to secure a spot before arrival at any park offering advanced day use permit sales. Park capacity limitations apply. This permit is intended for use of private individuals and families and allows park entry for one vehicle and its passengers for the day.
Summer Day-Use Vehicle Permit 2024
$75.00 CAD
Description
Valid from April 1, 2024 until November 30, 2024. With this permit, you can enjoy unlimited day-use entry to over 100 provincial parks. Use this seasonal permit to secure a spot before arrival at any park offering advanced day use permit sales. Park capacity limitations apply. This permit is intended for use of private individuals and families and allows park entry for one vehicle and its passengers for the day.
Reservations Online
Reserve your car campsite, backcountry campsite, roofed accommodation, group campsite or day-use facility (picnic shelter) now.
***RESERVATIONS BY PHONE - (613) 393-3319
Call Toll Free:
1-888-ONT-PARK (1-888-668-7275)
Outside North America
1-519-826-5290
Plan Your Perfect County Adventure - Combine your camping with a visit to some local Wineries, Breweries, Cideries & Distilleries. Reserve your Private & Exclusive Tour - CALL: + 1 613-955-0732
Free Door-to-door pick up & drop off from anywhere in Prince Edward County is included in the tour price. ( We pick up and drop off at Sandbanks Provincial Park.)
CAMPING
Sandbanks offers over 500 car campsites in five campground areas: Outlet River A & B, Cedars in the East Lake sector, Richardson’s in the West Lake sector and the Woodlands Campground located between East and West Lake sectors of the park. Campsites in these campgrounds accommodate equipment ranging from tents only to large trailers. Amenities such as water taps, comfort stations and laundry facilities are close by.
Outlet A with its many waterfront sites is very popular with campers. A few sites offer electrical service. This is a busy campground with sites that are grouped relatively close together. Outlet B offers a bit more privacy with some sites along the Outlet River and a loop with electrical pull-through sites.
Cedars is a family oriented campground offering more sheltered, private campsites. It has less traffic than the Outlet campgrounds but the beach is still close by.
The Woodlands Campground offers both shady and sunny sites. Sunny sites are preferred by fall campers when temperatures are cooler. All sites in the Woodland Campground offer electrical service. Swimming, boating and the Visitor Centre are only a short distance away.
Richardson’s Campground also offers a mix of sunny and shady sites. Richardson campground offers 19 campsites that are electrical.
We also offer 2 roofed accommodations, Jacques Cottage – a quaint 1.5 story cottage right on the shores of Lake Ontario which sleeps up to 6 and the majestic Maplerest Heritage House a short walk to the Dunes Beach and the infamous sand dunes.