Camping with the Coles by Ben and Cheryl Coles
I love napping on a beach, feeling the soft sand underneath me, the warm sun on my body, and the sound of children playing as the waves lap the shore. That’s my little slice of heaven. At Sandbanks Provincial Park in Ontario’s Prince Edward County, you can do that on not one, but three beautiful and distinctly different sandy beaches on the north shore of Lake Ontario.
My wife, Cheryl, and I camped with friends at Sandbanks Provincial Park from July 23rd to the 26th, 2026. This is our second time camping at this popular park and our first time during the height of the summer season. The last time we were there was in mid-September 2021. There is a big difference between camping at one of Ontario’s most popular provincial parks during peak season and the shoulder season. The beaches are packed with people in the summer. In mid-September, we had warm, sunny days and only a smattering of people enjoying the late-summer beaches.
This park originally started as two parks. There was Sandbanks Provincial Park and Outlet Beach Provincial Park. In 1971, the government started acquiring the private properties between the two parks, and in 1979, they officially merged the 15 square kilometres into one park called Sandbanks Provincial Park. It has five campgrounds with a total of 617 campsites, consisting of 339 electric and 278 non-electric sites. There are also two cottages. Jacques Cottage was an original private cottage before being absorbed into the park. Maplerest Heritage House is a grand Victorian farmhouse furnished with antiques, and it too, was acquired by the park.
It’s evident when looking at the park that there are two popular ends, consistent with the two original parks, with some campgrounds in the middle. A trail system links the two ends of the park. Walking, or even better, cycling between the two ends is a much more enjoyable and safer way to navigate the park rather than taking the main road, which can get pretty busy with traffic.
From Outlet Beach, you can take the 3.5 km Woodlands Trail through Woodlands Campground and West Lake Campground to Dunes Beach. From there, you can take the 1 km Richardson’s Trail to Richardson’s Campground and Lakeshore Beach. There, you can check out the Lakeshore Lodge Day Use Area. This is the site of the former Lakeshore Lodge.
In its heyday, Lakeshore Lodge featured nine cottages, a dining hall, swimming pool, bowling alley, ice cream parlour, a three-hole golf course, riding stables, a dance pavilion, and a dock for guests to arrive by boat. From 1905 to 1972, the lodge hosted and entertained guests with its evening dances in the Sunset Room and traditional weekend lawn games and promenades. The government purchased the property in 1971 and closed it in 1972 due to disrepair. The main building and dance hall burned down in 1983. Today, all that remains are some foundation ruins and the dance floor, with “LSL” in tile still intact.
From the Lakeshore Lodge Day Use Area, you can take the 2.4 km Lakeview Trail back up to Woodlands Campground to rejoin the Woodlands Trail. The Lakeview Trail is Cheryl’s favourite trail, as the beginning of it follows the smooth, rocky shoreline that is so different from the beaches Sandbanks is known for. This trail system makes for a nice bike ride and an easy way to really explore the park.
Enough about all that. The real reason people come to Sandbanks is for the beaches.
The biggest and most popular beach is Outlet Beach. It has 12 large parking lots and is definitely the busiest part of the park. It also has Currah’s Park Store and Grill, a popular spot to get some grilled food, ice cream, park merchandise, and anything you may have forgotten to bring on your camping trip.
The beach stretches out over 2 km of the Lake Ontario shoreline. It is wide, with very fine sand. This protected bay usually has calm water and is shallow for a long way out. It is excellent for the little ones. The east end of the beach, at the mouth of Outlet River, is the area where you can bring your furry friends. It’s a large area where pets are permitted on leash. No need to leave Rover at home.
In the summer, this beach fills up fast. Get there early for a parking spot and to claim your little space on the sand.
Lakeshore Beach is the longest beach in the park at 7 km and is the least busy. It is also on Lake Ontario, but it is the windiest, with the biggest waves. Windsurfers love this beach to zoom through the water and air. It, too, has beautiful sand and is lined with trees, allowing you to seek some shade without having to bring an umbrella.
At the south end of this beach is another area for pets on leash. Our dog, Jax, loved playing in the big waves. For dogs looking for a little less adventurous water, they should stick to Outlet Beach.
Then there is Dunes Beach. It is by far the most unique beach in the park. It features 1.5 km of the West Lake shoreline and is the largest freshwater bay-mouth barrier dune system in the world. It features massive, naturally formed sand dunes that are very popular for climbing and playing on.
Dunes Beach is the most scenic and photographed location in the park. Because this is an inland bay, the water is calmer and warmer than at the other beaches. The park’s only playground is at this beach.
Currah’s Dunes Grill and Patio features a patio view of the dunes and offers standard classic grilled food such as burgers, hot dogs, fries, and wraps, as well as ice cream, cold drinks, and milkshakes.
When planning a trip to Sandbanks, be sure to add time to explore the surrounding area of beautiful Prince Edward County. The county is one of Canada’s trendiest hotspots for wineries, breweries, cideries, farm-to-table experiences, boutiques, arts, culture, and festivals.
On our trip this time, we checked out Waupoos Estate Winery and Restaurant, located 17 km north of the park. This winery on the shore of Lake Ontario has a restaurant with a patio overlooking Lake Ontario, an outdoor wine-tasting area, a covered Citrus Lounge for ciders, a store, and a tasting room.
The outdoor areas are pet-friendly, and our group had three dogs with us. We spent our time at the outdoor tasting area. Cheryl and I enjoyed flights of red wines. Some of our friends got mixed flights, and our friend Jamie got a raspberry-apple cider. The group shared a charcuterie board of mixed meats, cheeses, crackers, and nuts. The dogs received bowls of water. It was all very tasty.
Across the street from the winery is Waupoos Market. It has an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven and is the place to pick up some tasty ciders. Jax was curious about the goats in the fenced-in area. He went nose-to-nose with them, trying to figure out what he was looking at.
Next to Waupoos Market is the Cressy Mustard Company with Smoking J’s food truck. Here, you can purchase Cressy hot sauce and mustards. They also offer freshly caught pickerel tacos and pickerel and chips. Smoking J’s has traditional grilled fare like brisket and ribs.
Cheryl and I had the delicious pickerel and chips on the patio. Jax may have received a fry or two.
Our time at Sandbanks was a flurry of cycling through the entire park, exploring, and spending as much time as possible at the dog beaches with Jax. He is an absolute water-loving dog. When he sees or hears the water, there’s no holding him back.
Cheryl kayaked, and Jax and I used the stand-up paddleboard to travel up and back down the Outlet River from the Outlet Campground boat launch. We encountered ducks swimming alongside us and a black rat snake sunning itself on a fallen tree.
We only had three days at Sandbanks Provincial Park. It’s such a big park with so much to see and do that it was difficult to find the time to explore Prince Edward County. On our next trip, we have to allow more time so that we can really delve into the area.
If you want to go, I recommend that, if you have the choice, you choose September. No bugs, no crowds, yet still warm weather and water.
Day use is very popular at this park. If you want to go for day use, be sure to go online five days in advance to reserve your day pass. Even if you have a seasonal pass from Ontario Parks, you still need to reserve your spot. Just showing up at the park during the summer will likely mean you’ll be turned away.
For further information on Sandbanks Provincial Park, you can go to the official website: www.ontarioparks.ca/parks/sandbanks
You can watch our most recent video review of the park at https://youtu.be/wgVTOuMoMh0
You can see our September 2021 review of the park at https://youtu.be/AluNKmd3bg0
Please visit our YouTube channel @campingwiththecoles.
