Reviews of Sandbanks Provincial Park. (Zoo)

Marine

Beautiful beach, and sand bank so much sand! Go early enjoy the entire day and ya see. $22 entrance fee per car.

Barbara Havrot

Beautiful beach but overcrowded. Impossible to relax! High water levels created swampy conditions on way to dunes and one beach was entirely closed.

Lillian Georgi

Beautiful beach soft white sand Crystal warm water Only its shallow for a long way till you can really swim

Phoebe Say

My family and I spent two nights at Sandbanks in the middle of October. We drove from London through Prince Edward County, a vibrant region know for its community of makers and growers. It was well worth the drive and the charm of this area will surely capture your heart and imagination! We had so much fun exploring the park and walking along the beautiful beach. Happy trails ????

Brandon Tardif

West lake campsites are much too open, little to no privacy and no protection from rain or sun. The other campsites are nice however. The trails offer a decent amount of hiking and West lake has some very nice water for swimming.

Kris D

Nice sandy beach not too far from the city but unfortunately it’s extremely overcrowded. Best to avoid during long weekends or holidays. If you are going to make the trek then make sure you’re there early as spots fill up quick.

Yuliya Koldayeva

PLEASE, BUILD MORE & BETTER WASHROOMS. The beach was perfect, the sand was perfect, the water was warm the day we visited. BUT I decided to give only 3 stars because of the beach salubrity. There are no signs on the beach to direct you to the washrooms. Well, we asked around and finally found them. It was a deception, the washrooms are tiny and smelly and you need to wait for a long time in the line. I'm pretty sure that people avoid using them, doing their number one directly in the lake. During our walk on the beach we found a dead fish of about 50 cm already in decomposition, it was lying on the sand near the water. It was disgusting. In some areas along the beach we saw a lot of algae, so the water wasn't transparent at all. We didn't see any lifeguard on the beach...

April Wallace

Sandbanks is amazing! A great beach for everyone and surely will bring memories to last a lifetime!

Silas McDonald

Always enjoy visiting and camping at Sandbanks with friends. The facilities are well kept and clean, the navigation inside the park is helpful and easy to follow, and the beaches are fantastic! Whether you are simply spending an afternoon at the beach, or a week long camping trip in the Outlets, everything is close by, easily accessible and gorgeous.

DH R.

I will never forget this beautiful sunset.

Jade S.

I wish we could’ve stay there longer. We were blown away by the dune beach and there’s so many trails to walk! You must go there if you visit Ontario. The only point is that the beach is really crowded... So not so great if you’re looking for a peaceful place to relax.

Gywnn Quiroga

Nice sandy beach with long shoreline. Open as of today and paid $21/vehicle for entrance fee. Pretty quiet for a weekend.

Christie Brown

Great beaches and bike trails for families, lots of stuff to do in Prince Edward County too! The only bummer was that showers were closed this year due to Covid-19. But still great!

Kleek McGeek

The Sandbanks is always a great place to visit. The beaches are clean, staff is helpful, comfort stations are checked frequently, online reservation for day use is easy to navigate.

Aravamudan Srivatsan

One of the finest beaches I have been to in ontario. The sand is silky smooth and no bubbles on the beach which we liked very much. There are specific area for dogs . We went to the beach where the outlet river meets the lake.

Alex Rotari

Good place for children's as well..

Luc “Bib Fortuna” Dec

Stayed at Outer River B. Small sites. Two different sites in two nights. Did the Cedar trail where I took those pictures. Didn't go to the beach because too many people and no social distancing. Vault toilet were not open. Only comfort station with no showers. Good thing our site was near it.

Justine Dima

So nice ! BUT a lot of people do not keep their dogs on a leash !!!

NAM

I grew up in the area and have great memories of Sandbanks. It’s a beautiful place however the enforcement staff is incredibly aggressive. I almost got run over on the beach by a patrol guy because he assumed my pop can was alcohol before even checking. And it’s impossible to come and go when camping due to the insane influx of people on the roads leading to the park. Why not implement an online reservation service where people can pre book tickets for that day so they aren’t blocking the roads attempting to get in? All in all not a great experience now I remember why I haven’t been in years.

shawkat milton

Amazing but not open all activities after October. We were there end of last week mean November.Stayed at Maple rest heritage house. It was calm, cool abd cold with snow, but we ebjoy.

Ken Aldridge

Permits now required really reduced the line to get in. Been coming here for nearly 30 years, still one of my favorite places to swim ????‍♂️

The Reviewer

After trying to get a reservation here for over 40yrs COVID-19 finally delivered and we got in. The weather wasn't the best and maybe that's why, regardless the Government of Ontario has a pristine piece of property for all to enjoy so enjoy and if you have time check out Three dog winery or Parsons brewing or better yet go to both.

Mikhail Kabakov

Sprawling sandy beach. Lots of walking/hiking trails through the dunes along the beach.

Brandon Garnett

The sand is really fine and smooth. The beach is gorgeous. Highly recommend visiting.

Stephanie Lajeunesse

So beautiful, so much room you never feel like you're being crowded. The waves always make it a special day at the beach

Julien

Belle plage! Beautiful beach! Washrooms were clean, although my wife tells me the changing rooms were not. Got there by 9:30, still plenty of parking space. By 11 the place was full. Go early!!!!!

Josh Cleaver

Beautiful beach, the banks go out quite a bit so you can walk out far, lovely colored water - they recommend you get a permit online, available up to 5 days before you come.

Kris Born

The sandunes part of Sandbanks was a really nice area to spend a day. Lots of room to play and go for an adventure. The eastern side has a nice swimming area that looks towards Picton. There is also a concession stand at the main beach area where you can get drinks and grilled hot dogs and other items. When we visited the water levels were high which made it interesting to get through to the beaches but none the less was very enjoyable.

william chin

This was my first time at the park and I loved it - outside of the lineup of cars to turn into the parks main entrance that is. If you do decide to come here on a weekend, you neeeeeed to do reserve your spot online. I saw several cars being turned away because they didn’t. Luckily I remembered to do so and had no problem getting in.

Charlene Lilly

Visited the Dunes Beach at Sandbanks. What was most frustrating was that I arrived at the road outside of the provincial park at 9:30 and didn’t get in for nearly an hour and a half. Entrance into the park was crowded and incredibly slow. Dunes beach was beautiful but the swimming area is lackluster. There’s about 10m of swimming area before you encounter a massive patch of seaweed and a dark drop off. The water was beautiful but I’m not sure with the crowds it’s worth it when there are so many other gorgeous beaches far less crowded around Ontario.

Shane Ghouralal

Beautiful beach. Good vibes. Great camping. Needs amenities to be serviced more often.

Shaji Rajavickneswaran

Absolutely beautiful park! A little far from where I live but well worth the trek! Clean sand, clean water, and just an overall amazing place! Although it may seem crowded when trying to find parking, the beach is huge and it really doesn't feel too busy. We got there around 1:30 PM and were still able to easily find a parking spot and a clear space on the beach! Definitely going back soon! Highly recommend!

Shad L

Fantastic campsite. Has everything. Hiking, kayaking, swimming and a huge Beach. Campsites are amazing and most of them are secluded. Showers as well. I do wish they had more water stations.

Adventurous GM

@adventurousgm One of my favorite parks in Ontario. We went on a Monday and got to enjoy it without the traffic. Nice beach. Trails are small at this park. Cycling here is nice.

Daniil Kulayev

The best beach that I visited here in Canada. The sand is soft and hot, the water itself is warm and really good to stay inside. There are 3 different beaches around so even if you miss your chance to enter the park because it is full, you can always go to another one and try there, it is about 1 km from provincial sandbanks park. You have also tables there so you can enjoy with your friends. For sure it is the place on my list to visit again and again and again!

Don Poynter

The Sandbanks has the largest fresh water dune system in the world. There is a provincial park but it is very busy in the summer so hard to get in. If you can access it by boat there are many areas on West Lake that are phenomenal. There are hikes to Lake Ontario and gigantic waves. A wonderful place to visit with your family.

Rajesh Periyasamy

A nice sandy beach to cool off hot summer days. The great thing about this beach is that it is shallow to almost 100 meters and you can enjoy playing in the water. It gets busy from afternoon, so it's better to reach early to get a good spot in the beach and also for parking. I don't know if it is the routine but there was no water in the washrooms after 6 pm. Hope they fix this.

Howard Lima

One of the best beaches in Canada!!! There are no rocks on the beach amd the water is clear, which reminds me of the caribbean! This is a perfect place to spend time with family, friends and kids as the whole area is shallow and kids enjoy it a lot!!

Het Shah

One of cleanest beach in Ontario. Must visit as it is rated as blue beach.

irene thomas

Very clean and clear water. It was packed the days that we were there but it was still worth it.

Ravi Ramsaran

Great beach. Park at P8 if you want to be near the food joint. Got the day pass a few days in advance and had no trouble getting in.

Earle Zulueta

Best Beach in the province of Ontario. Real soft sand beach and warmer water. Gets a little crowded on long holiday weekends though.

Jacques Mailloux

Not the first time we've been here. We keep coming back. 2019 saw Lake Ontario waters rise to a point where only 2 of 3 beaches were open, Dunes and Outlet. Sandbanks (the 3rd beach, not the Park) was closed, so what remained open was 2/3rds of 2 beaches. Needless to say, it was busy. We bought the summer pass, so we could bypass the lineup at the main gate every day. Went straight to Outlet Beach very early, and were often done and ready to explore the County by noonish, when the beach was usually reaching capacity. Always saw long wait lines when leaving around noon, so noon is not a good time to arrive on a busy day. Outlet Beach, while not our favorite, was still amazing. Kids loved the day that was windy and made for some large waves. If you've never been to Sandbanks, you should go soon.

Lisa Maria Curiel

Amazing place, the dunes are really pretty the beach is clean and its wasn’t really crowded. Nice place to visit i recommend it

sareh da

Amazing beach. However it is usually full and you need to book in advance. I love the scenery and the water. You can get into the water so warm.

Vernon Simkins

Who doesn't like the Sandbanks? Great beach... I've had many fond memories over the years from visiting there. The sand dunes are great, water's amazing and it's the perfect place for picnics.

Sonia

Spent a couple of days in Picton and went to the Sandbanks beaches everyday (They are 15-20 away by car). It's absolutely beautiful. Fine sand, even some waves. Hard to believe you're on a lake. Truly amazing.

Carlos Denner

Loved the dunes, the water is kind of warm, but the lake is not excellent to swim in.

Fadi Wehbe

awesome large park, shallow waters on several sandy beaches, sandy dunes. $21 for day access till 10 pm. bring mosquito repellent.

Earle D. Zulueta

Great Soft Sand Beach. Water is not too cold and though it was a long holiday weekend still had plenty of room for everyone. I would suggest getting there early as parking is at a premium.

Ash P.

Extremely disappointed! Very little indication of one IMPORTANT part of this park during COVID: you must have a permit to enter the park. We drove 3 hours to this park only to be told we cannot enter. The website should have put this in bold letters as a disclaimer instead of advertising the park. Big, red flashing notice where it says in simple English: “CLICK HERE TO GET A PERMIT TO ENTER A PARK. WITHOUT THIS PERMIT, YOU CANNOT ENTER THE PARK NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU DRIVE WITH SMALL CHILDREN.”

Aditi Sultania

The place is gorgeous. I am a total water baby and this is beach is paradise. Clear waters, beautiful white sand. Beautiful little town.

Abel Seth

The first step you put on this powdery sand you know that paradise its just above the dunes !

Marie Hollingsworth

Amazing fresh water beaches! Serene camping experience with the best burger bar I've ever been to yet! It's a must try for people who like camping and beach vacations!! An all in one 5 star experience.

Reed Haw

One of the best beaches in Ontario. I've been going here since I was a kid, and I recommend Outlet beach for your usual beach going experience (long white sand, warm water). If you want to be a bit more adventurous try the Sandbanks Beach or the Dunes.

Lyl Rose

What a great place! We arrived on a motorcycle to take a quick dip on a very hot day and found it was a "free" admission special day and we were quite excited as a regular admittance to the park is around $18 CA. Glad we didn't have to pay because we only stayed an hour or so. The changing rooms were clean and nice and close to the beach. The beach was beautiful, although crowded even towards the end of the day. The water was refreshing a clean - a very nice experience!

Ash21 L

it has beautiful beach. Sand is so soft. the beach area is big so it allows more people going into the park. They have trails and campsite too. Also it has a dog beach i enjoyed the day at the park very much and will consider doing camping in the fall. there's also a store inside the provincial Park, it is convenient. The washroom facilities are very clean. they have picnic tables.

Carl Cencig

The beach and the park here are beautiful. There isn't a lot to do except walk around and enjoy the sights, but this place is incredibly relaxing and scenic. The parking is pricey so be prepared for that (18$). Sometimes you can stay at nearby hotel which offers a day pass to the park.

Faysal Khelouati

One of the best beaches in Canada!! Camping nights are fantastic!

Larissa Chystykh

Clear water and nice dandy beaches. Don't come on weekends though, chances to get in are low

Sanatana Infiniti

Was trouble to get in during covid nineteen stage-three times but once inside it was a nice beach with long shore, and nice warm water as compared to Lake Ontario at Toronto. The water is shallow and gradually slopes down towards deeper water with all sand beneath the water. You can go hundred meters and still be at neck deep. Was a good experience and I would recommend anyone thinking whether to go or not go to this beach. We had fun and going back whenever we can.

Aïssa Bâ

The beach is nice, but you have to reserve in advance for a place due to covid restrictions

Lag God

Amazing water but the beach isn’t really clean, a lot of people, hard to find parking, but the beach makes up for it

Paula Place

So great now with the advance reservation system, not crowded at all! Can easily spot the kids from the beach!

Jess Barnard

Beautifully well maintained park, albeit a bit busy but that is to be expected with how popular it is! Staff was awesome in helping with some unexpected changes before our trip & we enjoyed our stay very close to the beach in the Outlet River Campground A.

Miranda Boyken

My favorite destination in Ontario. Is the best beach I know, and I visited many. The spirit of this place is truly amazing. Good parking, comfortable cafeteria for those who did not bring food. The water is clean, and long shallow area for little kids. On bright sunny day it reminds me the Caribbean beach. On a gloomy weather like on photo is very beautiful and a little dramatic.

Kevin Morin

Great park with multiple beaches and other areas to enjoy.

Marissa DW

Went on a day pass to Sandbanks Provincial Park on Jul 10. It was a beautiful day, Lakeshore Beach outlet was clean - beach and water. Very enjoyable day. Reserved Day Vehicle Parking. BBQ lunch at an area within the park. Parking plentiful. Went to sandbank dune but moved to lakeshore beach outlet

Alice AbiRaad

We visited the sandbanks provincial Park and stayed at OUTLET beach and its a very nice, wide, long beach. But there were seaweed at the beginning of the beach. We had the feeling as we were at the sea! You can bring your food and drinks with you ( alcohol are forbidden), we stayed next to P7 where there is a food restaurant and toilets!Definitely to try!

Julie Trottier

Been coming here most my life and it still always feels like the first time. The beauty of this gem is absolutely astounding and brings my heart so much joy and peace to be here. Forever my favorite paradise at home.❤

DJ Mauricio

Amazing as always. The new reservation experience is excellent at getting people in quickly.

Audrey Burnston

Wow - what an awesome beach. White powder sand beaches . Best kept secret. Would go again and again .

Wen Chung

This is my favorite Ontario campground. The beach and the shallow waters really are the main reason why I keep coming back every year. Facilities are always well maintained. Book early ( 6 mths ahead) because this campground is extremely popular and books up quickly.

TheEvolvedegg

Lovely blue waters, ample and lovely white- grey sand. Shallow beach, clean albeit crowded. Sun hits directly recommend beach umbrellas and beach tents.

Shaantu Prajapati

Nice place to visit in summer you can camp close to Beach. Lake is shallow. Beach is clean. Provincial park charge 21$ per car. Little algae in water. Half an hour drive from 401;east at exit 562.

Claire Sutton

Incredible beaches right in Ontario. Beautiful, soft white sands, lovely lake water that is shallow enough for young kids to swim in. Such a great place to visit! We come here every summer. Don’t miss the dunes for a really special experience.

Amanda Shelley-Masters

No place better to be in the summer! We take the kids every year we can. I used to go alot with family when I was little as well.

Sara Arnaout

Can't wait to go back again!! It was my first time to this beach. I went with my 2 kids and we spent 3 days in there. These 3 days were the most beautiful days of my life. The beach is super clean; no animals, so sit back and relax. No garbage around. Wide and uncrowded space. The water is very shallow and very warm. It was +38C when we were there. I have visited many beaches around the world and Sandbanks is one of the most beautiful waters I have ever been to in my entire life We had to book five days in advance for each day. I guess they want to limit the influx of people with Covid situation! Bring a foldable table and a beach canopy or umbrella to enjoy the beautiful white sand on that beach! Next year will go camping with all my family to enjoy the beautiful clean shallow water!!

Rafik Nassif

Sandbanks Provincial Park has 3 beaches that are considered the among the best beaches in Ontario. Outlet beach is the best one with a long sandy beach and calm waters. Lakeshore beach is unique for its ocean-like waves. And Sand Dunes beach, which might not be the best for swimming, but the sand dunes are a unique feature that you don't see any where else in Ontario and maybe in Canada.

Dan Callaghan

3 great beaches. We checked out the dunes beach first- small and quiet atmosphere. Massive white sand dunes. Checked out the outlet beach next. Long beach with clear waters. Tons of parking, showers, bathrooms, convenience store and a restaurant at outlet beach

Bilal Elhawz

The best in Ontario but still not perfect need better shade area and good quality of restaurants and entertainment around

Michelle Trotter

Great provincial park! Beautiful beach, with soft sand. Water is cool, and you can walk out to a couple of sand bars. Washrooms are decent. Lots of fun for everyone!

bokhai d

Great beach with lots of sand and great amenities. ***Don't forget to reserve a day pass online!!*** WEEKDAYS ARE FREE

Debin Davis

The beach where it feels like you can walk a km from the shoreline and you are still on ur feet. Perfect beach for families. Weekends are usually full and sometimes closed when they reach capacity during the summer.

Jasim Irshad

Really a wonderful place to spend a day or camping as well. I have lot of memories with this park

Parikh Tanuj

Low capacity, need to make reservations 5 days before if you are planning for the weekend. Cannot go unplanned. Beach not maintained, too much garbage during weekend

Devin Stewart

Sandbanks is a great park/beach to visit. The beach is very accessible and they also have washrooms and change rooms. There is a snack shack on site but you are have to bring her to bring your own food as well. Because of the pandemic you need to book day passes ahead of time, the price is adorable and it keeps the number of people on the beach safe. We had lots of room to spread out with our family, felt very safe in the fresh air. Thanks to all the park staff!

Marilou Decafe Stubbings

Went last week, a suprise travel destination courtesy of my husband! The view is astounding! Indeed, nature always surprises me. A little bit cold but worth dipping your feet in the water and the sun is gorgeous. We'll definitely book a camp for the summer!

Vincent Laroche

Nice beach and beautiful view, nice campground, missing 1 star because I think it is missing sanitary blocks.

Hina Tahir

Beautiful sandybeach and campsites some camps are close to the lake . its little busy beach even weekdays change rooms are closed because of covid-19 if you are planning to go so go early.

April Coker

Not what I remember as a child but nothing stays the same forever, still a nice clean place to take your family, no litter, clean beaches, fairly clean bathrooms, I mean it's a beach your going to have sand everywhere, parking is pretty close to the beach where we were. A enjoyable time for everyone. Parking was I think about $17-18 not bad for a whole day and to be close to the beach.

Nash

Such a beautiful beach!!! The water is clear and fairly shallow (for the most part, we didn't go too far out). Although there's alot of people because the beach is so long there's enough space for your group to settle down without being too close to someone else. From the parking lot it's a short uphill walk to the beach. P5 onwards seemed to be less crowded. **If you want to go to the Day beach try to get to the park before 10 Am! By 11:30 am the parking gets full (Dunes beach was at capacity by 11 am) ** It took about 40 mins to turn from Country Rd 18 to County Rd 12 (street of the park) at 10 am. And once we got onto County Rd 12, it was another 30 mins to get to the entrance of the park, get a day permit and then proceed to find parking.

Freddy Avila

What an amazing place! Almost like being in the Caribbean, only salty water and palm trees were missing! Really enjoyed it!

Vatsla Chauhan

Amazing place to camp and have a beach day as well❤️

Latika Gupta

Got here 8 30am for parking. Buy the seasonal pass before you come!! Get here early and P6 parking and entrance is not too crowded. We stayed for 6 hours and it's totally worth it. Beautiful views!! Washrooms are very clean. Water is hell fresh!! Security is very strict and life is easier with a pass.

Vrush Patel

Amazing place to swim. Nice beach, not so dense, clean and properly maintained. As the water is shallow, wont feel deep intill you go really far from coast, but this allows a lot of people at the same in water. Takes much time in paying parking tickets. Consider that if planning to visit on weekends or holidays

Melissa Vaillancourt Maloney

The camping sites are nicely spaced so it feels like 'real' camping (unlike the chains) The water and beach were very beautiful. The small washrooms were all closed understandingly due to covid but it was a minor thing. Definitely will be staying again.

saf azzizz

One of the coolest Park we had a chance to visit in Ontario, a lot of beachs with beautiful and clean sand. Not si crowded during the working days. Avoid the W. E

Phil Tremblay

Nice place and really soft sand perfect place for a day at the beach we also had a couples of storm passing by the lake so it maded some great waves

Yorleni Martinez

Every summer we come here cus the water its clean and our dogs are welcome. You will certainly enjoy it ????????

Haddie majnoon

One of the quiet camping sites that we’ve been visited which was surprising for us as usually beach campsites are pretty noisy with people partying till late. The beach is absolutely gorgeous. Be sure to be there early in the morning to not get stuck in the entrance traffic.

Natercia_cooks

My favorite beach! I travel 2.5 hours and absolutely love this beach! Crystal clear water

Danny Cheng

Nice beach, but a little bit too far.

Mich Yip

The parking permit for day use is around $18 which is a bit of a stretch for me. There were a lot of parking spaces available that we're all close to the beach, and each one had a washroom and changing room. The beach was long and had a lot of seat available for picnics, sand was really nice but the water is pretty murky, and had a lot of broken shells lying around which you have to look out for or you might hurt your feet.

Christie Tinker

Pre COVID-19 I would rate the Sandbanks a 5 star, however, I didn't have a great experience when we went. We woke up at 6:30am to leave our hotel in Belleville and arrived at 8am to obtain our day pass prior to the rush. This was the perfect time to come as there was plenty of parking available. A day pass is $21 and we chose to park at the Outlet beach. We spent approx. 3 hours there and it got very busy so we decided to try the dunes beach. Once we left our parking spot and arrived to the other beach we were told they were at capacity. We saw many cars leaving, however they won't let anyone else it and clearly weren't counting people. We ended up at Lakeshore Beach which was even more crowded than the first and had minimal parking available too. Basically once you get there you have to pick a beach and stay there because it's nearly impossible to find parking, even though you pay for the day pass. I was very disappointed, as I was really looking forward to this visit.

Diane Brown

Beautiful spot! Get there early to get a good spot on the beach???? Don't forget a beach umbrella or similar sun shade. Water was clear and not freezing cold! Sand was lovely.A perfect day ???????? Went on a Saturday so was very crowded.

Sandra Jaramillo

We went camping last year. Camping lots are ok. We loved the beaches. Spacious. Beautiful turquoise water. Soft sand. Very clean. It’s like you are in the Caribbean.

Nishant C (N)

Amazing sand... the finest sand on the fresh water beaches in Canada till date for me. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves a good outing on a sandy beach. The amenities are top notch. Try to park in P8 parking lot. They have a good blue access mat over the sand so you don't have to drag your strollers or carriages.

Michel Condoroussis

What a beautiful beach especially with young children, even our 13 month old was able to crawl in the water and let the small waves hit him since it is so shallow and that way for a long ways out. There are washrooms and the beach is kept really clean, only issue is that you must bring everything as there are no umbrella or chair rentals. It is also quite busy but that was not an issue.

Mido Hamzawi

Awesome provincial park; visited this fall. The park is massive, perfect for bike riding with a view! One frustration is their firewood being stored outside and uncovered from the rain. It was practically impossible to get a fire going with soaked wood.

Anroy_amar

The soft sand is riddled with shells, and the dunes are gorgeous. There is a nice river area that is nice for kayaks and other water vehicles. There were trails that were picturesque and full of animals. We saw many blue Jay's, chipmunks …

Charmi Mehta

Very nice beach to visit. It’s very calm and peaceful to be there. Moreover, the water seems to be bit different from what other beaches in Ontario has. Try visiting there for whole day and make sure you stay till the sunset. Moreover, access to beach doesn’t required any reservations but the camp site does. So, plan accordingly.

office solution

Excellent experience, great beach, enjoyed watching the sunrise and sunsets Breakfast on the beach...

Myroslava Symonenko

Gorgeous sandy Outlet beach, with lake like an ocean. At times there may be quite a bit of seaweed and algae hiding in the waves, which get noticed only after they get stuck in your hair or your bathing suit. :)

Natalie W

Booking ahead and knowing we could get in was the best thing ever - hope this service stays. Came here a lot as a kid and will always look forward to coming back. Bring a little board foe the waves

Roberto Espino

Great place to camp and enjoy a few days at the beach. Soft sand and planety af shallow waters for kid friendly environments

Diana Bar

Nice beach to bring your kids.

Laura Cardona

Beautiful Sandy Beach, clear and warm water, close by washrooms.

Bulut Si

A place that made me drop my jaw. The sandy beach is just beautiful. It is clean, wide and long. A great spot where you can bbq underneath your umbrella (you must have one for a hot sunny day) and jump into the water. I would have given 5 stars had the water been clean enough to swim.

Maxime Carpentier

Great beach, the #1 beach in Canada in my opinion. The "outlet beach" is the cleanest of both. The bathroom at the second beach were horrible. This the reason why I'm giving 4 stars. During weekends there is a lineup starting around 11AM to enter the park and they sometime close it because it is full.

Mark Christy

Good beach, the water is clear (for a beach in Ontario). Lost my wedding ring here so I'm not too excited about this place. Also for the cost of $21in admission you'd expect more. Some spots have tons of seaweed. But good overall

Raj Paleja

This is apparently one of the most popular provincial parks in Ontario if not the most popular. It's worth visiting but camping sites fill up quick. As an alternative, there's a boat rental company on the other side of the bay. You can always dock your boat, spend time on the beach, or climb the sandbanks in that amount of time. It's pretty amazing to see a landscape that's so close to a desert inside Ontario.

AC Guevara

RV Camping = no privacy . Tent Camping = excellent privacy. Recommend bring a bike to get to beach. There are places where you can go with your dog to enjoy the beach. Recommend watching the “overview” in our YouTube Channel: do it do it

Rachel Obbema

The dunes was our favourite part! We stayed near the main Beach early October and had a blast. Facilities closed due to COVID - still comfort stations available. Lots to see and do even if it's too cold for swimming.

Hugh Ellis

Best sand in Canada. Soft, white, and lots of it. Shallow, kid safe water out hundreds of feet from the shore. This also makes the water warm. The water is very clean here, and there are no weeds in most places. They are limiting attendance due to COVID, so arrive early. They have closed the doors before 11am on busy days recently, not reopening until much later in the day.

David Palmer

Believe it or not, Sandbanks can be just as much fun during the winter/spring/fall months as during the summer. It's such an interesting, visually stimulating environment, definitely worth a trip.

Francois christiaenssens

Beautifully beach. To much poison ivy near campsite and walkway. I know it’s nature and a state park but we add to constantly lookout for the kids to stay on pathway and away from wood. Should have shower on/near the beach to get rid of the sand.

Stephanie Pickett

Beautiful sandy beaches. Get spot for families. A couple groups nearby partied into the wee hours of the morning but we still had a good sleep. Poison ivy is pretty common around the sites.

Fernando Gatti

It does not matter which part of Lake Ontario you go it is always muddy, full of seaweeds and cold. But to be fair, I like the sand space in this beach. Also, the beach is very open so when it is windy, there are lots of waves, so be careful.

Ali Hussain Alkhatam

It is a paradise city with many beaches and sand dunes. We always come here when it is half sunny to hike or full sun to swim.

Matt Rath

Love the beaches here, and the advanced booking system has cut down on the long lines. This place is a gem!

Goods Family Adventures

Awesome park! The kids had an absolute blast, they swam, explored the dunes and marsh and played in the sand. We (mom and dad) relaxed, enjoyed the views and took lots of pictures. We will definitely be back! The only reason this wasn't a five star was the amount of garbage around. We realize this isn't the fault of the park, but really nasty to see dirty diapers, garbage, and old towels, etc. strewn about.

Thakker Priyanka

Had great camping experience. Also well managed facilities.

Ferdinand Filardo

First timer... water was good A little choppiness didn't hurt anyone maybe a foot or two feet at most kids practiced their log PT and missus practiced her texting... surf sand and WhatsApp what else do you do at the beach... was tempted to make a sugar cookie out of her???? shut down the beach and watched the sun slowly fade... we were tardy to the party but worked out well managed to avoid the bulk of the crowds and get a long swim in while the kids played and we went uninterrupted for the most part enjoying the surf/sand... that's your heads up and my two cents...good place to go will most likely be back???????????? PS ample amount of parking as far as I'm concerned

Shaker Ben-Saud

I felt I was in Cuba. Sandy beach for kilometres and clear water. Safe for kids since it stays shallow for long stretches.

Sébastien Lévesque

Great beaches, very not too crowded for these Covid times, but reservation for 5 days in advance is really not optimal. People have from 1 to 2 weeks of vacations, so reservation for the whole vacations is not possible to be printed before leaving home, and then requires to wait at the park entry everyday. This has to change.

Devaiah Malchira

Drove 200 km to find out that we needed a reservation to enter the beach. Apparently, this new rule was introduced recently. The drive from Toronto was really nice though. Lots of local antique stores, wineries and breweries around!

Johan Cornelissen

Huge provincial park with some of nicest beaches around. Prepare for it to be very busy and get reservations early. Camping pretty good as well, but beware some spots are not in the woods.

Obsidian Griffin

I adore this camp ground! and the beach is stunningly beautiful ❤ ive been coming to this place since i was a child, and although its insanely busy now, its amazing when you can get in. great area to discover things as well, lots of neat locations. I only wish there was less people cause it is getting overrun

Mrugesh Gandhi

The beach is beautiful but its very hard to get to the brach because it is very sandy and healy so hard to walk.

Steven cowdrey

Great beach and water. Maybe one of the best I've been to in Ontario. The only downfall is the price. $17 per car on the weekend we went. We visited dunes beach. It had a nice little snack bar too and the sand is soft and clean. The water is shallow with a soft Sandy bottom and is great for small children.

Irfan Ali

Nice place to visit but need to be maintained water is not too clean

Amin Tariq

Best park. Please make reservations

Nathalie Issa

Beautiful. The water makes you feel like you’re in the Caribbean ! Pros: the view is amazing Cons: it’s more a party place than a place where you go camping to connect with nature. We heard music until 2 am which was a big downside of the experience for us.

VoudouLounge

Really nice Provincial Park if your main focus is hanging out on a really nice beach and I’m sure the camping here is amazing too. The Beach and Water were amazing to say the least. I can see this Park getting super busy on nice weather days and there aren’t many picnic tables around unless you arrive super early so best to be safe and maybe bring a small portable table just in case if you need one. Beach and Park are kept super clean so just hope for some nice weather and get ready to have a great time ????????

Leo G

Nice beach! The water is relatively warm and stays fairly shallow for a long time

Hossai Masroor

Camped here a few times during fall of 2020. I love the area, it's calming, I was surrounded by nature. The sand dunes area was really pretty, kinda looked like a desert ???? But overall, my stay here was amazing & comfortable.

M Dhahri

Very very busy park but for a very good reason. It's perhaos the best park in southren Ontario. Very unique place, the sand dunes formations and the beaches are absolutely stunning for this part if the world. The camp sites varies: Richardson's sites are the worst avoid them if you can, the outlet sites are the best, well serviced, clean, and very close to the famous outlet beach. Don't miss the dunes beach .. it's a must see/visit beach.

Hisham Obeidat

One of the best places in Ontario without a doubt If you haven't been there you need to go. The sand is some of the best I have experienced anywhere in the world. Lots of space and lots of place to park your car play area for kids close to washrooms as well very convenient. We will go back for sure it was worth to drive 6 hours. Highly recommend.

Joyson & Crystal

Love this beach!! The white sand and plenty of room to grab a spot in the shade or the sun or close to the water. It is best to have a reservation and print it out to display so you can bypass the check in line.

Zach Remus

One of the best beaches in Ontario. It looks tropical in the summer. Great private campsites as well.

Ric Kong

Amazing sand dunes and spacious beach. The water was clear and shallow even 20 meters off shore. Visited on a Monday when it was not very busy .

Bear L0st

Good provincial park. Day use you need to book ahead. Sites in Cedars are not super private and sometimes have hills that limit where your tent can comfortably go. Rocky bottom too makes it tough to peg down tents. If you can get sites that have a bit more of a driveway you will be better off. Good comfort stations and water facilities. Walk to beach is sometimes long via roads but there are sometimes hidden trails you need to find that cut down walking time.

David Lefebvre

Very nice beach, lots of sand, long a d wide. Long shallow water area. Good amenities and reasonable amount of parking space. Too popular. Very hard to book camping, always lots of people, nearly always a line to get in. Expect the parking to be full by 11h30.

ahmed almozan

No I Couldn't believe IAM in Canada ! So rude staff No Canadain Sprite there I arrived there after driving for 3 hours my kids were so exhausted they didnt let me use the washroom. Its really so bad experience I will never go there.

Cha Dj

This used to be a really peaceful beach. It used to be quiet and less crowded. Now? No thanks to Google everybody knows this little haven! Lol ✌???? This is, by far, my fave beach here in Ontario. Still clean and still maintained. It’s a huge area, although parking/entrance has gone up now to $20. Since there’s so many people when we came here, the bathroom smelled so bad. There’s also a grocery store in the park, but of course they’re a a little bit overpriced. It’s always best to bring food and bring your own drinks.

Robert Kawall

Visited here last week for the first time this summer, and the weather was great but could've used a bit more sun. Luckily it was very humid which helped. Sandbanks asks you to book in advance which is a good idea to ensure you get in …

adventure ontario

If you’re in Prince Edward County, make sure to visit the incredible dunes at this huge park. It gets really busy in the summer so prepare to get there before it even opens for a good spot. If you are willing to walk further into the park, you can find a more private area to enjoy.

Chintan Mavani

It's awesome place and nice soft sand bank.... shallow depth through far distance.

Etoile Gagnon

One of the best Beach i have experienced

Thuy Nguyen

Not enough toilets. The beach (outlet beach) had too much seaweed in the water and smells strongly of seaweed. It smelled really bad. Way too many seashells and it hurts your feet before you get into and out of the water. Will not return

Sree Charan

Decent place to camp, the park was well maintained and camp sites were clean. The beach gets busy with lot of traffic during the weekend but it's a very long beach, so there is enough parking spots for everyone. The only downside was, there was construction going in the middle of night, trucks moving in and out of the park. And if you are looking a place for star gazing theb this is not for you, lots of light pollution from near by places, you can barley see the stars.

Anthony Bartolo

Very clean spacious beach which is the reason why it is so popular. Plan on being at the gate at 8am on the weekend as it reaches capacity around 10am. Bathrooms are clean and are spread out evenly across the beaches. Beach water does have a smell due to algae which the park does try to clean.

Eileen

Amazing beach! Live in Montreal 5 hour drive well worth it

J Beechu

Beautiful beach that is lovely to visit even in October. There is a great hike through the dunes and pine forest. It’s spectacular.

Richard Nightingale

My favorite beach in all of Ontario and the best thing about this beach is that it is Lake Ontario

Diego Enfermero en canadá

Amazing place. Very good for families. Its clean and the beach is like the Ocean!!

Viola

Lovely place, nice camping sites, beautiful beach.

Jason Charles

Totally amazing experience. Nice campground easy in and out. Look for us next year

Rob Onley

If you have young kids you really cannot beat Sandbanks Provincial Park given its massive beaches with shallow water that are absolutely perfect to allow your children to roam around. You won't have to freak out about whether the water is too deep for them because it is reasonably shallow for hundreds of feet, allowing you to relax. It would be nice if people picked up their garbage a little more consistently but hey that's what you get with a public park.

Christian Page

Wow! How amazing it was to go there even for 2 nights only. We stayed at campground "Outlet B" the 1st night and then "Outlet A" the 2nd night. Some camp sites are almost as sandy as the beach. It is great. Campground made of dunes of sand and trees. Fantastic. Again this is provincial park so no electricity but tap water available at couple of places so you can fill up. Our site at Outlet B was on the border of the river and we had a $20 inflatable boat. Basically we had our own private beach to the river and it was amazing. Kids had so much fun. We saw ducks, fishes, and even a superb little black turtle. We were walking distance from the beach but preferred to use the car and park at parking lot #12. Beach there was not too crowdy but we were there from Wed to Fri. While at Outlet A, we were a few steps away from the beach so no need to use the car. Facilities are clean. Beach is superb. Water temperature was very acceptable (Aug 19-21)... easy to get in. Not at all as cold as I expected. Actually i would not say the water was cold but borderline. It is very shallow and waves are not too small nor too big so that kids aged 6 to 9 had tons of fun. Different than Wildwood NJ in terms of summer heat and depth of water. You can go ultra far in the lake and you still have water below your hips. It was a bit scary at first to see kids go super far but it is less deep than a home pool. So it was super fun for the kids. We tried Dunes beach but did not like it at all. We preferred Outlet beach by a million. Dunes beach does not have waves but water is a bit warmer. Outlet beach's water is clearer due to type of sand. Bring an umbrella if you want. Beware it can get windy so bring a vest for end of summer because it can get chilly when cloudy. This place was such a pleasant surprise. There's a restaurant and convenience store close to the beach. We did not have a chance to go. And from where we were it was a bit far and would have needed the car to get there (i believe it is close to parking lot #6). Anyhow, we will definitely come back. We do not believe there are playgrounds for kids but the beach and the river are the playgrounds and provide lots of fun. Beach sand made me think of Wildwood but not as hot. You can still make hige sand castled. There are grocery stores at Picton about 18-20 min away by car, and fast foods if you need. Most seem to close early but one or two fast foods were closing at midnight while we were there. Beware... lots of people do fires at night and it can get smokey on the campground due to the way the trees keep the smoke low in the air before it can escape the sites. I read somewhere that Cedars campground is great for families but we haven't checked it out since there were only availabilities at Outlet A and Outlet B campgrounds. We were lucky to be able to book only one day before arriving. Downsize is that we had to switch site for the 2nd night but allowed us to discover two in one trip. Outlet A campground is more bicycle friendly for kids. Outlet B campground's alleys have more ups and downs but access to the river makes up for it... bring your inflatable boat, kayak or paddle board. Most campground alleys are paved. Some are not. Overall it is a wonderful place. Do not hesitate to visit. Beach is opened to day visitors so we assume it can get very crowdy over the weekends. Please help keep this place clean as we saw that some people do not litter properly on the beach and it is a bit sad for such an amazing place. But mostly it is very clean.

Vishal Kulkarni

One word: Heavens! We went to outlet beach for day use. Pleasant surprise: Park was free for day use for the Victoria day long weekend. I like when Ontario Parks does stuff like this. I love Ontario Parks by the way. Have camped all over Ontario! Sandbanks Outlet beaches also have access to washrooms and The best part is GRILL ONSITE BABY! I think its near parking P3 Here are the details of that restaurant. I bought fingers and fries and Oreo, yum! Great food, great staff. I dont think I have seen such think in other parks. Currah's store and restaurant (take out): Sunday - Thursday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Friday/Saturday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Oh Remember they close on time so go early. I was there on Victoria day at 3:55 pm , I know its close to closure, but they helped. Beaches are just awesome. we had so much fun. we also checked out Dunes beach. I love everything about Sandbanks and cannot wait to go back! Oh take country roads, lots of donkeys, horses, cows! LOL.

Laurence D. B.

Most beautiful beaches we’ve experienced in Ontario. Makes you feel like you’re somewhere in the tropics. Loved that our pups were allowed on the beach. Definitely recommend if you are in the area.

Pawel P

If you manage to book a spot then you're in for a treat, possibly best beach day in all of eastern Canada that's accessible from Toronto or Montreal. The water is warmer than Wasaga beach, the sand is very fine and place is pretty clean. Huge plus for having a large dog beach area and being very dog friendly. The beach is shallow for at least 100 meters giving lots of room for all to have fun in the water. Bathrooms are nice, showers too for camping, as well as proximity to Picton for all shopping needs makes it very convenient. Beach can get crowded and there was high water levels but otherwise great time.

Dana Samlal

It was a very beautiful beach. We went to Outlet Beach. We parked at P6. There was some good waves, which is fun for all ages. The water was shallow then it would go a little deep (nothing to really worry about) then shallow again. The washrooms were pretty decent and pretty close to where we parked.

Pierre-Étienne Laporte

One of the most beautiful beach around. I totally recommend. The colors are wonderful and the place is nearly cinematic. Best for family and couples. Plus, there's a campground so I'll definitely go back there to experiment

Suhaila Dehis

Beach is very clean,no sea weeds and clear. Restrooms and charging rooms are available near the beach.

Cin D

Got to the park around 12 on a Monday it was packed. 45 minutes waiting in line to check in even though we printed out the pass. TIP: If you print out the reservation you can bypass the line. Beach was nice and sandy, water a bit cold but if sun is out it feels warmer. Not worth the drive for one day. Would look into getting a hotel in belleville for the night.

Noa

Definitely worth waking up at 10pm for a 9 hour drive! LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOOVE this place! The water is so clear and clean , smells amazing ,safe for kids and you can go pretty far without it getting too deep . Will be back again for camping! Much love from Quebec!

Florin M

The beach is great but the organization is subpar. At 9 am we got in line to go in the park and after 2 hours of waiting without having any information we found out from other drivers that the park is close because they reach the capacity. Nobody from the park care to inform us or to put a sign outside on the street.

Ed Kassem

Awesome place. Large campsites and when I went, there were no bugs. The Campground gives you access to at least 3 different and unique beaches. All are lovely. Will go there again.

Steven Dytiuk

Beautiful beach. You can walk for a really long way in the clearest, cleanest water I've ever seen!

M T

Bit crowded, but it has great trails and some really nice lake views as well.

Lina Di Giulio

Beautiful beach!!!! Great place to walk along the waterfront. Two hour from Toronto. Prince Edward county area.

KLY H

Nice sand dune , I think you can skip the line by pay it yourself. Water is warmer and area is cleaner than Oshawa beach. You can bbq

Jonathan Glasser

Beautiful dunes with warm water and clean beaches. Parking was $17 but considering that it’s a provincial park and upkeep is most likely costly, sounds reasonable.

sunny days

Very disappointed, because there is no advance reservation, so I will not let in when I arrive

Ralph Cristofer

The place is great. There is a very long line when we went there but it is worth the wait. The beach is huge and well maintained. One only thing is that it is really hot when we got there because of the heatwave. The water feels great and cold but there are a lot of shells so better wear slippers or something as the cracked shells really hurts. This is a good place for a family day and cook barbecue, picnic, etc. but bring some tent as you don't want to burn your skin. There's also a washroom nearby but meh.. it is a little bit dirty because of all the people using it.

Jennifer Longo

We have been camping at Sandbanks since the 1960s and have loved the park. The campsites and beach are second to none. What was disappointing this year had to do with the adherence and enforcement of Covid rules and camper etiquette. The park staff were largely absent other than the friendly comfort station cleaners. Campers were not adhering to the comfort station rules of 2 at a time (or a family), plus masks. Women were left waiting in line to use the rest rooms while others washed faces, applied cream and makeup etc.. Campers were washing their dishes at drinking water taps. There were people openly drinking alcohol on the beach and many dogs outside the dog beach areas. Don't get me wrong I have a dog myself but recognize that the rules are there for the comfort of all. The street light was out at the comfort station which made things creepy when nature called during the night, We informed the park warden but this was not fixed. I rarely do reviews but I do so in the hopes that staffing will be attended to for our next annual visit so that all campers can feel safe and comfortable at this beautiful park.

Joe LeRoy

The sand on the beach is super fine and soft as a result. Parking is hard to come by on busy days even during the week in the summer.

Siddharth Ravi

Good place to spend a day with your family during summer time

Shiraz Mama

Outstanding customer service. We were missing the grill from our fire pit. Called the park office about it, and within an hour, they came to our site and replaced the entire fire pit. Beaches are beautiful, and the water was so much fun. Felt like being at the ocean.

Dee J

Visited the sand dunes. Very picturesque, but be prepared to walk in extremely hot sand during the summer months (you'll often see people running through as their feet burn), so I advise staying close to the water.

Kaisyu M

Park is very nice and beautiful. The only thing very disapointing is if you forget to put your ticket entry proof on your doordash, you will have to pay 30$. Even if you show them after that you just forgot to put it. That's very poor service and hungry money.

Jennifer Adams

Super long line up to get in to the park at 4pm on a Sunday. Sitting in line currently for half an hour. No public postings that stated as such, so no way to have known to avoid.

Kelsey Burden

Great beach! Beautiful, soft sand with blue ”ocean.” like water. Highly recommend and great spot to swim and grab a snack!

Jamil

It is a must place to visite if you live in the East of Canada. Very clean, huge beach, good vibe and people respect each other. Also the staff is awesome

Chad Duxbury

Great place to camp or visit the beach for the day.

Yuk Yu, Alison LEE (Alison)

Love this place! It gives me a pretty good impression at the gate as you get a sandbanks information guide and there are stories of family coming here for camping since 1967, now and then. The beach is amazing. Clean and long coast line, sand is fine and soft. Did a camping trip here. There is shower, park shop for souvenir and supplies and a cafe. The only cons is those tiny smelly washrooms. Well, but understandable and it's a campground not a resort. Overall really satisfied and would love to visit again.

Alex E

One of the best places in Ontario without a doubt. If you haven't been you need to go. The sand is some of the best I have experienced anywhere in the world. Lots of space and lots of place to park your car. The grounds are very well kept. We will go back for sure.

Amgad Abdou

Sands are smooth and almost clean, trees give the tropical sense, weather was perfect this July 2019 and the sun was mercifully nice :) Be prepared and bring your shelter, foldable chairs, food, drinks (but no alcohol), cooler and swimming accessories especially if you have kids as they will spend hours playing and forming sand crafts. The beach has toilets and changing rooms also there's a cafeteria. Once you go there, for sure you'll come back again, believe me :)

David Ho

Most important questions, were the washrooms clean or what kind of washrooms do they have? They washrooms were amazingly clean! I think they clean them every hour. They have normal washrooms, not out houses or portables. They have a change room as well. This is a a great place to spend your day. Bring some kind of shelter like a tent to hide from the sun, and if you're hungry, park by P8. That's where the restaurant is. The restaurant is good as well and has vegetarian options like veggie dog, veggie burger, etc. Make sure you get the Daily Parking Pass in advance, and print it out, then you can bypass the line by going right instead of left shortly after the entrance.

Anthony & Ronin Gamer

Love this place We go ever year for the last 10 years clean water is great people are great a and . Hiking is amazing lots of little eating spots . And if u go for day is great too.

Vyvian Mitchell

Never a dull moment at Sandbanks! Water is clean, warm, and sandy! Word of advice though, get there before 8am! The park fills up quick. We had friends arrive after us at 8:40 and did not get into the park after waiting for over 2 hours! No open drinking- they will ticket. You can bbq. Bring your own toilet paper!

David Whitehouse

Awesome park! You have to pick your site carefully as there are some sites that in a wide open field! Good for large RV, but I wouldn't want to camp there in July without a/c! Beach is lovely, but the one section near Woodlands is public, then private and no way to get back to the public beach without heading back to the road. First world problems really...

Sanna Broyad

Great beaches for sunbathing. Need to pay to get to the beach area with a car, but it’s worth it.

Nishtha Sagar

Way to far from Toronto plus the wait at the entrance. We reached 9am on Friday still we had to wait for 3 hours. So in total 7 hours in drive (one way). Other than that Place is beautiful and huge. The sand get so hot ????????????

Chelsea Wells

Service from Elaine was fantastic! Wine was delicious and a fair price for tastings. They had a candy and wine pairing menu for Halloween that was so fun!

Rebecca J

Love it here. One of the best provincial camps in Ontario. There is alot of Sand dunes all around. The water is shallow for quite some time so you can walk very far out. This time around we had some loud neighbors. We told the park patrol and they wrote them up. I just wish they would have came by at night without us having to waste time going to them the next day. I wouldn't stop this experience from me going back however. Prince Edward county is amazing. I saw many turtles along my drive there. So cute!

Greg Kokjian

Spent a day @ Sandbanks Provincial Park with friends when we were visiting Belleville. It's a beautiful beach, nice sand and loved swimming in the water. I recommend going early, to get a good spot. Great place to visit!

Stefanie J

Beautiful beach, lots of parking if you keep driving through, book early as slots will sell out and also get there early to get a good spot on the beach

Greg Morris (Adventurous GM)

Very nice beach. Arrive early to get in and get a decent spot. Camping, trails and 3 beaches you can pick from.

Sara Supple

I always love Sandbanks. Arrive early (in these COVID times at least, there is a line even at 8:00 am when the park opens, mid-week). I found Lakeshore Beach a little better than Outlet for social distancing, because there were slightly fewer people on the beach and, even though the outhouses are less preferable than a regular washroom in lots of ways, at least you're alone in there and not crowded by maskless people as you may be at Outlet (people, seriously? The park staff will give you a mask if you ask for one and last time I checked an indoor washroom is an inside space where masks are definitely required. Wear your mask, please!). Shout out to the park staff for everything they do to keep this place clean and lovely as possible and a great escape from the city!

Farvartish Jahanarai

Very beautiful park with super nice beach

Nick Kidd

Really loved Sandbanks park. We were fortunate to visit on a warm October day when the park was virtually empty. The beach is stunning and my wife and I had it virtually to ourselves. We also walked one of the hiking trails and we’re very impressed. I understand this place is jam packed in the summer so recommend visiting off season!

Miko Tremblovei

overall a good experience..but quietness wise. it's a fail if you aren't lucky to have "good" neighbors...security couldn't help

Master iOqY

Has the best stretch of soft sandy beach in Ontario. The crowds can be overwhelming but go early or late in the day and you'll be rewarded with less crowds and wide open spaces. The staff here do a good job of controlling capacity to allow for proper enjoyment. The sand is not quite white but beige and powdery soft. The beach is shallow and while often windy, at even 50 ft offshore, it's only waist deep. There are certain beaches like lakeshore that allow dogs in certain areas allowing the entire family to enjoy this awesome park.

Chris De Shane

Despite having been a number of times, I am always surprised by what a nice beach this is. We have visited for a number of family vacations with our kids and they don't get tired of the beach or the water. The beach is wide and perfectly beautiful and going into the water is easy, though a bit cold, even for our smallest kid because the water gets deeper very gradually.

Carsten

First time at Sandbanks. Loved it. Couldn’t believe this was Ontario. Go early, especially on weekends as there are long lines and they turn people away once at capacity.

Elaine J

Small sandy cove beach with dunes, shallow warm water with a drop, shady spots to sit, trails to hike/bike and good maintenance. Kids loved it! Hey there early in summer, as parking is limited due to COVID. If you enter through main gate and get a day permit, don't pay for parking!

Colby Staples

The place is amazing for a family with trailer parking and cottage rearking you can ride your bike and there are public showers after the beach the beach is very nice with a great veiw at sunset.

Kim Murray

Remember to book a reservation online for parking AND print it out to leave on your dash. If not they have to scan your phone and print the reservation which can lead to a wait of 30 minutes or more in line. We were at the Dunes beach, not over crowded and people were respectful of distancing

Cera Z

Beautiful long beach. Cold Ontario lake water. Serene day use areas. Nice hiking trails through wooded area. Be aware of poison ivy. Birds. Dunes. Decent food in the Park restaurant. Visit on weekday when is not crowded or get reservation in advance. Park staff is very welcoming. Make sure to visit some of the vineries or breweries in the region.

Sarah C

Absolutely breathtaking! My husband and I stopped at Sandbanks Provincial Park for our honeymoon and spent the whole day reading on the beach. I did not expect white sand beaches like this in Canada! The sand was soft, the views were great and the facilities were clean.

Christina B

This beach is amazing! The $18 for parking is a little high so try to fit everyone and everything into 1 car! It is a little difficult to get around if you haven't been there before so download a map before hand to be able to visit the different beaches! Don't forget a picnic basket too! There aren't very many places to eat around the park and only expensive snack bars in the park.

Awais Saleem

A good clean beach ideal for families. If you plan to go here park near p1 or p2 as they are close to the washrooms. If you like less crowded spot I suggest you go to P5 or P6. A must go place for beach lovers. There is an entry fee of 18 dollars ( that's what we paid). For the whole day.

Edwina

No photo beats the naked eye. It is worth the visit and I plan to return next summer!

Mariana Matsiuk

Great trail to walk along the water and very picturesque sandbanks!

J J

Sandbanks is one of the best beaches if not the best beach on Lake Ontario. The entrance to the park is cheap at $11/car. The beach is wide, sandy and very shallow water makes is safe for children to wade out. The park provides picnic tables on the beach but get there early if you want one as the beach fills up fast. The dunes and outlet river are also great places to fish from the shore. Bring your family and BBQ and enjoy the day.

Pantalaio Gaming

Good park to go for a day. Clean water and surprisingly a few waves

Etienne Laprise

Although this place is amazing, it is poorly managed. The place is incredibly popular which causes long lines even if you already checked-in. Plus, on the first day we had to deal with another camper on our site due to confusion from the staff.

Delphine Umutoni

If you are going on the weekend, be sure to arrive as a early as 11am so as to park close to the beach otherwise the lots get full and you park approximately 8-10minutes walk away. This beach is beautiful, there is no debris in the water and it is very inviting and picturesque. I have no words to describe how it felt being there, the sand is fine, and you enjoy it without logs and boulders that you might find on some beaches. Loved it!!

Wenna Huang

Best place for summer!

Andre Zhang

One of the best beaches in Canada! In addition to the main outlet beach, be sure to also check out the dunes and west lake beaches (less well known ones), hiking trails and park grill. It gets very busy, so to avoid the lines, enter from the west lake entrance instead of the main one.

Ning Hu

Nice long beach area. Water is shallow for quite a ways out into the lake so it is warm. Beach is super busy tho. I think it serves both Ontario and a Quebec, and this year with high water levels, beach area has shrunk dramatically. It also gets very crowded quickly even by mid morning. The park Enforcers closes down the entrance at about 11 am this weekend and everyone was turned away. Lucky I was camping there so they let us through the blockade.

Shanice

I went here yesterday with my family. I remember coming here on 3 separate occasions besides yeaterday and unlike passed years, the water has more and more seaweed in it so definitely not as clear as it was like 4 or so years ago. I noticed this sign after you pay $17 for parking so I was a bit annoyed like why wasn't the sign put just before you pay? Give people the opportunity to look elsewhere or what have you if they don't feel comfortable swimming. Mind you, a good number of people were still swimming so I don't know if the water is only harmful to people with weak immune systems..I just don't know! This is the first time I've ever seen a sign like this though. Other than that it is a nice place to be the senceary is beautiful and tranquil...nice for a picnic for sure! There are quite a bit of seagulls about the beach, I guess there were more than usual because we arrived a little after 6pm so there were less people, umbrellas and beach towels on the sand. You would have to make sure not to leave food around or they will swarm you from a safe distance....they're not vicious though. I just feel that you may need to ask about the water conditions ahead of time before you venture 2.5 hrs East of Toronto!!

Mandeep Gabhi

We visited the place this past weekend and instead going to the main Beach we went to the one little further away and it was definitely less crowded. Heads up, the algae deposits in the swimsuits are real! Haha and the change rooms are open.

Danny Lee

Great place to enjoy the beach and the water!

harry prince

Nice sandy beach. Close to sand dunes. Good place to chill

Matt Newman

Perfect pristine beach on the West side of the park. If you're there on the right day you can have the whole beach to yourself.

Katrina Mathurin

I have been going to this beach since I was just a little kid. It is my favourite place to head every summer. I would definitely recommend. The water is clear and if you’re lucky you’ll be able to enjoy some nice sized waves.

Adeel Ahmad (Realtor)

Amazing place! Get there early, otherwise it hits capacity real quick and they turn you away.

Jon Ruddy

Beautiful four-seasons park. Amazing birdwatching and sightseeing. Sensational dune setting. Lovely place for admiring wildflowers. Top notch.

D-Reviewer

Such an amazing location! Stumbled upon it online and took a chance in going here with some friends. From Toronto you are looking at a 2-2.5hr drive. They have firewood that they sell as well as ice. Only thing is that they only allowed 1 on-site parking so if you are bringing two vehicles one would have to be parked at a designated parking spot. Decent hiking trail, very peaceful and quiet. (Linked some pictures) All in all an amazing experience, the beach is lovely to see as the sun sets. If you are planning on coming and had booked near the beach make sure to bring some tarps and ropes to make a wind barrier!

Ranjeetha D'mello

Love this place . We spent the whole beach day here this summer. Absolutely gorgeous and everything was convenient, easy to find and tons of fun.

Geraldine Gonzalez

I have been in the outlet beach and lakeshore beach and I love both. The place has become my summer destination for the past 3 years... water is always nice and shallow so I don't have to worry about my daughter getting too deep. Totally recommended for families

Ankur Mehta

Awesome Provicial park. no mosquitoes, very clean washroom and very clean and wide camp site as well as 2 very good beach.

Onn Sight

Very good beach for what we normally get in Canada it. Started to get more waves at the end of the day that was fun the water is very clear with sand all over the beach and underneath the water also parking the Sandbanks park was very well organized which makes it more hassle free ???????? side note it's better to reserve your ticket to the park to be sure to have a place also to skip the line

Laurent B

Always a good time. Water is amazing. Must go early otherwise you might not get in. You should aim for 11-12 or before that to get a decent spot.

Kelsey Halagian

I had a great camping trip here with my cousin. There are 5 trails to hike and tons of beach area to explore. I seen people canoeing and kayaking down the river by the outlets. The beach was spectacular and great for families. They have tons of picnic tables along the outlet beach and I even set up my hammock. The water was very shallow for quite a ways out which is nice for kids swimming. The washroom/shower facilities were really clean. Most of the campsites were pretty private for the most part and we were really impressed with the space we had. Everyone we ran into working were very friendly. We can't wait to come back!

Simran Garewal

One of the best provincial park in Ontario. Around 50mins away from 401. Lovely and clean sand beach attracts most of the crowd. Beach is kept clean. Go early so that you can get nice spot with picnic bench. Online Reservation is must. Get it done in advance as weekends are mostly full. Campgrounds are nicely maintained. Good trails all over the place. Good picnic spot.

Sena Turkdogan

We camped at sandbanks (we stayed in campsite B next to the river) for two nights, the campground was very well maintained and felt nice and private in our section! We went in mid September and the beach was really not busy - excellent soft sand for long walks and water was warm even this time of the year.

Rita D

Beautiful beach, one of my favorite spots now. Feels like your in the tropics!

Ivan M

The beaches at Sandbanks Provincial Park are great - 3 main beaches with Dunes beach being the more 'sheltered' beach with calmer waters. Outlet beach has a large stretch of sandy beach with lots of room for families to 'claim a spot' on the beach. The water slopes out gradually allowing a good area in the water to wade and play. The beach has protected dunes but the park has walking trails to explore protected areas. Great biking trails as well. Washrooms and change facilities available. Best to avoid busy long weekend crowds unless that's your thing. There are fees for park entry to beaches.

missjuliej1

Spent the week with my family. I hadn't been since I was a kid and am VERY IMPRESSED by the upkeep of the park. The grounds are immaculate, just as beautiful as I remember. Staff is friendly and the beach is gorgeous!

Cristian Bodnari

Great place for beach camping. The water and the sand are great. Awesome amenities and great for bicycles, longboards and skateboards

J.E. S.

Great place to relax and enjoy with family and friends. Very clean and well maintained areas / amenities.

Anna Nguyen

It is crowded beach. You need to make a reservation at least one day before your arrival. The public washroom is far from the beach and not clean enough. The water is clear but lots of moss on the surface. Go around 3 or 4pm as the water is warm enough to swim and the weather is not too hot.

Anuka M

Best sandy beach I’ve ever been to in Ontario! Really loved it! Camping experience was great there! I I would highly recommend this place. It was very clean. Little busy but if you going there for camping you could def find peace after the day crowed leaves.

Gihad HG Abdelhamid

It could be the best beach in Ontario, three huge beaches of sand, which is great. I gave it 4 because I am sure they can do a better job with the lineups to get in, it took us 1.5hrs on Friday morning. Other than that, this place is great

Haider Kazmi

Always a great place, awesome both for day trips and camping. Do check the wind forecast, when there is wind... there is wind.

Le Yen Lam

Love the beaches here. The sand and water are very clean and not too deep. I especially enjoy how the lake leads out onto the beach, so it’s easy to bring kayaks, canoes and paddle boards out to the beach without having to drive or carry it. We stayed on the outlet beach campgrounds so it was really nice to be able to walk to the beach, back to the campsite for lunch, then back to the beach again.

Jordan Toth

My favourite provincial park! Large park with all necessary amenities and a variety of activities. Always fun to hike through the dunes to find yourself a secluded beach spot for the day. Popular place so make sure you book in advance as camping spots are hard to come by!

Kaia Brake

Best Rock hunting place with a smooth rocks. Awesome campsites!!!

Jermaine Sirjue

One of the nicest beaches I been to in Ontario. Really clean and family friendly environment. Water is really nice as well. Next time I go there, I definitely have to try camping.

Emerson Chin

Spent the day, with my wife and kids, at the reserved section of the beach last weekend. Lots of families/groups but not crowded at all. Everyone was will distanced on the beach. Anyone we interacted with was super polite - thanks to the kid that ran my sunglasses over to me after I dropped them, and special thanks to the parents that raised him with good manners and ethics! The staff was great, and the park wardens who were out seemed cool - based on a few times we saw them rationally and clearly addressing concerns about like parking and such. We took our paddleboards into the water, and the waves were too much for calm, serene, zen paddleboarding but perfect for fun boarding back and forth! Let's go again this weekend!!!

Kelsie Dier

If anyone finds a Rick and Morty green and black wallet on the shore or in the water of the main beach of the sandbanks can you please get ahold of the person on the ID (my husband) or bring it to the office of the park. He lost it on Saturday while swimming. P.s we love the sandbanks!

N Jordache

Get there early due to a finite amount of parking and beach space due to the higher water levels. Late arrivals can result in being turned away. If leaving later, call the office and they will be able to give you a fairly precise update.

Anderson Melendrez

Very nice beach...wonderful...

Phil Vania

Lots of camping spaces in different areas of the park. Great views and calm waters for all to play in

Meghan S

My boyfriend, our puppy and I spent the day here this past weekend. Although we did arrive very early to make sure we got in at 7:30am, we were happy to have secured a spot on the pet-friendly side of the beach, both at Outlet Beach and Lakeshore Beach. There are multiple parking lot along each massive beach, and there are washrooms every once in a while, along the parking lots. There is a Main Office, a Shop and a small restaurant, along the main road for convenience. Pictures don't do it justice, the sand is super soft and the waves are gentle. We didn't have any issues with distancing, everyone was respectful and kept their distance. We would gladly return, when the Park is less busy! We also decided to do some of the walking trails, from Lakeshore Beach to Dunes Beach and we seemed to be the only family doing so! Admission is approx $21 per car, for the day.

Paola Martinez

One of the best Ontario Parks. It has plenty of trails for beginner and more experienced hikers. The beaches are nice even though the Dunes Beach was full of rotten algae and bird and duck dropping so it was kind of smelly.

John Petrungaro

It was really a lovely park. The sandy beaches, the dunes, even it's proximity to some of Ontario's best small towns. It is a great option for campers, cottagers or day trippers.

Mike B

This beach is great - will definitely return! If you get there early enough (which you should try to do - before 9 am) you can secure a spot a bit back from the water in between the trees. Maybe even score a picnic table if your lucky! If your going to be stuck on the beach with no shade, make sure to bring either an umbrella keep sun shelter.

Hesham “Hechkok” Elsaghir

The best sandy beach in Canada so far

zero

One of the best Provincial Parks I’ve ever been at.

Asal Dolatshahi

Best park ever , Clean , friendly staffs Huge can sides Beautiful beach Beautiful nature Dog beach area is amazing The only bad thing is you always never can reserve this park ever ! Any time I try I hardly get a weekend and it fills up like never !! I wish there was a way to reserve more days Anyone with good experience please email me at my name and last name at gmail.com I appreciate it !

Markus Weisshaar

Outlet beach is the place to go. Lots of space at the beach to park a tent and have a great day. If you have a lot to carry or need a more accessible path to get to the beach go to lot #8. Otherwise it's a hike up the sand dunes to get to the beach. The sand is so fine and soft, no rocks whatsoever. Bring a tent or umbrella as there is very limited shade that is farther away from the water. Speaking of water you can walk pretty far out before it's at chest level. It was pretty warm when we went there in August. We drove past and did a short walk at the other beaches but didn't spend much time there. Plenty of parking at all beaches. Reservations are necessary even with a seasonal pass.

Cory Sakai

Fantastic park and campground for a beach experience. Cedars campsite was close to Outlet Beach (our favourite) and all of the sites looked like they had decent privacy and conditions. Good park store and restaurant located centrally on site. Normally there are also equipment rentals, but not during COVID.

Uchey Anyanwu

You're required to make reservations online before going there now.We got turned back after a two hour drive from home. Hard lesson..Nice lady at the gate suggested other places for us to call and make reservations. It all worked out

N SPM

Beautiful clean beach with soft sand and lots of shallow water for kids. Great for day visits or camping. It's worth the drive. You can eat at the diners here but it's better to bring your own food. We return as often as possible

Jimmy B

Just letting want to say that I'd usually give this beach a 5 star review, but today ( Saturday). We arrived at approx 1pm and the lot was full. Drove all the way from Toronto to see this closure. This could have been avoided if they'd have someone answer the phone or post it on the website. But nawww.

K S

My family has been camping at Sandbanks since long before I was born. My grandmother started taking my dads family there in the 70s and we’ve been back every year since. We always pick a week in July. Although the booking process can sometimes be frustrating, it is 100% worth the hassle. Such a peaceful environment, staff is always exceptional, plenty of activities, walking trails and a picturesque beach. The beach is kept clean and there is a section where pets can go to play and swim. This is the perfect place for families who just need a quiet break.

Heather Beveridge

It's got nice beaches that are crowded. As far as provincial parks go it is over-commercialized and I will most likely not return to camp there. It has no interpretation center to speak of which is awful since Parks should educate about the …

Krazy Kat

Went here for the first time last weekend and was amazed! The beautiful sandy beaches looked like something from a vacation brochure not our Lake Ontario! The kids had a blast walking out on the sandbags that seemed to go forever. The water looked so clean and clear. Washrooms were clean. Lots of picnicking spots. The parking lots were busy so we thought the beaches would be packed but there is so much room out there that it didn't seem overcrowded at all. Next visit we will definitely be camping so we will have time to walk the many trails and participate in the many activities they offer. Paradise in our own backyard!

Vladimir Eremenko

Amazing park with spectacular views. Really quite and calm

Tri Tran

I grew up going to this beach during my childhood. Itbis beautiful here. Sands are soft and water is clean.

Cheryl Gifkins

We had a very nice day at Outlet Beach in Sandbanks Provincial Park today. Great water and sand activities. Only suggestion is can all visitors please pick up their own garbage. I realize we are using single use packaging, masks and wipes because of covid concerns. We can all learn to make sure we take everything with us when we leave. How about some signs to remind visitors of this. Plastic is not good for the birds or fish.

Benjamin Perrin (Ben)

Beautiful park, decent trails, very unique sand dunes off the "Dunes" trail, nice to walk through barefoot. Water is nice and clear on Dunes beach but watch out for the drop off a couple metres from the shoreline.

Mo n

Beautiful provincial park with really clean water! There are also shallow beaches with gentle water. Get glas in picton because there aren't many stations around. I've never seen Lake Ontario look so good.

stephanie pointet

But BEWARE the Neanderthals who can’t read the “no dogs on the beach” sign. Beautiful crowded beach space, lots of families, great water space. Dogs peeing on the beach and catching footballs while kicking sand up in front of kids trying …

MJ

If your a beach person,you’re going to love this place.My mother says it’s the closest thing to a beach in South America.The two thing that bother me are first, it really isn’t accessible for someone with knee problems because the dunes are very high.Lastly the cottages close to it are pretty expensive for what you have.(some are pretty though)

Celeste Ferguson

This is a good beach and unless you taste the water, it may not even be possible for someone to tell that it is not the ocean but a lake! They have change rooms and bathrooms which are so so, pretty standard for any public beach. Parking is limited but I hear they're expanding it. Entry to the park is $17 for the day. If your frequent flyer, would recommend a season pass. Would recommend getting here early as it gets crowded, especially the parking lots.

Arstan Zholochu

One of the best beaches in Ontario lake region. But please note below: - During weekends try to get there as early as possible 8:00 am is the best time. - I recommend buying seasonal Provincial Parks Permit. By having permit you can avoid traffic on weekends, but still have to be there as early as possible 8:00-8:30 am latest. - If you have permit just follow West Lake direction, (no need to turn left at Church building to 18 road) thus you will avoid traffic on main entrance to Sandbanks Provincial park.

Luz Neuenschwander

First time experience was awesome! Friendly staff workers. Parking cost $25.00 Very clean and well managed park, beach and parking area. Must have a reservation to visit ~> go to the sandbank provincial park website to register. No pets allowed in beach areas makes sense.

Jayvis Wan

The park had a sparse crowd when I visited yesterday. The fine sand and gentle waves also made the beach very peaceful and relaxing. Admission fee is $21.

Sadaf A

Big and clean sandy beaches, perfect if you’re missing the feeling of sad between your toes. The water was a miss though, wish this beach was attached to a different lake

Sammy Lu

Beautiful sand. Huge beach area enough to cater for thousands of beach goers yet still provide ample space to lie down and enjoy. Tons of parking. A pity dog owners ignore the signs and let their pets roam the beach and water like their own backyards.

Zena

One of the prettiest and cleanest beaches in the area! Definitely worth the drive from Toronto or Ottawa.

Alexandre Debargis

Amazing provincial park Great beaches and trails

Kumaran Ganapathy

Awesome Beach:) Super clean Loved it.. and enjoyed the beautiful Sunset ????

Abdurrahman Aydin

Very nice and clear water for swimming. Have fun.

Lilly Cioppa

My family and I love this beach. A gem right in Ontario beautiful soft sand, long and wide beach and no rocks in the water. The first time we visited I couldn't believe that this beach was in Ontario! Definitely worth a visit if you enjoy beach loung.ing

Cathy UL

Awesome beach...everything about this place is beautiful.

Jeff Dunlop

The Dunes beach is phenomenal. Amazing that this is in Ontario! The other beaches in the Sandbanks Provincial Park are great too. We got some great waves at the outlet. Just a great time for the family and the best part-- it is fresh water!!

Simone Pape

The beach is beautiful and we walked wind the camp ground and trails. Had a great time, but the beach was my favorite part of the day.

Marie Samantha

The beach was spacious and so beautiful! Water was not ice-cold, and the sand was soft (not filled with rocks). 3 stars because of disorganized and rude staff at the park office/entrance, especially the older ladies.

C Bright

So beautiful, and even with flooding, the beaches were lovely! The park "police" are a bit much, and kind of put a damper on a nice day at the beach, but otherwise a great place for families and friends alike!

Xiao Jie Shen

This place is amazing. The beach is clean and the water clear. You wouldn't think you'd find this on lake Ontario.

Brett Morphy

Best provincial park - beaitiful trails, breathtaking views and a dog beach. Will definitely be back.

Tomas Guidolin

Amazing and beautiful beach,. especially for families with young children.

Rick Nielsen

Great day at the beach! Line up for cars that purchased parking passes online in advance moves slower than lines buying pass at the gate. That doesn't make sense.

Claudia Garcia

Great beaches, clean and it wasn't as crowded, likely related to Covid restrictions.

soheil kh

Best beach in 2 hours radius of Toronto,. Long clean white-sand Beach , very clean water, clean washroom close by, enough parking available, and great campsites ,

Chloe Hamel

The beach is amazzzzing!!! Beautiful blue water, white fine sand and lots of room. You don't feel crowded!! The water is clear and on the windy days theirs waves! So much fun! The water is not deep before a few 50-100 feet away, perfect for families. Gorgeous sunsets! The toilettes are regularly cleaned. The campgrounds are beautiful, especially the ones directly off the beach. The staff is friendly. Reserve a few (6months) ahead! ;)

Mr. & Mrs A

it is a beautiful place for campers and hikers who want to be close to nature. There are many hiking trails and the dunes are so pretty. The trails provide great fun and learning experience. We chose to go around 3pm and there was no crowds and pretty much had the beach to ourselves washroom was clean and open at dunes beach and outlet beach lakeshore and outlet beach were our favs. the water is so clear. absolutely amazing spot! White sand beaches, crystal clear fresh water and a night time sky with stars to spare! Highly suggest making the trip, it is impossible to regret it. This place needs to be on your bucket list for camping, and the beach is a must see. we are so glad we asked for a map when we were paying the entrance fees. it really helped us navigate the entire park. Signs are pretty clear. due to covid at some of the beach the change room was closed. It was nice to see garbage cans and the place was clean. We ran out of gas and were glad to find we could enter and exit the park multiple times on our day pass So we left and filled gas and got some pizza back. Staff at this park were terrific and really went the extra mile to make sure everyone was having a great time.Wish we could have stayed here longer, but it was only one night as we were passing through. Cool water, hot sand and a warm breeze made for an excellent day at the beach. It's a great spot to bring the kids

Raj Ganesh

Beautiful beach but crowded. Please do parking reservations before you go

khalid khan

Before twice i was at the dunes. This is actually better because the water is not too deep so safe for the kids plus the bathrooms are easy to access. Clean area and the beach police is great at enforcement. Highly recommended.

Nadeem Qadri

One of the best Beaches area especially for families within 2:30 hours of drive from Toronto. …

Janice P

Went to Outlet Beach, perfect for families with young kids. Beautiful beach. Don't forget to register for the day use park permit.

Judith Tucker Foerster

Fantastic place ! Water is clean, no rocks. Clean campsites. Mini putt and local stores with ice cream ,breads,cold cuts and camping gear nearby. Also great prices for camping if you book ahead . Try to go at least once a year .

Olena Mayorova

It is better to arrive early (8 am) Sand beach, clear water. You need to take everything you need with you. It is better to go.e after couple hot days, otherwise water will be cold.

Karan Parmar

Amazing atmosphere. Water is usually cold but worth it! Great for the family

SD D

To busy for our liking. Everyone wanted the Sandy beach, so there wasn't a lot of room to spread out.

Curtis D

Amazing beach. One of the best in the country!

Wesley Shank

As always, rain or shine this is by far one of our favorite parks in Ontario. The Beaches are hard to beat, and the multiple camping locations are sure to meet everyone's needs.

Brittany Easton

Outlet beach is amazing!! Definitely going to be a yearly family trip. Any video you see online doesn't do it justice. Very clean and water is clear????

Raviraj Krishnasingam

It is good beach but you need to book before get there

Aj

Coolest beach I've been to. Cliffs of sand pretty cool. Didn't go far from the parking lot but definitely going again.

Chase Bourgon

Fantastic sandy beaches with banks in the water. A must do beach day when your on a vacation week! It's at its best when there is tons of sun and good winds. Definitely bring sunscreen.

Olga Kulik

Beach is bit overrated. There are other nice beaches along lake Ontario that do not require booking in advance or waiting in long lines to enter. Plus it is very very busy! Trails are unique. And dunes! Most of the people spend time by the water missing out on beautiful trails. Next time I would go just for trails.

Ryan Paul

We've been in the summer and winter and each experience is unique. There a trails accessible from the gated parking in the winter, but to get closer to the dunes you'd have to go when the park is formally open.

Alexander Hutchison

My family's go-to campground every year for as long as I can remember! My dad began taking us here when we were little and now I am doing the same with my family. We occasionally try other Provincial Parks or Privately owned parks but we always come back to Sandbanks. MANY fond memories here and looking forward to many more for many years to come. The washrooms/showers are cleaned & maintained regularly, many campsites with interesting layouts and some close to the beach.. and the beach itself is amazing. Staff are always so friendly and helpful, and fellow campers are the same. They're working on maintaining and restoring the dunes here so many of those neat pathways over the sand around the beach is blocked off but if it means maintaining this amazing park then please do. I hope to return here for many more years to camp!

Avinash VK

A great vacation spot for a weekend trip. The best fresh water beach that I’ve been to. Make sure to go on a non busy day. During that latter part of the summer, there is a lot of green algae floating around, watch out for that. They have some vineyards around the prince Edward county that are worth a visit as well.

Michael Gomes

Beautiful beach and surrounding area. Recommend going on a weekday in late July or August, as the water temperature can be colder than the surrounding bodies of water. As a popular location, it can get very busy and crowded, so be sure to plan your trip accordingly! Fair pricing (it cost around $17 for entrance/ parking). Bathrooms can be a little messy, but they do a good job of maintenance otherwise.

Jennifer Tyson

Beautiful beach but overcrowded. Have to arrive very early at the beach to find a parking spot and and a spot at the beach.

Elyes Bdira

Had time only for two hours on the beach We may come for another day but we need to come early to find a spot. Beach is above average.. But given that it's on a lake its amazing.

Ruban Jeya

My favorite beach, due to Covid-19 please come super early as it fills up quick and may turn back if parking reduced capacity. You may want to call ahead and find out if there are any restrictions.

Vanessa P

Honestly one of the best beach in Ontario. About 2.5 hrs drive from Toronto. Soft white sand, clean and clear water. it was also quiet shallow which is great for kids and fur babies. There is an area designated for dogs and owner, which I found quiet considerate and convenient. The new protocol for reservation and check in was a breeze. Washrooms was well maintained but there was occasional times when it was left messy by inconsiderate people who shouldn't go out in public! -__- Otherwise, staff are doing their best and people social distance. Just do your part in contributing and be a good human and you'll have a great time!

hebatallah nazih

Best beach i visited so far.I loved that there is actual sand and the water is clean . We went on a week day so it was not super busy.will definitely come back !

rakesh Sharma

Great place for summer, not extremely crowded like Sauble Beach, love the water

T Kiser

Park is obviously visited by Torontoites and Peel Region folks. People sneaking into park. Some of the trails needed maintenance done to same. Sites are large and roomy.

John Ventura

Beach is a gem for Ontario. Large clean beach. Most of the beach is shallow and you can walk out pretty far before it starts to pass your waist. Safe for kids because of this, but there aren't any lifeguards so still keep an eye on them. Get there early to get a good spot and to avoid the lineups to get in.

Amber Lawrence

This is our favorite beach in Ontario and our favorite provincial park. Outlet A is the most popular place to camp, but you need to book 5 months earlier (to the second) if you want to get a spot. Can be very busy around long weekends (you …

D Pineault

Great beach. Sand dunes are a blast for the kids Bathrooms and changing rooms by the parking area. No shade though, so bring an umbrella, a shelter, plenty of sunscreen! Get there early before the beaches crowd in. They also have trails, camp ground, but I haven't checked those out.

Cameron Perrier

What a great park! We were there for camping in the Outlet River campground. The sites are pretty spaced out, private and quiet. That said, the comfort stations/bathrooms/water are a little further away with that. Staff were super friendly and helpful. The dunes were the best part - you can spread out easily, and the sand is super soft and warm. The other facilities at the park like the store/rentals we're great too. My only criticism was of the day use beach: it was so busy and at the end of the day the garbage bins were overflowing with bags piled up. Bigger/more waste bins would help. Otherwise a great time and I would return next summer!

Fiona Sedgwick

Sandbanks is a beautiful and peaceful space to explore. Watch out for ticks and keep your dog on leash particularly on pathways and near grassy areas. Highly recommended for a calm mind and healthy body.

Richard Cortez

Great park, ample parking and the beach is probably the best beach in all of Ontario. Going again this mid week.

Regina Lima Pessôa

Visiting in a weekday during Summer was a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Sheighlyn Slade

Great beach. However their ability to communicate that they've closed the park is purely awful. The only notice you get that the park is closed to day pass guests is when you arrive to the entrance. My suggestion; be more proactive with your approach. Don't just allow guests to sit in their car for an hour or to travel a lengthy commute to find out that their whole day has been wasted. More notice would be VERY ideal. Especially those with very small children.

Adrian C

We love this place, campground is great and the beach is very nice. We always look forward to visiting Sandbanks. Will be back next year.

Jessica Brant

Clean, cheap and good for the whole family. It's nice that it hasn't been over run with Americanized stores. There's one store, with minimal selection. the bathrooms are clean. The beach is also clean and garbage free. Sand is usually nice as well. Although would be nice if it were raked once and a while. I think the garbage bins should also be emptied more often, but very minimal issues compared to the whole experience. Definitely recommend!

Veeram R

This beach is so clean. They have security come in big bikes that monitor the park time to time. They have designated beach parking areas for dogs. White clear sand, and blue waters. Such a beautiful place, but try to avoid Saturday’s - super busy and crowded.

Dawn Pratt

Beautiful and tropical! It was everything people say it is! So fun for the kids.

Hannah Hernandez

You won’t find anything like this in Canada as far as I know. The sandbanks have sand dunes that are so unique to its location that you should definitely come and experience it. The sand is so soft with expansive rolling hills that give a …

Ra La

It's a very popular beach, so come early to beat the crowd and not be turned away due to capacity. We arrived at 7:45 am before the park opened and we were car no. 40 in our line, there were 3 lines. We parked at P4, which is nearby to a comfort station with flush toilets and beach entrance. Lots of trees for shade, albeit not at the waterfront. Beach is long and wide. Sand is beautiful, soft and off-white. Bring fold tables as picnic tables are scarce. Food tent is highly recommended as that will reduce sand blowing into your food. We went during a windy but hot 32 degree day which caused the waves. Kids (age 8, 10, 11) had a great time playing in the crashing waves.

Sly Wombat

One of the worst staffed and maintained provincial park. Our campsite had a squatter that we had trouble finding any staff (the West campground entrance was not staffed). Campsite a trashed mess. Sure the dunes and trails are wonderful.

J D

Been going to Sandbanks a looong time. No other beach or camping experience like it. Unfortunately, number of dog owners not following rules is affecting other beach users’ enjoyment.

Trevor HP

Park is simply beautiful, coming here for years, but the new regulations make it very difficult to plan. Often park is empty by afternoon but reservations say its full. Quite frustrating for people who purchased yearly passes.

world in a carryon

Love this place ❤ the best beach in ontario

K K

After my recent trip to sandbanks, I have turned from a hater of the beach to a beach bunny. I went to Lake shore beach both days that I was there and loved it. Lots of sand, space, and loved that the water stays shallow for ages, which is great for non-swimmers and children. ****time saving tip below***** First day I made the mistake of getting in cue behind all the cars waiting to enter the park. I found out from a local that night that once you enter the park, there is a small division in which passholders can veer to the right side. This makes it seem like you need a seasons pass but this is not the case. Everyone can go into this right lane, which leads you to a large parking lot just by the front gate. Here you can get out and purchase a pass at the automatic machine, saving 30-45 min easily. In fact all of the parking lots I’m pretty sure have this same automatic machine, saving loads of time. I’m not sure why it’s not clearly posted to save people all the grief of waiting. Having said that, the wait was worth it. GET THERE EARLY on the weekend!!! On my weekend, The park entrance was closed because of being at capacity often by 10 AM or 1030 latest.

Rashid Syed

Nice beach, soft sand and dunes Situated in small town of Picton not much to do around historic downtown can take a 10 minutes free ferry ride to Napanee.lake on the mountain is near by

Squirrel

It is very busy during the best days of the summer, especially weekends and holidays. A beautiful place that you should not miss out on seeing, nevertheless. Absolutely beautiful in any season.

Philip Mohammed

Absolutely love this park.....beach is second to none. So calm and shallow, the kids love it!

Sami L

Be careful on the yellow trail at the dunes, they've cut trees and left little stumps which are super dangerous! Not market at all and could easily cause a broken ankle... or two.

Nat

Took the family to Sandbanks for a nice little day trip from Toronto. Showed up nice and early and found a spot on Outlet beach. My 9 year old enjoyed the small waves but I believe there's another beach further down that's more appropriate for toddlers. Still, the water is shallow so its not a deal breaker with supervision. We'd go back for sure.

Kimberly

We went for 3 nights. Our site was large and nice. I give it 3 stars because of the washroom issues. On the website they do say that some bathrooms may not be available because of covid precautions, and that the shower and laundry facilities are closed. What they do not say is that every wooden washroom (the outhouses) were closed. By closed I mean having a board nailed across the doors. We camped in the 200 area (tents, no power). For a washroom we had to go to the only one in the area, 1/2km away. Doesn't sound like much, except in the middle of the night. It was packed in the morning, a few times over 20 women in line for 3 stalls. At our site we found toilet paper and feces on the small hill at the back of our site. Pretty disgusting. But the beaches were beautiful, staff was nice. Price was great. If you have a disability and an accessible parking permit the price is more then half.

Joe Nosotti

Beautiful beach and park. Excellent service for reservations.

Dora Cecilia Echeverri

Beautiful beaches to enjoy with family and friends

Liz Sully

Great beach, nice sand, lovely water. Especially enjoyed feeling normal again, not needing a mask & just enjoying the beach, my kids absolutely loves it there.

frank roy

Park is very nice, clean. The only issue I have is we came here at 630 pm to walk the beach and take pics of the sun as it is going down. When we went to the office to purchase our ticket we were told that it would be $22. When I visited their site it does mentioned that there is a minimum fee of 12.25 which I assume it was for half day or evening as it is obvious that I would only use the park for a few hrs and not full day. There should be a price for half day or eve visit.

John Cher

Sandbanks Provincial Park is definitely worth visiting. Lakeshore Beach is one of the best places to catch some sun and relax. The dunes at the other side of the beach are really unique landscape features.

L Collins

Day use only. Was disappointed with dunes beach area. Perhaps my expectations were too high (?). Loved the lakeshore beach and pet area (latter nice and quiet). Had a beautiful sand beach, and entry area. Nice swallow walk in for quite some time. Was not able to locate a gift shop (too bad) for souvenirs.

B Liotard

No need to go to the ocean. This is the best beach look for in Canada.

Komul Bedi

My husband and I recently spent an entire day at the Sandbanks Provincial Park and had a wonderful time. We had to purchase a day pass a few days in advance for roughly $20-25 which that ensured us entry into the park on the day of. Getting …

Arooj Shami

What a superb park, v well Maintained. Did the cedar trail & swam in the outlet beach. Absolutely beautiful & stunning sandy beach. Will definitely visit again

zain jafri

Amazing beach and water with all necessary facilities. Get a parking permit prior to your visit and we saw a lot of cafs being returned for not having one.

Rob Spiers

Beaches just like the Caribbean - a great day out for the family. Beautiful sands and plenty of shallow water - can get busy but that's not necessarily a bad thing. There's a great wood fired pizza place at the entrance to the park that is the perfect stop on the way out

John Maier

This is a solid park with a great beach. The park store was ok while the nature center actually had better items for children and souvenirs. The quality of camp site varies greatly with some private and large while others in full sun and no privacy. Fishing under the north bridge was great. Washrooms were cleaned regularly. Overall it was a great experience. The community as a whole has some great character. We will be back.

Samanta Campbell

Very clean and pay parking love it ????

S Y

Took us two hours to get here. Totally worth the drive. The beach is clean, sand is nice and soft. I don’t see any garbage in sight.

Albert Mcwilliams

Amazing place to go to with the family. There's a dog friendly spot way down the beach. Spent two nights in the Ramada in Bellville and drove south 30 min through the country to get into the park for the day. The provincial park was $21 a day, but we'll worth it! Pack a cooler with sandwich meats and drinks. Don't take alcohol! There was plenty of OPP presence and parks staff. Watched someone get a ticket for open drinking.

Zohar Kuperman

Very nice place, even though the car parking looked very congested rhe beach itself was very spacey , we had lots of fun!

Von Mout

Amazing, white sand beaches, waves, great family fun!

Sam deZ

You can spend the day at the beach relaxing. Lovely beach. Two beaches to choose from. At Dunes beach the water get deep suddenly. If you have kids it's better to go to the Outlet beach as you can walk quite abit before it gets deep. There are quite a few change houses but they are terribly kept. Really unclean. One washroom facility in parking 4, 5, 6 area with three toilets. Therefore always a wait. This place can be turned into a better place with more facilities for the people who wants to use it. Needs more picnic tables too.

Jonathan Yoo

Amazing park. Sand at the beach was clean. The water was clean and wasn't cold. The family enjoyed themselves at the beach.

Cristian P

Never gets old, I've ended up enjoying the white sand and the warm water back to back weekends this summer. Great escape from the city and guaranteed place to get your tan on.

Jeremy Dang

This review is long overdue. Had a great time here. If you don't like crowd areas, this is a great place to visit.

Mireille Lapensée

A true gem! Best beach I have found in the province. We spent a great day here.

Brad Straus

One of the best beaches in Ontario! Facilities are great. Check in was slow after a long drive. Bothered me more than it should. Like anywhere, if you are picky about your campsite, be careful what you book. We reserved late and took …

Karen Gold Dupont

Beautiful beach and comfortable camp sites. They shut down the pit toilets and showers during COVID which made no sense to me... Really long walk to the toilet and I never saw cleaning staff anyway. There's a stinky algae problem on the beach this year too.

J R.W

Wonderful beach, great sand and lots of area for kids to play both in sand and along shoreline. They are also able to walk out quite a ways and it still be shallow. Trees provide shade near back of beach or you can bring umbrella or tent. Only downfall is that on nice days it's absolutely packed and that the price is nuts. Everywhere else in Ontario you can use beautiful beaches along the great lakes for free. This is the only beach like this in our area and you are charged $17 per day whether you show up at 9am or 6pm.

Sin Jaz

Went here for a day trip. Loved the beach. The sand is soft. Lots of parking but it does get super busy and they were only letting limited cars in on the weekends. I believe parking was $20.

Andrew Phillips

The new parking spot reservation system is a nightmare. You have to book your parking spot 5 days ahead of your visit. Expect an hour or two wait to get into the park until they get that fixed and everyone is registered before arriving. The park and beach are great.

Hoebart Atkin

I have been going to Sandbanks since I was a child although now that I leave further away I cannot go as often. We went on the Monday of the August long weekend and arrived at 9:15am. We had a free pass from Honda Canada so saved the $16 entrance fee. We had our choice of picnic tables when we arrived and chose one in the shade. By 11am the beach was filling up and by noon there was very little parking. The sand is soft and plentiful and the waves were great fun to swim and play in. You can walk out a great distance as the drop off is very gradual. We ate at the canteen and the food was not that great. Burgers and fries seemed to be okay, sandwhiches seemed stale and tasteless. Next time we'll do like most people and pack a lunch. We can't wait to return to Sandbanks again.

Ravi Rooprai

Pretty beach, clean and shallow waters... Great little break from the normal life.

Lightning Storm

Family and friends enjoy it here with us every summer. The absolute best place to camp and enjoy the beautiful beaches. Camp sites are generally large and private. Poison ivy is all over, so be careful

David Clark

It was a beautiful day at the beach. It was busy but not too packed. The water was chilly but refreshing. Make sure you reserve ahead of time.

Jackie M

Great experience. Highly recommend visiting for a day or camping here!

Em Franz

Lovely place! The season being cooler means the leaves are changing. We found our camp to be very nice; enough trees to brake up the wind off the lake and not too bad for poison ivy.

Shanna

Great sand mountain and lake, kids love it, very holiday mode and relax

Elaine Jasvins

As always I enjoyed the beauty the park has to offer. I was upset by the condition the bathrooms were in, I'm not sure if it was a water pressure problem but the flushable toilets were often blocked. I have never seen this before but it was upsetting.

mohammed gangat

One of the best beaches in Ontario to visit. Get a blend of Hot and wavy water here. I've visited many beaches in Ontario so far and i will rate this the Best so far. Water is shallow and safe till good distant area. Cons: Don't forget to call and book before visiting. You'll end up returning back as there is limited capacity. Happy beach season guys ????????

AK Mehta

Good beach with some of the finest sand I have seen. Unfortunately dogs are not allowed.

Tom Lu

Amazing beach and great soft sand. If you go on a sunny day then parking is going to be problematic

Serge K

One of the best beaches in Ontario

Reem A. D.

Nice clean long sandy beach, the camp sight is nicely set, the buildings that contained showers and washrooms are clean. Very good for families with young kids.

Alison Moffat

I was at the Sandbanks early this summer for my very first visit. It was still stage 2 of the Covid situation so no washrooms were open inside the park at all! However in the parking lot there were a couple of portables thankfully. The trek to the dunes is not too bad but its very slanted and steep for dragging your beach stuff. I found this a little difficult as we walked through the sand looking for a quiet spot! I highly recommend you bring some kind of sunshade there is limited shade here. The beach is absolutely beautiful..the views are worth the trek they are stunning!! The water is crystal clear with a sandy bottom its definitely one of the best beaches around!! This place is gorgeous I loved it of all the beaches I've been to this is definitely one of the best!! Surprisingly the water was beautiful for Lake Ontario nothing like the water in Toronto and Mississauga. I highly recommend this place and I will be back!

Viji Selvakumar

The sand beach is mesmerizing. Don’t have to worry about food and snacks, the amazing food place opposite to the beach takes care of it. Well maintained public washrooms.

A Google User

This is honestly the best beach in ontario beautiful and there are alot of entry points if your able avoid the main entry as its crazy lines