Activities
Located near the town of Burgeo approximately 150 kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway on Route 480, Sandbanks Provincial Park is most definitely an off-the-beaten-path destination and a real gem. Named for its undulating sand dunes and five long expanses of flat, sandy beaches; some of the most magnificent on the island portion of the province. And when you’re done strolling the sandy shore, there’s a forest of spruce-fir and barrens typical of Newfoundland’s beautiful south coast.
Find out more about the park by visiting Natural History.
Photo Gallery
Activities
Beach
Sandbanks Provincial Park is well-named! It features five stunning white beaches with seven kilometres of sand; a great place to swim, to lounge on your towel and, most certainly, a great place for a walk. The feel of your toes sinking into the stunning white sand is simply delicious. So listen to the rhythm of the lapping waves as you enjoy a relaxing stroll. These beaches also act as an important nesting ground for the endangered Piping Plover. To avoid disturbing their nests and fragile eggs please pay close attention to signage, walk below the high water mark or or on wet sand and keep your dogs leashed.
Bicycling
Sandbanks Provincial Park is a great spot for the cyclist or kids just giving up their training wheels. So unstrap your bike from your rack and enjoy the fresh air as you pedal past rows of spruce trees. Be sure to strap that helmet on for safety and a reminder to drivers to keep an eye out for children biking.
Bird Watching
Located along an important bird migration route, Sandbanks Provincial Park will certainly keep the bird watcher busy. Extensive sand deposits, shallow water and the Heron Pond intertidal area mean you’ll be keeping your eyes open for shore birds such as sandpipers as well as water fowl like duck and geese. The beautiful beaches in this park provide nesting grounds for the endangered Piping Plover. Less than thirty pairs of this migratory shorebird frequent Newfoundland and Labrador between May and August each year. Disturbing their nests can result in adults abandoning a nest of chicks and/or prevent chicks from gaining the weight they need to survive. Be sure to pay close attention to signage, walk below the high water mark or on wet sand and keep your dogs leashed.
Campfires
Your campsite comes with a fireplace and nothing quite says camping like an open fire on a starry night. The perfect way to end your day; toasting a marshmallow or roasting a hot dog over your campsite’s fireplace with family and friends reflecting on your adventures as the crackling flames echo through the trees.
Camping
Sandbanks Provincial Park offers 30 campsites in a lovely forested area. Each campsite features a picnic table, fireplace and space for your vehicle, many accommodating mid-size RVs.
Camping – Learn to Camp
If you are interested in trying camping for the first time, check out these great resources, including information and videos, such as a packing checklist, tents and tarps, campfires, safety tips and more.
Camping – Group
While Sandbanks Provincial Park doesn’t offer a specific group campground, not-for-profit organizations can apply to use areas of the park at no charge. Bookings can be made by contacting the park directly and completing a Group Camping Application. Group camping may also be available for off season use.
Canoeing
Sandbanks Provincial Park offers canoeing in the backshore area. Pop on your PFD and head out onto Sandbanks Pond and enjoy the quiet solitude of being on the water; the only sound the dip of your paddle.
Dog Walking
Dogs are welcome in all provincial parks and Sandbanks Provincial Park is no exception. And with five beaches, seven kilometres of sand a half kilometre of gravel park road and four and a half kilometres of hiking trails, it would be a real shame to leave your canine buddies behind. Please clean up after your pet. Visitors should also note that these beaches act as an important nesting ground for the endangered Piping Plover. To avoid disturbing their nests and fragile eggs please pay close attention to signage, walk below the high water mark or on wet sand and keep your dog leashed at all times.
Events
Sandbanks Provincial Park hosts an annual Canada Day celebration with festivities for the whole family to enjoy. The Town of Burgeo hosts an annual Sand and Sea Festival in July with some events in the park. Other events may occur throughout the season; please check News & Events for updates.
Generator Use
If you want to power up your campsite, generator use is permitted within our parks although they must be attended at all times and any generators found to be exceedingly loud may be prohibited at any time. In Sandbanks Provincial Park, you can only run your generator between 8:00 am and 11:00 pm; any exceptions outside of those hours must be approved by park staff. Place them on a hardened surface of the campsite, away from any flammable substances and you can light up your night and even power up your television and satellite. Now you’re really roughing it!
Hiking & Walking
Sandbanks Provincial Parks has five beaches with seven kilometers of white sand for strolling and beachcombing. While beach walking visitors should keep in mind that these beaches are an important nesting ground for the endangered Piping Plover. To avoid disturbing their nests and fragile eggs please pay close attention to signage, walk below the high water mark or on wet sand and keep your dog leashed at all times. Walkers can also stroll the half kilometre of gravel park road through lovely forest. Hikers can access four and a half kilometres of trails inland from the beach. Trails like Russel’s Path lead through thick spruce-fire forest, others over barrens and some to beautiful lookouts such as the one at Cow House Hill.
Kayaking
Sandbanks Provincial Park is surrounded by numerous islands and sea kayaking is a great way to explore this beautiful and dramatic coast. Pop on your PFD and take to the high seas!
Photography
The natural beauty of Sandbanks Provincial Park makes it an excellent backdrop for the enthusiast photographer. Whether you are capturing the view from Grepe’s Head or a panoramic view of any of five sandy beaches, you won’t be long filling up an SD card. In fact, you might want to bring along a couple extra.
Picnics
The day use area at Sandbanks Provincial Park is open until 10:00 pm and features a playground, picnic tables and outhouses. A perfect spot to take a dip in the salt water while soaking up the natural beauty. Then spread your towel, unpack some snacks and treat yourself to a feast for the body and the soul. There is also a freshwater swimming pond near the parking lot.
Playground
Sandbanks Provincial Park has a playground between the parking lot and the camping loop for the young and the young at heart! Enjoy the see-saw, give the monkey bars a work-out or feel the wind in your hair as you have a swing!
Snowshoeing
While the gate may be closed in the winter months, the park is still accessible by those users who want to enjoy its natural beauty by snowshoe. Strap on a pair and see this winter landscape in all its splendour, accented by the crunch of your footsteps on that crisp blanket of pristine, white snow. Where snow conditions allow, vehicles may be parked near the park gate without blocking access.
Stargazing
Around here, when the sun sets the light show begins. The lack of overhead lights around these parts means you’ll have no trouble spotting your favourite constellations as the stars twinkle and shine down from above. Bring along a telescope and take it all in.
Swimming
Sandbanks Provincial Park features fantastic saltwater swimming from gorgeous white sandy beaches or freshwater in Sandbanks Pond. Swimming is unsupervised but lifesaving equipment is located nearby and a small section of Sandbanks Pond has been roped off for your enjoyment.
Wildlife Watching
If it feels like you aren’t alone, you’re right! While walking or hiking keep an eye out for evidence of the snowshoe hare, such as chewed twigs along pathways. Foxes have been spotted in the park and be sure to look for bats at dusk. A moose may even wander through the campsites! And be sure to keep an eye out for the grepes, or eagles, on Grepe’s Head. The best time to experience wildlife in the park is in the morning or evening; keep quiet and keep your eyes peeled.
Prohibitions
Do Not Disturb
Please note that everything in a provincial park is protected; from the smallest rock to the largest tree. For that reason, introducing and/or removing any natural items is prohibited.
No Cutting Trees
No Hunting
No Off-road Vehicles
Off-road vehicles include any motorized vehicles that are not legally permitted for use on provincial highways.
No Snowmobiles
Services
Accessibility Information
All comfort stations within provincial camping parks offer wheelchair accessible washrooms and showers. Wheelchair accessible picnic tables may also be available in the park.
Campfire
Each campsite comes with a fireplace and we ask that you maintain your campfire responsibly by keeping the following in mind. Fires are only permitted in the provided fireplaces or in an area designated by a Park Ranger as being suitable. Visitor owned fireplaces are permitted but must be approved by park staff before using. Campfires must not be left unattended. Ashes or coals must be watered down prior to being disposed of and can only be disposed of in designated areas. Fires are prohibited if an open fire ban is implemented. Provincial park staff may restrict any campfire that creates or may create a hazard to the public.
Camping
Sandbanks Provincial Park offers 30 campsites in a lovely forested area. Each campsite features a picnic table, fireplace and space for your vehicle, most accommodating midsize RVs. Water taps and outhouses are located throughout the park. A wheelchair accessible comfort station, including flush toilets, showers, laundry facilities and a trailer dumping station can be found to the left of the park checkpoint.
Camping – Group
While Sandbanks Provincial Park doesn’t offer a specific group campground; not-for-profit organizations can apply to use areas of the park at no charge. Bookings can be made by contacting the park directly and completing a Group Camping Application. Group camping may also be available for off season use.
Cell Service
There is little to no cell phone service available in this park.
Change Table
Comfort station washrooms feature change tables.
Checkpoint
Park staff are on duty at the park checkpoint from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm daily.
Firewood
Firewood is available for cash purchase from the park checkpoint. Please note: it is prohibited to transport firewood from outside the province into any provincial park. Also, do not gather your own firewood; dead trees provide a home or food source for both plants and animals.
Emergency Preparedness
Every provincial camping park has an emergency preparedness plan and map. Please familiarize yourself with the map, automated external defibrillator, first aid and muster locations.
Laundry
Sandbanks Provincial Park features coin-operated laundry services within the comfort station. Bring change!
Outhouse
Outhouses are located throughout the park.
Parking
There are large parking lots located next to the comfort station and in the day use area.
Picnic Area
The day use area at Sandbanks Provincial Park is open until 10:00 pm and features a playground, picnic tables and outhouses. There is also a freshwater swimming pond beside the parking lot.
Playground
Sandbanks Provincial Park has a playground in the day use area at First Beach for the young and the young at heart! Enjoy the see-saw, give the monkey bars a work-out or feel the wind in your hair as you have a swing!
Showers
Showers are located within the comfort station.
Trailer Dumping
The trailer dumping station is located adjacent to the comfort station.
Trailer Storage
If you plan to return (and most do!), Sandbanks Provincial Park offers both summer and winter storage for camping equipment. Prices are available from the park checkpoint.
Washrooms
Washrooms are located within the comfort station.
Water Rescue Equipment
Water rescue equipment is located next to the designated swimming area.
Water Taps
There are water taps located throughout the park. Visitors will notice boil order signage on all water sources. These shouldn’t cause concern, but are to be followed. Given that provincial parks do not have water chlorination systems, these orders are precautionary for public safety.
WiFi
For your internet needs, a wifi hotspot is located at the park checkpoint.
Natural History
Sandbanks Provincial Park is located in the South Coast Barrens subregion of the Maritime Barrens ecoregion and has many natural features of significance, not the least of which would be of interest to even the armchair geologist. Follow the trail to Cow House Hill and walk the sandy beach to Fox Point. There, old Precambrian, dark coloured gneisses were partially melted around 450 million years ago to form a metamorphic rock called agmatite.
The freshwater outflow of Heron Pond and Grepesy Brook intertidal are another unusual feature of this park. At high tide, salt water flows up Grepesy Brook to Heron Pond, while at low tide, freshwater flows down the brook to the ocean. The animals and plants which live in the water and on the intertidal flats must be able to tolerate both fresh and salt water conditions. Because of this, Heron Pond is home to a number of salt-tolerant plants.
This coastline has over 100 islands and complex wave patterns abound; partially responsible for the dunes and beaches found here. These are certainly unusual for the rugged Southwest Coast of Newfoundland. The stunning white sand can also be traced to melting glaciers feeding into Grandy’s Brook 10,000 years ago.
The sand dunes are a fragile environment because they have a thin vegetative cover of Dune grass (Ammophilia breviligulata) and Beach Pea (Lathyrus maritimus) binding the sand together. This vegetation is easily eroded by trails, resulting in sand blowouts. Because of this, it is important to stay on designated trails.
The Burgeo area is an important bird migration route because of extensive sand deposits, shallow water and the Heron Pond intertidal area, this park attracts all kinds of bird-life. Water fowl like ducks and geese can be spotted as well as shore birds like the sandpiper. The endangered Piping Plover also makes use of these beaches as its nesting ground. Less than thirty pairs of this migratory shorebird frequent Newfoundland and Labrador between May and August each year. Disturbing their nests can result in adults abandoning a nest of chicks and/or prevent chicks from gaining the weight they need to survive. Be sure to pay close attention to signage, walk below the high water mark or on wet sand and keep your dogs leashed to protect this important visitor to Sandbanks Provincial Park.
For additional information on the natural history of this park in the Maritime Barrens ecoregion, please refer to the Maritime Barrens – South Coast Barrens subregion.
Contact
+1 (709) 886-2331
