Categories: Things To Do

This Ontario park has a hiking trail that leads to an ancient dune system

Photo via LesPalenik on Shutterstock

Adventure is calling! Get ready to venture on over 30 km of hiking trails, sunbathe at one of four beaches and explore the natural wonders of Ontario at this beloved park. Nature seekers will enjoy a day in the sun as they wander through the looped trails where they will come face-to-face with jaw-dropping works of nature, like this ancient dune system. Here’s what to know about Awenda Provincial Park.

This Ontario park is located about two and a half hours north of Toronto. Here you’ll enjoy a variety of outdoor activities like biking, birding, boating, canoeing, fishing, swimming, and hiking.

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As a matter of fact, for you avid hikers, Awenda has a mix of seven looped and linear, easy-to-moderate trails. Here’s a quick rundown of each trail and what it offers:

Beach Trail – guides you along the Georgian Bay shoreline. Giant’s Tomb Island is also visible from here.
Beaver Pond Trail – most of this trail is a boardwalk where you can definitely see some beaver activity. “The area also offers views of the dominant Nipissing bluff as well as excellent opportunities for viewing wildlife,” shares Ontario Parks.
Bluff Trail – A circular trail that can be accessed from a few locations in the park.
Nipissing Trail – Here you can take a staircase down the Nipissing Bluff to a raised beach area.
Brûlé Trail – passes through a mix of deciduous forest.
Robitaille Homestead Trail – Guides you to an ancient dune system, estimated to be about 11,500 years old. , from the time of the last glacial retreat. The dunes are a very fragile environment and visitors are asked not to climb the hillside. The trail also passes an abandoned farmstead originally built in 1902.
Wendat Trail – This trail begins at Kettle’s Lake and passes where Brabant farmstead house and barn stood.

Ready to cool off? You can go for a dip in one out of its four beautiful, sandy beaches on the Georgian Bay shoreline.

“The most protected and sandiest beach area is at Methodist Point Bay,” says Ontario Parks.

There’s also a Pet Beach at Awenda and it’s the only public beach in the park where pets are allowed. Pets must be kept on a two-metre leash and of course, owners must clean up after them.

Fee

According to Ontario Parks, the cost of a Day Use permit depends on the time of the year whether it be on or off-season, and by park.

Entry fees for vehicles start at $12.25, but for a full day at Awenda Provincial Park in the summer season, the cost is $15.93 plus tax. For park-specific fees, contact the park directly.