Categories: Travel

There are 10,000-year-old “raised beaches” along a trail at this lakeside Ontario park

Image via Explore Wasaga Beach

The busiest Ontario park brings in 1.5 million visitors a year and we get why! Wasaga Beach Provincial Park has a bit of everything: trails, dunes, 14 km of vast shoreline, 700 different types of plants and 10,000-year-old “raised beaches”.

If you’re looking for somewhere to take an autumn adventure, this is the place.

Getting there

While Wasga Beach Provincial Park is most popular in the summer, fall is a great time to see the area’s features without the crowds.

If you’re driving from Toronto or the GTA you can expect the trip to take you just under two hours, the perfect distance for a day trip away from the city.

There is a day fee for each vehicle that enters the park starting at $12.25.

Exploring Wasaga Beach Provincial Park

One one the coolest parts about the park is the trail system.

The trails can be accessed from the Wasaga Nordic and Trail Centre and upon entering you will pass through a spot known as “the raised beaches”.

This unique stretch results from remnants of a glacial lake that once covered the Wasaga Beach area around 10,000 years ago!

The trail gets even cooler. As you continue, you’ll see the largest and least disturbed set of parabolic sand dunes in Ontario. These dunes are fragile, so while you can’t touch them or climb them, they’re an amazing photo opportunity!

For those who love animals and plants, you won’t be disappointed either. The park hosts 700 types of plants and is home to 230 species of birds!

Before it gets too cold outside, be sure to stroll along the 14 km of shoreline. We suggest ending your day here with a walk along the water and a stop to cozy up and catch the sunset.

Sounds like a perfect day away, right?