If you're looking for another destination to add to your travel bucket list, Canada's mini Sahara Desert definitely deserves a spot.
Located in Saskatchewan, this area of wild sand dunes is a unique natural wonder you'll want to see for yourself at least once.
Set in a remote, northern part of the province is Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park, a park home to 100 kilometres of powdery sand dunes.
The park is known to be the largest active sand surface in Canada, covering about 2,000 square kilometres along the southern edge of Lake Athabasca.
Athabasca is definitely one of the more unique provincial parks in the country. Here, you'll find towering sand dunes reaching up to 30 metres in height, creating some truly stunning scenery.
With the massive sand dunes and a unique environment full of rare and endemic plants, it's easy to see why the area is often referred to as the Sahara Desert of Canada and compared to far-flung destinations like the Namib Desert or the sand dunes of Egypt.
It's worth noting, though, that despite its look, this unique ecosystem is not actually a desert. While Canada is home to real desert land (look to Osoyoos in British Columbia or the "world's smallest desert" in Yukon for that), Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park is located along the shore of Lake Athabasca, within the northern boreal forest, so there's no lack of rainfall or water here.
Still, the park delivers on desert scenery with its huge sand dunes and the stunning blue water of Lake Athabasca.
Getting to the park is a bit of a trek, and requires a fair bit of planning. The park is only accessible by float plane or boat, for one thing. Its remote location and lack of services also means that it's better suited to experienced wilderness users.
Guided tours to the park by licensed outfitters are available, and can help ease the task of coordinating a visit, which can involve complex logistics.
Access communities include Fort McMurray, Stony Rapids, Fond du Lac, and Uranium City in Saskatchewan. However you visit, remember to respect the park's fragile environment, and pack out what you pack in.
Smaller dunes can also be found in the nearby Athabasca Dunes Ecological Reserve, located in the northwest corner of Alberta, about 160 kilometres north of Fort McMurray.
The ecological reserve offers excellent birdwatching, with common species here including loons, nighthawks and terns. Visitors may also spot pine martens, moose and mink in the area.
Local outfitters also offer flight tours over the ecological reserve that provide aerial views of the dunes.
Where else can you see towering sand dunes in Canada? There are only a few deserts or desert-like areas in Canada, but some are definitely worth making a trip for.
For true desert, head to Carcross, Yukon, a small town home to what's referred to as the "world's smallest desert," where you can see sandy dunes that were once the bottom of a glacial lake.
Ontario is also home to areas with towering sand dunes unlike anywhere else in the country.
Visit Sandhill Park in Bayham, Ontario, to find a sand hill towering some 450 feet above Lake Erie, a natural wonder created through a series of glacial events. The hill is surrounded by 2,200 feet of sandy beach, as well as the swimmable waters of the lake.
There's also Sandbanks Provincial Park in Picton, Ontario, home to the world's largest baymouth barrier dune formation, where you can see unique, rolling sand dunes and swim at what many say is one of the best beaches in Canada.
Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park
Price: Prices vary with local outfitters
Address: Laronge, SK
Why You Need To Go: You can experience some of the largest sand dunes in Canada at this remote park in northern Saskatchewan.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
