Beaches aren’t just great in the summer. They can be fantastic places in the fall. The long, sandy beaches of the Pinery Provincial Park are just as picturesque and relaxing during the off season. Explore the beach at your leisure throughout the day and discover aspects you had never noticed before. Having a beach virtually to yourself allows you to see and hear nature completely, without the sounds of splashing children, barking dogs and random conversations you try not to listen to.
As you wander up the boardwalks, down the steps or across the fallen pine needles, you will get a glimpse of the waterfront, Lake Huron, in front of you. 
As always, it is important that you stick to the designated trails. You are walking up and over dune ridges, which are fragile but important in order to maintain the shoreline and protect it from excessive erosion. All of the grasses between the forest region and the beach keep the sand in place, so please do not go off the trails.
Before you continue walking down to the beach, check out the Pinery’s freshwater coastal dunes for yourself. The dune grasses you see are extremely hardy. They not only withstand extremely hot temperatures in the summer time, but they also have to deal with winds that shift the sand that can bury the grasses under sometimes a metre of sand. 
Once you finally reach the quiet, empty beach, take some time to look around. Check out the different shapes and types of driftwood that was been washed up and worn smooth. This debris creates areas for the sand to gather and as it piles up it will create the beginnings of a future dune.
Looking north you will be able to see Grand Bend off in the distance. Farther north there are bluffs and as the winds and waves beat against them, they will release what will eventually settle as sand on the Pinery’s shores.
If you visit the Pinery over a period of years, you will notice that the beach increases and decreases in size. These pictures were taken in 2009. Some years there is very little beach, other years you can see a deep cut out of the sand dunes, especially after particularly stormy seasons.
To the south is Kettle Point, which extends out into the lake and actually stops the sand from being swept further down the shoreline.
It takes a lot of work, maintenance and cooperation to keep the dunes at the Pinery healthy. Years ago people use to play and climb on the sand dunes, which disrupted the grasslands, which had to be replanted. Now the Pinery has enacted strict rules about access to the dunes in order to protect the area, which is home to a variety of insects, moths and mammals.
So, the next time you visit the Pinery Provincial Park, or if it is your first visit, take your time and discover the spectacular beaches and sand dunes, but please stay on the trails and protect this unique area.
Did we mention these beaches are a great place to watch spectacular sunsets?
