People reminded to keep off sand dunes in P.E.I. National Park amid record visitation

Parks Canada is reminding visitors to Prince Edward Island National Park to stay off the sandy dunes that make up an important part of the province's ecosystem. 

The agency said the park and its beaches are seeing a record number of visitors this year following the federal government's announcement of the Canada Strong Pass, which allows free access to national parks across the country.

Mike Kelly, who lives close to P.E.I. National Park and is a frequent visitor to the beaches, said he's seen a lot of people on and around the dunes this season.

"I see an awful lot of people walking on the dunes, I see a lot of people digging on the dunes, I've seen people dig caves," he said. "I've said things to people sometimes, but I just feel that [Parks Canada] should be here to say things."

Kelly said he thinks the agency should hire summer students to walk the beaches and inform people of the rules around the sand dunes. 

'First line of defence'

Parks Canada posts signs and barriers on its beaches reminding people to stay off the dunes, and information is also available in visitor pamphlets and online.

Even still, officials said many people might not know much about the sandy ecosystems and how important they are here on P.E.I. — or that it's actually illegal to walk on them. Anyone caught climbing on the dunes can be issued a $150 fine.

WATCH | Stay off the dunes, Parks Canada reminds visitors to P.E.I. beaches:

Stay off the dunes, Parks Canada reminds visitors to P.E.I. beaches

5 hours ago

Duration 2:23

As P.E.I. National Park sees a record number of visitors this summer, some residents are concerned about the health of sand dunes. Parks Canada says some people might not know much about the sandy ecosystems and how important they are to the Island — or that walking on the dunes is actually illegal. CBC’s Gwyneth Egan reports.

Doug Campbell, a warden with P.E.I. National Park, said the dunes are closed off to the public for good reason.

After post-tropical storm Fiona hit the Island in 2022, Campbell said they've slowly been building back up.

"I think we saw after Fiona how important they were in protecting the inland area of the dunes, so they're our... first line of defence," he said.

"With climate change, we have different changes. Water's warming up, we don't get sea ice coverage during the winter, so that makes the impact on the dunes that much worse." 

Parks Canada says just a couple footsteps on the marram grass is all it takes to kill the plants, which are crucial to holding the dunes together. 

Sand dunes don't just provide a layer of defence when it comes to storms and erosion. They can also be habitats for different species of birds.

Campbell said Parks Canada hires a few extra compliance staff for the busy summer season, but it's still difficult to cover such a large area.

"They roam around the beaches pretty much all day and monitor things like that, and then we have wardens as well who can help out and will issue tickets or warnings as need be," he said.

"Some people get frustrated if they see somebody go on a dune and make a report and we can't arrive there in time to do anything. But they can rest assured that we take it as seriously as they do."

While some areas may not have clear signage or barriers, Campbell said all of the dunes in P.E.I. National Park are off-limits.