Grand Beach Provincial Park | |
---|---|
Location | Manitoba, Canada |
Nearest town | Powerview-Pine Falls, Manitoba |
Coordinates | 50°34′5″N 96°33′42″W / 50.56806°N 96.56167°W[1] |
Area | 24.9 km2 (9.6 sq mi) |
Established | 1961 |
Governing body | Government of Manitoba |
Grand Beach Provincial Park is a provincial park in Manitoba, Canada, noted for its large white sand dunes and ancient beaches from the end of the last ice age. It is located on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, and the largest lake completely within the borders of southern Canada.
The park, which is 24.9 square kilometres (9.6 sq mi) in size,[2] is approximately an hour and twenty minutes drive from Winnipeg and is located in the westernmost part of the Rural Municipality of Alexander and the northernmost part of the Rural Municipality of St. Clements. The Government of Manitoba designated the area a provincial park in 1961.[2]
The park is considered a Class II protected area under the IUCN protected area management categories.[3] It is a sanctuary for the piping plover, an endangered species of bird that nests on the beach. Bald eagles, bears, sea gulls, terns, and pelicans are among the wide variety of species that inhabit the area.