If you have adrenaline junky kids seeking a thrill then you MUST visit the Sand Dunes at Sandy Cape Recreation Park, Dandaragan. Whether you’re passing through the area or camping at the recreation park make sure you stop off for a few hours of sand boarding, canoeing, SUP boarding and snorkelling fun!
Sandy Cape is simply stunning with so much to do for a day trip or a camping trip and only 3 hours drive from Perth CBD. We decided to try out the camping for a long weekend away with friends.
The bay is surrounded by super soft white sand and shallow waters, making this an excellent place to visit with kids of all ages. There’s one main sand dune with a few other smaller ones along the bay. When we visited we had the place to ourselves but I believe it can get busy during peak periods.
The main sand dune for sand boarding down is right on the beach and accessible by 4WD or leave your car in the parking area at the recreation site and walk onto the beach. Most days you are able to hire sand and SUP boards if you don’t have your own. Dogs are allowed on the camp grounds and on the beach, our Cocker Spaniel had an absolute ball running up and down the sand dunes with the kids and then cooling off in the shallow waters.
We parked directly on the beach in front of the sand dunes and the kids (and dog) were already halfway up the sand dunes whilst we were setting up for the day. After running up and down the hill a few times they soon tired so grabbed their surfboards and started flying down the dunes into the sea!
The kids soon progressed to standing on their surfboard and we had a competition to see who could get into the sea from the top.
Even the adults joined in, which wasn’t so impressive!
We unpacked the canoes and enjoyed a paddle around the bay and out to the reef.
The beach goes on forever and there are plenty of secluded nooks if you want a beach to yourself. The waters are calm and very shallow in this area with plenty of rocks and reefs for snorkelling. We were lucky to see sea lions on our trip and plenty of fish. You can catch crayfish in this area as well. There’s easy beach access for boat launching directly into the sea from the main campsite car park.
There’s a stunning look-out point at the point of the peninsula and also access to the beach on the other side. The south side of the peninsular beach is great for surfing and snorkelling. Although the waves were quite dumpy on most days. We drove directly onto the beach, accessible via the Sandy Cape recreation park, where there’s a 4WD track around the dunes. However we did get bogged on the beach and needed rescuing as the sand was really deep! Great fun though.
We’ll definitely be going to Sandy Cape again and for many years to come.
Find other great places to visit in WA
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Lorraine is co-owner of Buggybuddys and is a mother to Blake (15) and Lollie (12).
