Comox Sandhills facts for kids
The Comox Sandhills are a very old system of sand dunes located near the town of Comox in British Columbia. They are part of the Comox Valley Regional District and are close to Cape Lazo. Even though they are sand dunes, they are now covered by a thick forest.
This special forest is mostly made up of tall Douglas-Fir trees and Shore Pine trees. In places where the ground is a bit wetter, you'll also find Western Hemlock trees. Because the soil in the sandhills isn't very rich, some other types of trees are rarer to see. These include Western White Pine, Sitka Spruce, Western Red Cedar, Red Alder, Bigleaf Maple, Black Cottonwood, and Trembling Aspen.
Where are the Comox Sandhills?
The Comox Sandhills are located to the east and northeast of the main Comox town center. If you drive along Lazo Road, especially east of Guthrie Road, you'll be passing right through the Sandhills area.
Many homes and neighborhoods have been built on parts of this old dune system. For example, housing developments along Kinnikinick Road, Sand Pines Drive, and Sierra Pine Road are all built on these ancient dunes. The northeast edge of the Sandhills is close to Knight Road.
A special place called Lazo Wildlife Park helps protect the northwest corner of this unique dune area. It's a great spot to explore and see some of the local plants and animals.
Water and the Sandhills
Some of the lower areas within the Comox Sandhills can sometimes get flooded. This happens when there's a lot of rain, and the water doesn't drain away quickly. These floods can sometimes cause damage to nearby properties.
