▁ ▁into ▁Lake ▁Er ie ▁and ▁is ▁up ▁to ▁ ▁thick . ▁With ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁only ▁, ▁it ▁is ▁Canada ' s ▁smallest ▁national ▁park . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁park ▁( about ▁ ▁or ▁ 7 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁park ▁consists ▁of ▁mar sh , ▁domin ated ▁by ▁catt ails ▁and ▁p onds ▁although ▁for ested ▁areas ▁make ▁up ▁a ▁significant ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁park , ▁covering ▁about ▁ 2 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁park . ▁This ▁sand sp it ▁is ▁domin ated ▁by ▁till ▁pla ins ▁which ▁was ▁formed ▁during ▁the ▁last ▁ice ▁age ▁during ▁the ▁advance ▁and ▁retre at ▁of ▁the ▁Wis con son ian ▁ice ▁on ▁a ▁sub mer ged ▁lim estone ▁r idge . ▁As ▁the ▁gla cier ▁m elt ed ▁and ▁retre ated ▁north ward , ▁the ▁Lake ▁Er ie ▁bas in ▁began ▁to ▁fill ▁with ▁water . ▁The ▁movement ▁of ▁sed iments ▁alter ed ▁the ▁coast line , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁present ▁day ▁shape ▁of ▁Point ▁Pe lee . ▁Sub sequently , ▁over ▁the ▁centuries , ▁a ▁thin ▁but ▁rich ▁soil ▁has ▁formed . ▁Min eral ▁so ils ▁in ▁the ▁park ▁were ▁mapped ▁as ▁well ▁to ▁rapidly ▁dra ined ▁East port ▁sand , ▁which ▁has ▁ins ign ific ant ▁profile ▁development . ▁The ▁mar sh es ▁began ▁to ▁form ▁about ▁ 3 , 2 0 0 ▁years ▁ago , ▁based ▁on ▁carbon ▁d ating . ▁This ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁when ▁the ▁s ands ▁began ▁to ▁depos it , ▁forming ▁the ▁present ▁day ▁bar