Sandy Beach Hikes In Nova Scotia

Beach on Sandy Bay Trail in Thomas Raddall Park

The west coast and east coast of Canada have some of the nicest beaches in Canada. There are public beaches and there are remote beaches. Some can be driven to while others can only be reached only by hiking, backpacking, kayaking, boating or horseback riding. Regardless of your beach of choice… Canada has a beach suited for you. You just have to find it.

Today the sun was out in force reaching temperatures of 30 Celsius. The wind was taking a break from yesterday’s big performance. People are out in numbers… many are smiling and in cruising mode. RVs and trailers share the roads with cyclists and motorbikes. Many making their way to their nearest favorite beach. And there are many beaches in Nova Scotia.

Today was a total beach day for me too. I visited three long white sandy beaches. The day use beach in the Thomas Raddall Provincial Park was easily accessed from a 1 kilometre one-way trail… but I ended up hiking 3 or 4 kilometres around the park anyway. The sandy beach in the Kejimkujik National Park was easily accessed also except it was a longer trail measuring 3 kilometres one way. The Summerville Provincial Park Beach was a drive in beach… perfect for packing in a cooler, beach toys and an umbrella. All three are popular by reputation but not by attendance. On this day I was basically beachcombing in my own world all day.

Timing had allot to do with it. Most people are at work or in bed when I arrived at 8 AM at the Summerville Beach. It is a long white sandy beach rolling softly along the edges of a cove. The sun was still lazy and had not flicked the heat switch on yet. I took my time and walked the beach to my own tune. My only company in my journey were some beach walkers and joggers. They did not pay me much attention as they seemed all too focused in their morning work out. That was fine with me.. as most of the time I get too much attention. It is like I stick out or something…. might have something to do with wearing a hat and shirt with “EH” printed on them.

Thomas Raddall Provincial Park Beach

The Thomas Randall Provincial Park is a park with a few beaches. There is a day use beach and a campers beach. There are other beaches hidden in rocky coves and sheltered bays located along the hiking trails. I began walking a short gravel trail to the day use beach. On the trail I passed a heritage home and a cemetery belonging to the Randall clan. It was still before noon and the sun was at work whipping up a heat wave. I began sweating and was forced to de-layer some of my clothes.

At the day use white sandy beach I sat and soaked up the scenery. In the distance I could see a rock island covered in Cormorants. Some resting, others playing tag in the air. From the beach I picked up the hiking trail and visited two more smaller beaches. Both secluded. Then the trail hooked into another trail and I just kept going until I came across a trail not on the map called the Boat House Trail. Curiosity got the best of me so I researched. The trail surprised me and lead me to a secluded grassy knoll with a picnic table with an ocean view. I stripped the backpack off, made some notes, and sat down and was consumed by the sounds of the waves and song birds in the trees.

Kejimkujik National Park Beach

The Kejimkujik National Park 3 kilometre one way hiking trail led me to one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited. The trail was a single track route on a gradual decline leading to a monstrous beach. The trail was exposed with no tree cover. It could use a trim as branches and tall grasses were tinkling me as I walked pass. The sun though it was funny as it was pouring heat down on me.

The Kejimkujik National Park beach was layered in white sand measuring over 1 kilometre long resting in the St.Catherines River Bay of the Atlantic Ocean. The coastline was dotted with massive boulders and behind the beach are grassy sand dunes. The odd lobster trap, left behind by the winter storms, were sunken like treasure in the sand. Crushed seashells snapped under the weight of my body. Off in the distance were Cormorants (I think they followed me) and sunning on a rock island were some Seals.

The sun was peaking in the sky. The heat was turned on high. It was probably a factor in the low numbers at the beach. Most came and stood on rocks and looked at the beach. Me being a deranged hike-o-path I walked the whole kilometre beach to the very end. Walking in the sand my feet sunk, slipped and sweated. Three steps felt like two. I might of even been going backwards at times. It was a slog in the heat. The journey to the end finished with solitude and a heightened sense of gratitude… oh yeah.. and a big drink of water.