Not just a summer favourite

Head to the beach this winter for a fantastic, easy hike

Nova Scotia has the most beautiful beaches. Our province is a world-class tourist destination. The population just hit the millionth person mark and really, there’s no wonder why. Nova Scotia is a special place. And you are never far from the beach, wherever you are.

When we set out one morning to tire out the dog, we found ourselves on an accidental hike on the beach.

The road into Rainbow Haven Beach Provincial Park is closed during the off-season, so you will be met by a gate preventing you from driving any further to the main parking lot for the beach. Just to the left of the gate, there’s another smaller but still decentsized parking lot. There were almost a dozen other cars there on a Friday morning, so it’s a popular place to walk.

You’ll follow a well-maintained wooden boardwalk through some trees for about 100 yards. At the end, cross the road, and up ahead you will see a path on your right. Follow the path to a second longer boardwalk, which will lead you down to the beach.

It’s about a 10-minute walk from the parking lot.

We’ve already taken some pretty chilly hikes this season, had a snowstorm and snow day. Despite this, it was a balmy 10 C and sunshine, so the ideal winter day for the beach. We still bundled up in winter jackets, hats, and boots because we were out beside the ocean, after all. You’ll never predict how cold the crisp ocean breeze whipping off the ocean will feel.

The nice thing about a beach walk or hike is that you don’t need to plan ahead to find a designated trail or path to follow. Just find a beach, hit the sand, and go. We had so much space, pretty much the place to ourselves, and only came across others once and awhile at a distance. It’s quite a different scene from the packed summer beach days when you need to scan the crowds for a spot to sit down.

The sand was soft, so it even felt like a bit of a workout trekking across the beach. We hiked for 30 minutes along the coast, out around a bend about as far as we could go before meeting the tide. It was then half an hour back to the car. 2249 Cowbay Road, Cow Bay ................... 3.5/5 2.5/5

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The hour-long beach hike was invigorating, and the scenery was beautiful.

It’s about a three-kilometre round-trip, which makes this a totally worthwhile hike, but you can turn around sooner if you prefer. We even found some sea glass.

The beaches in Nova Scotia are amazing, and we aren’t limited to enjoying them only in the hot summer months. We’ve had some of our favourite beach days during the off-season.

Embrace the winter, and don’t forget about the beach.

Heather Fegan is a freelance journalist, content creator, and blogger in Halifax. She loves exploring the great outdoors with her family. Follow more of her chronicles at www. heatherfegan.ca.

HEATHER FEGAN PHOTOS It may seem odd to head to the beach in the winter, but it actually makes a fantastic place to hike, writes Heather Fegan. She and her family headed to Rainbow Haven Beach and had an entirely different experience than they have in summer.

Heather Fegan, centre, with her daughters Rosie, left, and Anna, enjoyed playing on the beach with their family dog. An added benefit of a wintertime visit? Few people are around, giving them plenty of room to explore.

The second, longer boardwalk will lead you down to the beach.

The road into Rainbow Haven Beach Provincial Park is closed during the off-season, but hikers can still walk through to get to the beach. Just follow the boardwalk for about 100 yards, then take the path on your right to another boardwalk.