On June 5th, we finally kicked off our camping season! First on our list this year was Thomas Raddall Provincial Park and Kejimkujik Seaside Adjunct.
Thomas Raddall is a beautiful, clean park located in Port Joli on the south shore of Nova Scotia. It is big but has excellent wilderness and privacy! Some of its walk-in sites mirror the backcountry while still having the convenience of car camping.
First campfire of the camping season! Oh yeah!
Thomas Raddall is known as a "nature lovers' haven". After being there, I would agree. Even the walk to the comfort station for flushing toilets was an opportunity to take in the wilderness of the meadowy area while walking down a boardwalk. We even saw two bunnies grazing and hanging out in the campsite beside ours, which was a huge hit for our 4-year-old.
From playing "Sleeping Bunnies" to actually photographing the bunnies!
I would love to tell you more about the trails and show you more of the sights, but we happened to visit during 24 hours of absolute pouring rain! On Sunday morning, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast and dried our gear before hitting the road for Keji Seaside!
NOTE: Ticks are very prevalent in this area. Be sure to check your whole body twice daily. Tuck your pants into your socks if possible. Know how to properly remove a tick.
Keji Seaside, also located in Port Joli, is an adjunct to one of NS's three national parks: Kejimkujik. Its trails lead you to Saint Catherine's River Beach, a gorgeous white sand beach on the ocean. Its view has been seen by many Nova Scotians who don't even know it as this picturesque seaside is the face of the NS health card.
The park has two trails: Harbour Rocks trail and Port Joli Head trail. We hiked the Harbour Rocks trail along the beach. The hike is very easy, though once you are down on the beach, strollers would not work, so babywearing is a must for wee wee ones. Toddlers can certainly toddle on this trail, though be cautious of helping kiddos with their footing on the big beachrock. There is lots of wildlife, so bring binoculars! If you are a birder, you will be thrilled (or at least the birder with us expressed as much!). We saw seals, a porcupine, toads, and many shorebirds.
After about 2 km on the wide gravel path, the trail zigs and zags from this to beach.
In case you forget your binoculars, they've got you covered.
The view is gorgeous and the hiking is stellar, but don't take my word, get out there and see if for yourself!
