Kejimkujik National Park (referred to as Ked-gee by Nova Scotians) is the Canadian Maritimes only National Park that has no sea on its borders. Not wanting to be unique, the Seaside Adjunct was created about 130 km (as the road goes) to its south. Be grateful because the park is beautiful and contains a diverse mix of landscape and flora and fauna. On a recent, rather dull, bike trip around Nova Scotia I discovered the Seaside Adjunct and because of it changed my plans from biking Nova Scotia to hiking around Nova Scotias southern shore.
Nova Scotias southern coast is extremely rocky and desolate and the weather is usually light rain and fog in the morning with the hope of sun burning off the fog in the afternoons. Massive grey bordering on infinite dark blue ocean. The green, purple or all white houses that dot the coast and the occasional bright yellow rain slicker do a little to break this up. It’s a very lonely and calming place.
The Seaside Adjunct is about 30-40 km south-east of Liverpool by highway 103. You get to a town (about 20 houses, a church and a general store) called Port Joli and then you go down a 8 km dirt road. Once you're there it's another 40-minute hike through lowland brush and forest (that contain black bear) until you reach the water. There are two main hiking trails that have just had nice boardwalks added. One of the main attractions of this park is St Catherine’s beach. It's a massive white sand beach that looks like it was airlifted from the Caribbean. On the beach there are boulders and sand pipers (those little birds that run along the water line) and sea gulls and in the water you can you can see seals and whales (I saw no whales). While the beach is beautiful I spent most of my time by this small swampy pond where herons would stand and fish.
You're not allowed to sleep inside the park. There is however Russel Provincial Park nearby where you can camp and it is very nice. They charge you 18 dollars a night. There is also small cemeteries and other secluded little areas around where no one would mind/see you camping out. One thing to know if planning a trip there is that the park is closed when plovers are nesting in it.