North Lake to Hay Brook
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Quick Facts
| Features | dam, wetland |
| Access | beach |
| Route Difficulty | easy |
| Water Body Type | lake |
| Current Type | none |
| Route Type | linear |
| Route Distance | 4.6 km return |
| Portage Distance | none |
| Estimated Time | 2 hours |
| Elevation Change | none |
| Scenery Rating | beautiful |
| Cell Reception | none |
| Fees | none |
Description
Note: Weather conditions can drastically vary the speed and difficulty of your trip. Please plan accordingly.
The sun was getting low in the sky when I arrived at New Brunswick's newest Provincial Park (opened in 2022). It was my first visit to the park so I didn't know what to expect. I turned in and when I got to the gatehouse I was surprised to see a familiar face. I used to work with this guy in the woods during the forestry part of my career. After catching up I asked if I could take a drive around the campground to check it out. The road around the campground was a beautiful crushed rock road and the campsites were very nice. They are unserviced but some of them have really nice access to the lake. That is more important to me. I was hoping to come and camp for the weekend this summer but time got away from me (as always in the summer) so I had to settle for an evening exploration.
After checking out the campground I came back to the gatehouse and took the short road to the beach. The security guy told me it was the best place to launch from. I was alone at the beach except for a very curious crow. I think he was very interested in what I was doing but pretended not to be so I wouldn't catch on. I put the boat in the water and headed along the shore to the left. I was heading towards the boulder field sticking up out of the water. This part of the province is known for the large boulders that were dropped here when the glaciers receded 10,000 years ago.
After checking out the boulders, and scraping off a few that were just under the surface, I started to paddle across the lake towards the wetland at the mouth of Hay Brook. I made my way along the edge of the wetland and saw lots of trails through the wetland. As always I was hoping to see a moose. When I entered the stream I saw large beavers and many ducks enjoying the calm, warm evening. As I made my way through the bends in the stream the beaver would sneak up close and smash his tail on the water. He was usually just behind my line of site which is a bit unnerving.
I soon came to a Ducks Unlimited Dam. Ducks Unlimited dams are low cement dams that back up the water and creates wetlands along either side of the stream. They usually create long deadwaters with very little current. Perfect places to explore with a canoe or kayak but bring your bug spray. This one was only a couple of feet higher than the stream below. I checked out the berm next to the dam and figured it would be pretty easy to portage over the dam but the sun was setting fast and I didn't have time. I decided to fly my drone for recon to see how far the stream goes. I was happy to see that it went for quite a distance and opened up into a bigger wetland around the turn. I would definitely be coming back to check it out.
I started to head back. It was now getting too dark to take a picture of the beavers that were circling. As I crossed the lake a beautiful sunset turned the sky an amazing pink and orange. The bow of the boat cut through the reflective pink and orange surface of the water. It was so relaxing. I am glad that I finally made it to the new Provincial Park and I will definitely be coming back.
Map
Directions
For directions to North Lake go to the North Lake Provincial Park page.
Turn into the provincial park and at the gatehouse turn right again. This will put you on a gravel road to the beach. The beach is only 400 metres from the gatehouse. Park at the beach. You can access the water anywhere along the beach. Note that there is a gate near the gatehouse. If you are planning to get back after dusk the gate may be closed. Find out from the gatehouse if they will be around to let you out.
If you are there when the park is closed you can continue past the park a short distance to where the road comes close to the lake. On the far side of the causeway to the left is a wide spot along the road to park. There is a short path to the beach about one third of the way back the causeway.
Other Route in the lake
Trail Last Hiked: June 12, 2023.
Page Last Updated: November 19, 2023.