On Thursday I had my first true Bucket List Summer experience, going somewhere that was specifically mentioned on my list in beautiful sunny weather.
I headed off for a day of exploring at Kouchibouguac National Park, somewhere that I've actually never been before.
I honestly don't know why I've never been. I've wanted to visit for some time, and in 2017 when the Parks Canada Discovery Passes were free I specifically set my sights on going, but, never made it (which has been a common theme of my last two or three summers, hence why my Bucket List Summer is even a thing this year).
I think the main reason I've never made it up there before is that I don't realize that it's actually not that far away. In my head I think of Kouchibouguac as being two or three hours away and much further up north than it really is, whereas in reality it took about an hour and 15 minutes to drive there from my house.
The park itself was surprisingly quiet when I was there. I don't know if that's common for Kouchibouguac, or maybe because the weather was nice everyone was up at Kelly's Beach, which I didn't venture to. I stuck mainly to the hiking trails within the park, and since Kouchibouguac isn't particularly well known for its hiking trails, maybe they're often quiet.
None of the trails in the park are super long, so I hiked four trails in total during the day: I started with Osprey, which was a trail through the woods that wasn't particularly well marked, and at the end of the trail I came to this nice stretch of beach. The website claimed there was a great view at the end of this trail with opportunities to see osprey (makes sense) and eagles, but since the trail I was on seemed to intersect with another one, I'm not sure if I maybe ended up in the wrong place. The website also said this trail was usually quiet and then the lady at the visitor centre said it was one of their most popular, so who knows.
After Osprey I hiked the Pines and Beaver trails, both of which were pretty similar: short loops through the woods that were absolutely mosquito-infested. I hustled through both of those trails.
I ended the day hiking the Bog trail, which had also been recommended by the lady at the visitor centre. The trail itself was a lot shorter than advertised (the sign at the start said it was an hour and a half hike but I managed to go there and back in about 30 minutes) and featured a boardwalk through the bog, with an observation tower at the halfway point and some iconic Parks Canada red chairs at the end. This was probably my favourite trail that I hiked.
All in all I had a pretty good day and I'm glad I finally made the trip up there. It would have been nice to have had more time to visit Kelly's Beach, but wouldn't we all like to have more time to do things!
I have another big adventure coming up tomorrow (Sunday) so keep your eyes peeled for more photos, blogs, and videos!
Kouchibouguac: check.
I headed off for a day of exploring at Kouchibouguac National Park, somewhere that I've actually never been before.
I honestly don't know why I've never been. I've wanted to visit for some time, and in 2017 when the Parks Canada Discovery Passes were free I specifically set my sights on going, but, never made it (which has been a common theme of my last two or three summers, hence why my Bucket List Summer is even a thing this year).
I think the main reason I've never made it up there before is that I don't realize that it's actually not that far away. In my head I think of Kouchibouguac as being two or three hours away and much further up north than it really is, whereas in reality it took about an hour and 15 minutes to drive there from my house.
The park itself was surprisingly quiet when I was there. I don't know if that's common for Kouchibouguac, or maybe because the weather was nice everyone was up at Kelly's Beach, which I didn't venture to. I stuck mainly to the hiking trails within the park, and since Kouchibouguac isn't particularly well known for its hiking trails, maybe they're often quiet.
None of the trails in the park are super long, so I hiked four trails in total during the day: I started with Osprey, which was a trail through the woods that wasn't particularly well marked, and at the end of the trail I came to this nice stretch of beach. The website claimed there was a great view at the end of this trail with opportunities to see osprey (makes sense) and eagles, but since the trail I was on seemed to intersect with another one, I'm not sure if I maybe ended up in the wrong place. The website also said this trail was usually quiet and then the lady at the visitor centre said it was one of their most popular, so who knows.
After Osprey I hiked the Pines and Beaver trails, both of which were pretty similar: short loops through the woods that were absolutely mosquito-infested. I hustled through both of those trails.
I ended the day hiking the Bog trail, which had also been recommended by the lady at the visitor centre. The trail itself was a lot shorter than advertised (the sign at the start said it was an hour and a half hike but I managed to go there and back in about 30 minutes) and featured a boardwalk through the bog, with an observation tower at the halfway point and some iconic Parks Canada red chairs at the end. This was probably my favourite trail that I hiked.
All in all I had a pretty good day and I'm glad I finally made the trip up there. It would have been nice to have had more time to visit Kelly's Beach, but wouldn't we all like to have more time to do things!
I have another big adventure coming up tomorrow (Sunday) so keep your eyes peeled for more photos, blogs, and videos!
Kouchibouguac: check.
Turns out I didn't take that many photos, so I guess you'll have to watch the video! 😜
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