bowmanville harbour conservation area

The West Beach is the place to be in the summer for sand, sun and beachfront fun. I grew up in this area during the 50s and it was a resort-like area at the time. In later years it went into decline, became slum-like in many areas and many cottages became derelict. In recent years all of the abandoned cottages have been torn out and the remaining cottages have been given a reprieve to remain on site for the foreseeable future. Work has been done to upgrade the road and parking area and board walks added to provide access to the beach. The area has lots of potential and but the beach area is now clean and provides a good safe place for family fun. Note: There are no public washrooms yet and you cannot expect the remaining cottagers to welcome strangers into their summer homes as there are no sewer systems in the area. Bring your canoe or kayak if you have one and dress for the beach as there are no change rooms yet either.

This is a great short hike over a mostly level, well-maintained loop trail. It would not be too long for children five years old or more and I met people with younger children in strollers. The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) website has a good summary of what the trail offers. Of special note, when you get to the westerly part of the trail and take the southwest spur, you get to a viewing platform where, with binoculars, you have a wonderful view of nesting osprey on high platforms that have been placed in a lagoon near the lake. I visited mid-day in mid-August, and they were making quite a racket! Last year in the west canal I saw a large family of swans and regularly encounter a wide variety of birds in the meadow.Free parking, about 10 minutes from downtown Bowmanville and 5 minutes from the 401 Liberty St exit. No washroom facilities. Trail map onsite.