Lower Prospect: Hearn Island (2 days / 8 km)
This was a perfect way to experience ocean paddling and camping for my first time. This area of Nova Scotia is beautiful with its rocky barren landscape. There is good chance of seeing ocean wild life such as seals, whales and birds. This area is rich in history and is very beautiful to explore. You could turn this trip into multiple days or explore it with day paddles. Do your research before heading out onto the ocean, there is a lot of safety and navigation knowledge you should know prior. There are also options to hire a fantastic guide.
Trip Completed: August 2023
Trip Summary
Location: Lower Prospect, Nova Scotia.
Traditional Territory: This route takes place on the traditional territory of Mi’kma’ki and Wabanaki.
Maps & Resources
Map: Marine charts.
Resources: Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia, WindFinder App for weather.
Permits & Reservations
Campsite Reservations: No campsite reservations required.
Permits: No permits required.
Know Before You Go
Season: Spring-Fall. July tends to be the month with the least swells. Late summer into fall is hurricane season in Nova Scotia.
Cell Reception: Spotty, always good to have a Garmin InReach or similar GPS device.
Water: There is no fresh water on this route. You must pack water. Avg 4L/person/day
Wildlife: Seals, whales, fish, birds.
Waste: No thunder boxes.
Outfitters & Shuttles
We did not use an outfitter for gear and a shuttle is not needed. There is parking for about 7-10 cars. I imagine when the outfitter is doing tours parking may be a bit more limited. There is an outfitter at the access point that rents kayaks, SUPs and canoes. Check into rentals before going.
Outfitter: East Coast Outfitters.
Shuttle: No shuttle was needed.
Trip Report
Day 1: Lower Prospect to Hearn Island (4.2 km)
This trip was thrown together the night before we decided to leave. My friend and I both had the weekend off and the weather was looking fantastic. Arriving at the put-in at East Coast Outfitters around 11 am gave us plenty of time to get to the campsite and have time to do some exploring. This was my first sea kayaking trip, the only other time I ever sea kayaked was a few weeks prior on a night excursion out in this same area. I one hundred percent recommend a night paddle as long as you are with someone that knows the area well (see the additional side trip below).
With me being clueless about the proper way to pack a kayak, I let my friend take the reins on this one. She has years of guiding experience and I put all my trust in her. Once we got the kayaks sorted, we began our short 4.2 km paddle to the campsite for the night. The day was overcast with a strange haze in the sky from forest fires blowing in from Western Canada. Slow and steady, I awkwardly paddled trying to keep up. I am so used to paddling a canoe, paddling on both sides all in one motion took a lot of focus. As I was trying to get my paddling strokes down, I was also trying to embrace this new landscape. The thought of just off to my left was over 4,000 km of ocean, definitely makes you feel small.
My friend was so comfortable in this area from being a sea kayak guide here, it felt like I was getting a private tour. Learning about the history and different types of nature around this area was incredible. As we paddled our way we began approaching a small channel called the Lower Arm of the Roost. This is where many sailboats would take shelter if the ocean became hazardous. Where this channel narrows the most, the only time you can pass through in a kayak is at high tide. We were there with a falling tide and just made it through.
NOTE: Be sure to check the tide schedule. I held my breath and used my kayak paddle like a canoe to awkwardly navigate my way through the tight squeeze. I made it! Without a single bump! By this point, I was becoming comfortable in the kayak and finally beginning to let loose and enjoy myself.
As we turned the corner and paddled past Rogues Roost Island, straight ahead there was a small beautiful beach. This was our campsite and I couldn’t be more excited. Paddling up to it the waters were clear and blue and the sand was perfect. I popped off the spray skirt and very clumsily managed to get out of the kayak. It was like our very own little tropical paradise. We emptied the kayaks, had a quick snack and decided to go do some more exploring.
With this amazing weather window we had this weekend, we decided to head out and try to get to Betty Island. There was very little wind but the swells were long (from what I remember they were 1.2 m over 11s). Paddling around the island we were camping on, the tide had dropped enough that as you paddle past the rocky shore, the mussels hanging off the rocks are exposed.
We paddled around the corner and this is when you begin to feel the swells since the water opens up and you are less protected from all the islands. It was about a 2 km paddle from the comfort of the islands out to Betty Island, in fairly open water. There were just a few tiny little rock islands along the way. If you look west, in the distance you can spot Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse on a clear day.
Betty Island consisted of a mostly rocky shore with a small pebble beach where we found sea glass on. There is a campsite tucked in, off the rock which seemed to be cozy. If you want to paddle out to Betty make sure you have good weather in the forecast. This would be a beautiful spot on a hot sunny day. As we paddled back to our campsite, we took a detour and paddled out past Duck Island to see the seal colony hanging out on the small islands. On our way back, I don’t know if it was the swells or my nerves, but I started to feel motion sick.
When we got back to our site, I was a bit relieved, had a bite to eat and set up camp. As we were about to make dinner when I saw my friend begin to panic. She began to frantically start looking for a bag. This bag contained the stove and pot we were going to use for cooking, but it turns out it was left on the kitchen table. It being so last minute we both only grabbed a dehydrated dinner and a few snacks.
For whatever reason to top it all off, we struggled to start a fire! The two of us combined have tons of experience camping, so for this to all play out we couldn’t do anything but laugh at the situation we were in. Lucky enough she had a few candles from her candle lantern that we used to hold a flame. Finally after about an hour of struggling with a fire, we got it! We were finally able to sit back, and have our dinner which consisted of granola bars, gummy candy and beer.
Campsite: This campsite is nearly perfect. The beach is incredible, not weedy and gradually gets deeper. Unfortunately, I didn’t swim because it was a bit chilly out (I was being a chicken). There are two main tent pads. One is just on the other side of the grass down by the beach. That spot is perfect for a group since there is a lot of flat space and a large fire pit. The other spot is just up to the left, which is a bit cozier and you are higher up. There is room for 2 small tents in the second area. There was lots of driftwood on the opposite side of the island from a recent hurricane so that made excellent fire wood. No thunderboxes.
| Total Distance | 4.2 km |
| Portaging Distance | 0 m |
| Number of Portages | 0 |
| Campsite Reservation | No reservations required |
Day 2: Hearn Island to Lower Prospect
We woke up in the morning to another overcast day. It was about 7 am and the only thought on my mind was “ohhh no, we don’t have a stove or pot”. Which also means, no coffee. Most days I can go without eating first thing but without coffee is a different story. We agreed to quickly pack up camp, ate a granola bar and headed out. The ocean was slightly foggy so I made sure to stick close since I was not familiar with my way around. Fog can become thick very quickly making it disorientating. Once we got to the smaller channel we enjoyed our time paddling, looking down at the ocean floor. We saw a couple of lobsters that looked like they were so close you could reach down and scoop one up.
Home stretch of the paddle I had this odd feeling like something was behind me. I kept turning around and looking. As I said it out loud, about 30 ft away I saw a nose and two black eyes pop out of the water. There was a seal watching us paddle by. We paused for a minute to take a look and every once and a while it would go back under and pop up in a different location looking at us. Truthfully, I was hoping it would swim a little bit closer.
By the time we made it back to the car, I was starving! Quickly, we loaded up the car just throwing everything with no organization and headed off to Starbucks to get a coffee and breakfast.
| Total Distance | 4.2 km |
| Portaging Distance | 0 m |
| Number of Portages | 0 |
| Campsite Reservation | N/A |
Day Trip or Optional Route
Prior to this overnight trip, Corey and I had the chance to go for a night paddle in this area. This was my first time in a sea kayak and maybe second time ever in a kayak. It was sunset on a warm summer night when we began our paddle at the same put-in at East Coast Outfitters. The difference was that this time we hopped to the other side of the road and headed out and around the peninsula of Lower Prospect.
As we began leaving the put-in, ahead of me I could see waves breaking on a rock that was hidden just slightly below the water line. I made sure to steer very clear of any breaking water. By the time I found my groove, we were almost past Ryans Island and heading towards Holland Cove.
The sunlight was nearly gone and in the distance, you could hear the waves and faintly see them crash off the shore up ahead. Our friend who has plenty of experience guiding paddled out to check out the conditions as we planned to head out to more open water. He quickly discovered it wouldn’t be the most ideal since it was dark and we were both so new to kayaking.
Instead of continuing the paddle around Ryan’s Island, we turned around and explored between Ryans and Marrs Island. At this point, it was becoming very dark. The sky was perfectly clear, with no moon and very little light pollution from Halifax. We paused and floated for over half an hour in awe. This was the perfect night to be out there. There was a meteor shower going on. If you looked up into the sky over the course of a minute you would see 10-15 meteors!
The best part of it all is when you look into the water and cause any sort of movement, whether it be a dip of your paddle or the ripples off the boat, there are bioluminescent jellyfish everywhere! It was like stars in the ocean. I was mesmerized by this and it might be one of the coolest experiences. As you paddled the water lit up around you with tiny little lights. I was having so much fun that I was scooping up water and putting it on the spray skirt to get a better look.
If you are ever just visiting Nova Scotia I would recommend doing a night tour. I know LaHave Adventures does a bioluminescent night tour which is located about 1.5 hours south of Halifax (I have not done the tour but I know about it). Plus they have a couple of good photos to show what I am talking about.
This route could also be an option to add to your route to Hearn Island. It is a bit longer but you get to see a few more things and creates more of a “loop” to this trip.
Reflections
Overall this was a great trip. We had decent weather with not a lot of wind. Wind direction and swells could alter your trip. Please do your research and be confident in reading ocean conditions. Sea kayaking safety courses would also be highly recommended for at least one person in your group to have. If not, I’d suggest having a guide. Weather can rapidly change, especially off the coast of Nova Scotia.
Author Bio
Kristen and Corey love venturing out into the backcountry with their two dogs, Oliver and Dean. They continue to build their skills and push themselves further each and every trip. They enjoy the solitude of canoe trips, which they find themselves further into the backcountry each time. Finding the perfect balance between putting in a lot of distance in a day as well as catching lots of fish, is the key to most of their trips.
Instagram: @kristennielsenn