North Bay Beach

North Bay is a long sandy saltwater beach on the Ingonish side of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. It’s a good stop if you want to stretch a swim into a shoreline walk: follow the curve toward the Clyburn estuary. The water can be cold, and the edge rocky in places, so expect an Atlantic swim rather than a smooth, warm-bottomed wade.

Dune grass holds the sand in place and shelters birds. Stay off the vegetation and keep your walk on the shore. For a beach photo, keep following the shore toward the estuary so you can fit the curve of sand and wetland in the same frame.

There’s a picnic area under apple-tree shade and pit privies. A potable-water source isn’t listed, so don’t count on filling a bottle here. There are no surf guards. Undertow and rip currents can be dangerous, especially after storms or when the water is turbulent, so skip the swim when conditions look rough.