On a bright and fairly warm winter day, we packed up the truck with lunch, snacks and the dog and headed north. We stopped in Kincardine to take a walk along the beach trail. Otherwise known as the Pink Trail, we started at the Marina parking lot and walk south along the trail that is parallel to the beach. Dogs are not allowed on the beach but they are allowed on the trail. The whole trail, from start to finish, is said to be 4 kilometres in length and takes you through several different parks and includes views of the beach along the way.
There were plenty of gorgeous views of Lake Huron along the path. This would be an amazing trail to walk in the evening during the ‘golden hour’ and the beginning of the sun setting. Keep in mind that you may need a flashlight or to plan the timing of the end of your walk. Parts of the path are light, but I’m not sure how much.
Here you can see that some of the path is actually made up of boardwalks and the beach dunes come right up to their edge. Luckily, Kincardine has done a fantastic job of planting dune plants that decrease erosion. As with all dune, please stay on the designated trails and paths to avoid damaging these sensitive ecosystems.
Maya could smell the water but at 14 she wasn’t as enthusiastic about getting into freezing cold water. She enjoyed the smells of the sands, dunes and critters she encountered along the way, though.
The trail continued to give us spectacular views of the clear blue water of the lake. What a day for a walk near the beach.
A big lover of water and the beach, Chitra had to take a closer look.
As per usual, people decided the “No Dogs” sign didn’t mean in the winter or that it didn’t apply to them. Let’s hope they at least picked up after their dog. Irresponsible dog owners are the reason why more and more places are not allowing dogs. 
Large driftwood could be found up and down the beach.
Parts of the trail were definitely lined with marine style lights. We also came across the Pavilion which would give some nice shade during a hot sunny day.
Kincardine has several trails in the area, ranging from 4 to 9 kilometres in length. They are also developing the KIPP trail, which is trail system from Kincardine to Inverhuron Provincial Park, which is 12 kilometres north of Kincardine.
While you are down at the beach, be sure to check out the gardens that are maintained by local residents.
