Parlee Beach Provincial Park
RV Guide
Introduction
Parlee Beach Provincial Park offers one of the best beaches not just in New Brunswick but all over Canada. The water here is the warmest anywhere and the beach is soft and sandy with not a rock in sight. The beaches around the eastern coast of Canada are often covered in rocks brought in by the winter storms that hit the coastline every year. However, Parlee Beach Provincial Park is a stretch of land that is sheltered from these storms and as a result has plenty of sand and grassy marshes on either side for a relaxing beach-side camping or picnicking experience.
The beach area and the warm waters are ideal for swimming and a bunch of other recreational activities that can be enjoyed by both family and friends. One can also hike along the beach area or through the woods following the gravel and sand trails that wind through the park and connect to the nearby town of Shediac.
Enjoy exploring the beach, sun tanning and swimming in the warm waters of the Northumberland Strait or simply sit back and take in the views and the breathtaking sunsets over this vast horizon. If fun by the beach is what you are looking for, Parlee Beach Provincial Park is unlikely to disappoint.
RV Rentals in Parlee Beach Provincial Park
Transportation
Driving
Parlee Beach Provincial Park is just 2 km away from the vibrant town of Shediac, NB. The park is located on the eastern Westmorland County of New Brunswick and faces the Northumberland Straight. The roads leading to the park are wide and well-marked and upon reaching Shediac you can almost smell the beach from the town center. This is a popular beach-side destination during summers so traffic can be a bit of a problem especially in the downtown area.
Parking
Public Transportation
Campgrounds and parking in Parlee Beach Provincial Park
Campsites in Parlee Beach Provincial Park
Reservations camping
Parlee Beach Campground A
Parlee Beach Provincial Park is a popular summer destination for RV campers and picnickers alike. As a result, the park boasts more than 200 fully-serviced campsites to accommodate travelers from all over Canada. They are three campgrounds in total; Campground A, Campground B and Campground C.
Campground A has full-serviced campsites and unserviced campsites as well as cabins available for reservation. Campground A has washrooms, a dish washing station, showers, garbage disposal, public telephone, water taps, and trailer sewage disposal for RV campers. A nearby laundry facility is also present for those that intend to stay for a week or more. The sites are spacious and grassy but offer limited privacy and shade.
Parlee Beach Campground B
Campground B also comprises of a mixture of serviced and unserviced campsites and has its own showers, washrooms, garbage disposal and dish cleaning station. The campground also has its own laundry unit and water taps for access to drinking water. The grassy sites offer plenty of room but little in terms of privacy and shade.
Parlee Beach Campground C
Campground C is newer and much smaller than campground A and B. It features more than 35 full-service campsites and has a nearby playground for children. Toilets and laundry are also present on the campground but for other amenities like showers and change room you might have to walk to another campground just a short distance away. The sites are gravel and super spacious but offer no shade whatsoever and little in terms of privacy as well.
Seasonal activities in Parlee Beach Provincial Park
In-Season
Hiking
Parlee Beach Provincial Park offer two trails for hikers to explore the surrounding landscape. The downtown to Parlee Beach Trail is a wide gravel trail that leads through woodlands from the town of Shediac and emerges on to a field near Parlee Beach. The Parlee Beach trail is a sand trail that is flanked by grassy marshes on either side and offers hikers the chance to explore and spot birds and wildlife. The trail also leads hikers to the lookout tower and is a great trail for exploring the beach area.
Swimming
Parlee Beach Provincial Park is famed for having the warmest salt waters in Canada. In fact, the park was awarded the Blue-Flag International Eco-Certification for maintaining a pristine beach area and clean water to swim in for the hundreds of thousands of visitors that come here every summer. Swimming in ocean water is nothing liking swimming in a lake or pool and is a wonderful way to beat the heat on those hot summer days.
Beach-side Activities
The soft sandy beach area is the ideal place for families and friends to enjoy a whole array of recreational activities that include volleyball, ultimate frisbee, football, and much more. The kids can enjoy playing in the nearby playground or making sand castles by the beach. Exploring the beach area can also be a lot of fun as you can spot crabs and other marine life in abundance just a short distance away from the more crowded spots.
Off-Season
Picnicking
A picnic on the beach sounds good any day of the year but during the summer, it's simply too good to resist. Parlee Beach Provincial Park welcomes picnickers that want to spend a day at the sandy beach area and enjoy the warm ocean waters. The park has a camp store, amphitheatre, changing rooms, showers, washrooms, picnic shelter and picnic tables with plenty of parking space that is available to both campers and visitors alike.
Biking
The Downtown to Parlee Beach Trail also allows biking enthusiasts to peddle their way down to the beach and back for some exercise or for the chance to spot wildlife amongst the more wooded regions of the trail. Shorebirds and waterfowl can often be spotted as you bike along this wide gravel trail that is entertaining for both beginner and skilled bikers alike.
Photography
Parlee Beach Provincial Park is also a great place to take some truly amazing landscape pictures of the Northumberland Straight carving through the heart of New Brunswick. The massive beach area and the vast body of water make for some truly majestic views of sunsets that simply have to be captured on film. The bright orange sun disappearing into what seems like the ocean itself is worth bringing your camera out for a bit of beach-side photography.
