Lockeport: Discover Beaches and History

Discover Lockeport through a range of interests: Crescent Beach is a defining feature of the town, while historic buildings and trails are connected with past uses. If you’re looking for a hotel for your trip, beaches, history, or outdoor activities can help guide your choice of destination.

Crescent Beach and Getting Around Town

Crescent Beach is a sandy causeway connecting the mainland to Lockeport. The Crescent Beach Centre is located at the beach. During the tourism season, it serves as Lockeport’s main visitor hub. This brings the beach’s geographic distinction and a seasonal visitor centre together at the same named location.

The Crescent Beach Centre has an accessible ramp to the beach and Mobi-Mats that allow wheelchair users to access the beach. If accessible beach access is important to your plans, these two amenities provide specific points of reference. Many of Lockeport’s beaches, parks, shops, and attractions are within walking distance of the town centre. The town centre therefore offers a convenient starting point if you want to include various local destinations in your plans.

Historic Streetscape and Former School Use

Lockeport is home to Nova Scotia’s first provincially registered historic streetscape. This includes the Locke Family Streetscape, with five historic houses. Descendants of Jonathan Locke built these houses between 1836 and 1876. The designation refers to a protected historic district at the provincial level; the five houses provide a tangible architectural example of it.

The Little School Museum also offers a glimpse into a building’s former use: its building served as a school from 1845 to about 1880. These dates place its focus firmly in the past. Museum visits are available during the summer months through booked tours. To arrange a tour, contact the Crescent Beach Centre at (902) 656-3123. Arrange your visit in advance, as access is seasonal and requires a booking.

The houses of the Locke Family Streetscape and the former school building represent different historical periods and uses: the former comprises five houses built between 1836 and 1876, while the latter is a building that was used as a school until about 1880. If you’re interested in historic Lockeport, these details provide a specific framework for its different building and use histories.

Trestle Trail and Outdoor Activities

The Trestle Trail follows the route of a former railway line that once connected communities along the South Shore toward Yarmouth. Today, the trail is popular with visitors for hiking and cycling. Its history as a railway line and its stated uses today offer two different perspectives on the same route: a regional connection from the past and a place for outdoor recreation.

For a different activity, Freddie’s Beach is a popular place to launch kayaks or canoes. This makes hiking and cycling on the Trestle Trail an alternative to a specific paddling option. Which of these interests matters more to your trip can help you decide whether Lockeport is the right destination, without confusing the activities.

Shelburne County as a Regional Context

Shelburne County lies at the southern tip of Nova Scotia’s South Shore and is accessible by road via NS-103. The Shelburne County Museum is housed in a home built by David Nairn around 1787. The museum’s collection includes artefacts from more than two centuries of settlement in Shelburne County.

Several beaches in Shelburne County are also part of an international network of important bird conservation areas. Year-round activities at Roseway Beach include walking, birdwatching, stargazing, and photography. At The Hawk Beach, the ocean has exposed a drowned forest believed to be 1,500 years old. These details describe Shelburne County and its named places as a distinct regional context.

Discover more destinations: Clark's Harbour, Ingomar, Shelburne, Sable River.

View the broader travel overview: Shelburne County.