History

Dollar Lake beach is a natural, sandy beach which lies at the northernmost end of Dollar Lake. It was make accessible to the public in 1981 when the Department of Natural Resources constructed the parking lot and built the facilities which are on the beach today. Sand was brought to the beach by truck to lengthen the natural swimming area. A 1995 study of provincial beach parks by the Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation Commission identified Dollar Lake as an extremely popular unsupervised beach site. In 1996, the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service began supervision of this site.

Facilities

Dollar Lake's facilities include three camping loops, a boat launch, forest trails, a canteen, washrooms and change houses, picnic areas and a small island to the left of the beach.

Beach Safety

The lifeguards enforce a no diving rule very strongly at all times. The lifeguards also advise patrons not to shoulder dive or swim outside of the supervised area. Hard shell boats are prohibited from launching, landing or travelling in the supervised area. Inflatable boats, rafts or flotation devices are also prohibited on days when the wind is blowing offshore. This is to prevent weak or non-swimmers from being carried too far from shore. The supervised swimming area is marked by red and yellow flags on either side of the beach and red buoys in the water. It is generally about 150 metres in width, but can vary depending on beach conditions. Dollar Lake's water temperature can be somewhat cool during early July but usually peaks during mid-August. It is not uncommon to experience regular water temperatures of over 20oC. Beach conditions are recorded daily by lifeguard staff and can be accessed by Beach Line. The lifeguards enforce a no diving rule very strongly at all times. The lifeguards also advise patrons not to shoulder dive or swim outside of the supervised area. Hard shell boats are prohibited from launching, landing or travelling in the supervised area. Inflatable boats, rafts or flotation devices are also prohibited on days when the wind is blowing offshore. This is too prevent weak or non-swimmers from being carried too far from shore.

Directions

To get to Dollar Lake provincial park from Halifax, take Highway 102 to exit 5A. After exiting the highway take the first left, and then the first right onto the Old Guysborough road. Follow this road for 20km and you can't miss it.