In winter, the shorelines along the North and South Thompson Rivers expand as the river recedes. We can pick routes along the rivers for a winter beach walk. We parked on Harrington Drive and walked down to the river.

From the gravel banks on the river, we turned north.

We continued north on a narrow path and along the gravel banks for 2 km. At the end the beach becomes narrow in an area with some farmlands between the river and Westsyde Road, a good place to turn around.

There is a dense riparian zone between the Dunes Golf Course and the North Thompson River. Red ossier dogwood, willows, tall grasses, and cottonwoods fill that corridor.

The low winter sun peered through the clouds on the route back.

Across the river, the slopes of Strawberry Hill rise above Rayleigh.

This out and back river walk is about 4 – 4.5 km. When snows cover the hills, we can go for a river hike on “dry” shorelines instead.