Westsyde Dunes Beach Walk
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.
![](https://i0.wp.com/kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Dunes-Beach-Walk-001-1.jpg?resize=620%2C413&ssl=1)
From the gravel banks on the river, we turned north.
![](https://i0.wp.com/kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Dunes-Beach-Walk-002-1.jpg?resize=620%2C413&ssl=1)
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.
![](https://i0.wp.com/kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Dunes-Beach-Walk-004-1.jpg?resize=620%2C413&ssl=1)
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.
![](https://i0.wp.com/kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Dunes-Beach-Walk-016-1.jpg?resize=620%2C413&ssl=1)
The low winter sun peered through the clouds on the route back.
![](https://i0.wp.com/kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Dunes-Beach-Walk-018.jpg?resize=620%2C413&ssl=1)
Across the river, the slopes of Strawberry Hill rise above Rayleigh.
![](https://i0.wp.com/kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Dunes-Beach-Walk-019.jpg?resize=620%2C413&ssl=1)
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.
![](https://i0.wp.com/kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Dunes-Beach-Walk-1.jpg?resize=620%2C580&ssl=1)