The Bear River Lighthouse is hidden in the woods along an old railway right of way – you can catch a glimpse of it heading west on Highway 101into Digby.
I had almost given up driving around trying to find the lighthouse, until I spotted another glimpse of it through the trees, found a parking spot and took a short walk along a muddy path.
The Bear River Lighthouse is a wooden square-tapered tower located in a wooded area on the western shore of the mouth of Bear River at Winchester Point in Smith’s Cove. The lighthouse marks the entrance to Bear River from the Annapolis Basin. Built in 1905, it is the first lighthouse on the site.
The building stands on ground 45 feet above high water mark and 100 feet back from the water’s edge. It is a wooden tower square in plan, with sloping sides, surmounted by a square wooden lantern, the whole painted white. It is 32 feet high from its base to the ventilator on the lantern.
The lighthouse had a fixed red light standing 72ft feet above water level and is no longer operating. The Bear River lighthouse was designated as a Heritage Lighthouse on 15 February 2015.