This provincial park is located in East Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Joined to the mainland by a short bridge, Graves Island Provincial Park is typical of many of the small islands found along Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast. This quiet ocean-side park has long been a popular vacation spot for Nova Scotians and visitors alike.
Graves Island's secluded nature and attractive coastal setting were major factors in the province's decision to establish a provincial campground and day-use park. Overlooking scenic Mahone Bay, the island has a lot of history. Ownership of the land and residents of the island have been primarily associated with two families over the years: the Graves and the Zincks.
Jacob Graff, whose surname evolved to Graves, arrived in Lunenburg County from Germany in 1753. Another German settler, Casper Zinck, arrived in Lunenburg County around the same time. The earliest recorded association of the Graves family with the Island was in 1828 when land was sold. The Zinck family first acquired land on Graves Island in the mid-1860s. A children's summer camp and a dairy were located there in the 1920s and 1930s.
It wasn't until residents moved away in the 1960s that the province acquired Graves Island. It was officially opened as a provincial park in 1971. Located just east of Chester, the park has 69 campsites, a picnic area, trails, a beach, boat launch, playground, flush toilets, and showers.
Even today, remnants remain from the families that once called Graves Island home, including stone foundations, old lanes, hand-dug wells, apple trees, tiger lilies, and rose bushes.
Photographs and interesting facts pertaining to the island's history have been gathered from people born on Graves Island, others who had relatives and friends living there, and people who worked on the Island. A permanent display will be located at the park to preserve images of Graves Island and its people
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Nearby attractions:
Mahone Bay, Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg
230 Graves Island Rd
East Chester, NS B0J 1J0
A monument dedicated to the 1st Canadian Geocache GC41/GCBBA is located in the park.