Nova Scotia Hiking Vacations

Visit Cape Breton Highlands, Keji, Beaches, Cape Split for Day Hikes

Nov 4, 2009

Nova Scotia hiking trips include visiting the Cape Breton Highlands, trekking in Keji National Park, and walking on the clean sands of the excellent local beaches.

Nova Scotia hiking vacations include hikes that traverse forests or skirt lakes, oceanside hikes on the Bay of Fundy, and days spent in the beauty the Cape Breton Highlands. The following hiking areas all offer day hikes and some also have overnight backpacking opportunities.

Kejimkujik, NS Hiking Trips

Kejimkujik National Park offers short day hikes and longer multi-day treks for hikers. In addition to hiking trails visitors to Keji can canoe the lakes, camp at the serviced grounds, or bird watch from the viewing towers. More than a dozen short trails can be combined into longer day hikes. A scenic hike to Peters Point (which juts out into Kejimkujik Lake) rewards with a sandy beach and trails through old growth forest.

A second excellent hiking route heads along the lake from Jeremys Bay to Merrymakedge via Jakes Landing (canoe rentals). On the way, view points and a floating bridge add interest to the forest trails and sound boardwalk.

The little-known Keji Seaside Adjunct provides more hiking trails and bonus of ocean views from a sparkling, sandy beach. Trails head through bog lands, along the beach, over pebbled shores, and on boardwalks to create diverse hiking in one of Nova Scotia's most scenic areas.

Halifax Hiking at Point Pleasant Park

Within the city limits, Point Pleasant Park provides Halifax hiking opportunities. The waterfront trail Sailors Memorial Way follows the coastline from Black Rock Beach to Purcell's Landing. The hike passes historical markers including the Northwest Arm Battery, a sailors memorial, Point Pleasant Battery, as well as many benches and picnic areas.

A maze of additional hiking routes within Point Pleasant Park provide more to see on a Nova Scotia hike: the historic Prince of Wales Tower, Shakespeare by the Sea performance grounds, Fort Ogilvie, or the Cambridge Battery.

Nova Scotia Beach Hikes

With more than 6,000km of coastline, beach day trips are a favorite with Nova Scotia hikers. Distances of sand offer long walks and activities such as bird watching, storm watching, and beach combing. Great Nova Scotia beach hikes include:

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Hiking

The Cape Breton Highlands National Park provides excellent hiking and stunning views. More than two dozen routes range from 10-minute walks to hiking routes of 15km. The Skyline hike is perhaps the park's most popular: about 9km round-trip, the trail ends with aerial views of the Cabot Trail from the headland of French Mountain. Other popular hiking trails in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park include Fishing Cove and Franey Mountain.

Cape Split Hike near Annapolis Valley

This easy Nova Scotia hike delivers excellent views on a clear day. Look out to the Minas Basin and to the far shore of the Bay of Fundy coast. The trail is clear, free of obstacles, and the destination offers many places to sit and rest. Facilities, however, are very limited.

Nova Scotia Hiking Vacations

Nova Scotia hiking makes a low-cost yet rich-in-experience vacation activity. From climbing to the Skyline trail viewpoint in Cape Breton Highlands National Park to walking the lake shore at Kejimkujik or beach combing along Nova Scotia's 6,000km coast, there are endless hiking itineraries to consider.

Best of all Nova Scotia hiking trips offer visitors the chance to enjoy scenic views and the relaxing pace of an eastern Canada vacation.

The copyright of the article Nova Scotia Hiking Vacations in Nova Scotia Travel is owned by Chloë Ernst. Permission to republish Nova Scotia Hiking Vacations in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.