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TRAIL
INFORMATION
The Hike the Highlands
Festival offers 18-guided
hikes from their experienced
local guides There are
several trails to choose
from during the Hike the
Highlands Festival. The
hikes range from short easy
walks to more difficult
hikes and terrain.
TRAILS
1)
Jack Pine Trail - 6:00
pm. on Friday, September 14
(CBHNP*)
You begin the hike in a
forest of trembling aspen,
mixed with spruce and pine.
As you climb higher, and the
ground becomes dryer, you
enter the jack pine area.
This trail is unique because
there are only two stands of
jack pine in the park and
very few on Cape Breton
Island.
2
hrs, 2.3
kms (1.7 mi)
Difficulty Rating: 2B
Trail head/Starting Point:
Turn off the Cabot Trail
at the Black Brook day use
area and turn left to the
upper parking lot.
2) Guided
Wilderness Hiking Adventure
– 10:00 am Saturday,
September 15
The Guided Wilderness Hiking
Adventures offers beautiful
and remote scenery, and
steady climb to ocean views.
5-6 hours
Difficulty Rating: 4D
Trail
head/Starting Point:
Drive to
Ingonish Harbour and then
follow the signs for Guided
Wilderness Hike on the
Barron Road.
3) Broad Cove
– 10:00 am. on Saturday,
September 15
(CBHNP*)
This hike will give you a
really good workout. The
steep climb up Broad Cove
will be well worth the steps
as you enjoy the panoramic
ocean view.
1.5
hrs, 2.3
km (1.4
miles)
Difficulty Rating: 3C
Trail
head/Starting Point:
A small
parking lot on your right
about 1/3 of the way in on
the Warren Lake road.
4) Jigging
Cove Lake–
2:00 pm. On Saturday,
September 15
(CBHNP*)
Wildlife. Distance
2.4km
(loop). Time 1-1.5 hours)
Difficulty Rating
:
1B
Trail head/Starting Point:
Jigging Cove Lake Parking
Lot
5) Cape St. Lawrence-Lowland
Trail – 10:00 am. On Sunday,
September 16
The trail starts in Meat
Cove and follows the old
road into the backlands. For
about 2 km one climbs
steadily, about 300 m, over
the ridge that runs along
the west coast of Cape
Breton and then descends
about 2 km to the site of
the old lighthouse at Cape
St. Lawrence. One then walks
along the coast through old
pastures, cranberry fields,
and scrub spruce for about
2.5 km to Lowland Cove, the
site of a former fishing
community. From Lowland Cove
the trail again follows the
old road back up over the
ridge and down into Meat
Cove., about 5 km. The
entire hike can be done in
4.5 hours.
The hike will take 6 to 6.5
hours. There is one steep
short descent and one steep
short ascent as well as one
bridgeless stream. Hikers
should be in good shape,
carry plenty of water,
lunch, and should be ready
for a change of weather in
the different biospheres.
Difficulty Rating : 4D
Trail heads/Starting Point:
Meat
Cove Welcome Center
6) White Point Trail Hike –
10:00 am. on Sunday,
September 16
Walk back in time to an old
settlement. Hear stories of
ghosts and gold. This trail
offers spectacular views of
Sugarloaf and North
Mountains.
1.5
hours, 4 kms (2.5mi)
Difficulty
Rating: 2B
Trail
heads/Starting Point:
Drive to Neil’s Harbour and
turn right to go onto
Alternate Scenic Route
Drive. You will pass thru
Neil’s Harbour and New Haven
communities before coming to
White Point. Turn right at
White Point and continue to
the community. Turn down at
the wharf and park your car.
Walk up to the Trailhead
where the pavements meets
the gravel.
7) Sugar Loaf
Trail - at 10:00 a.m. on
Monday, September 17
Climb from near sea level
for about 2 km to 1400 feet.
The first part of the trail
follows an old wood road.
Very scenic with views at
the top of Aspy Bay, Sugar
Loaf mountain and beach
reaching to Dingwall and
South harbor. Also, view the
highlands and Bay St.
Lawrence from a look-off.
3-4hrs, 4 kms
Difficulty Rating: 4D
Trail
heads/Starting Point:
From Cape
North continue straight on
the road to Bay St.
Lawrence. Drive towards Asby
Bay and Sugarloaf. Follow
the signs to the Cabot
landing Provincial Park and
and approximately 2km past
the park look for the yellow
stones and a sign indicating
“Hike the Highlands
festival”.
8) Salmon
Pool – 10:00 am. On Tuesday,
September 18
(CBHNP*)
River trail, bird-watching,
rough sections. Distance
12.2
km return, 4-5 hours.
Difficulty Rating: 1B
Trail Head/Starting Point:
Salmon Pool Hiking Trail
Parking Lot
9) Acadien Trail – 10:00 am.
on Tuesday, September 18
(CBHNP*)
Steady climb to panoramic
views of the coastline and
canyon. Distance
8.4
km loop, 2.5 to 4 hrs.
Difficulty Rating
:
3C
Trail head/Starting Point :
Acadien Hiking Trail Parking
Lot
10) Skyline
Trail Hike – 10:00 am. on
Wednesday, September 19
(CBHNP*)
This dramatic headland
overlooks the rugged coast;
whales, eagles, moose
sightings.
2-3
hrs, 7.5
kms (4.7mi)
Difficulty Rating: 1A
Trail
heads/Starting Point:
Turn left at
Cape North on the Cabot
Trail to Cheticamp. Continue
to the top of French
Mountain. Look for the trail
sign.
11) Fishing
Cove Trail Hike – 10:00 am.
On Wednesday, September 19
Steady descent to rugged
ocean coastline. Steep
Uphill returning. 6 hrs.,
12km
Difficulty Rating: 4C
Trail Head/Starting Point:
The first Fishing Cove
parking lot north of
Cheticamp. Second Fishing
Cove Parking Lot if you are
coming from Cape North
12) North
River-Big Falls Hike - 9:00
a.m. on Friday, September 22
This hike takes you through
forest valleys and canyons
of one of the most scenic
salmon rivers to the highest
waterfall in Nova Scotia.
The trail winds through
older stands of maple,
birch, fir and scattered
pine that blanket the
steep-sided canyon walls
looming overhead. The
wilderness trail is narrow
and uneven with sections of
coarse stone, steep
loose-rock slopes and rock
outcrops. This is for the
hardcore hiker! Two guides
will accompany the group.
Those who wish to turn back
at the halfway point will
have that option.
6-7 hrs, 18 kms
Difficulty Rating: 4D
Trail
heads/Starting Point:
Follow the
map to North River. Drive
past 3.8 kms down the Oregon
Road and Follow the signs to
the North River Provincial
Park. Meet in the parking
lot.
13) North
River-Little Falls Hike -
10:00 a.m. Friday, September
22
Walking to the Falls provide
fine views along the North
River past idyllic salmon
pools and red sandstone
bluffs. The trail surface is
mostly firm and moderately
uneven with gentle slopes,
but descends abruptly from
the picnic area to the
forested river terrace
below. MacDonald Brook joins
the North River before
spilling over a series of
rock ledges, forming an
impressive array of falls
and cataracts.
For those hikers who wish to
continue, you will return to
the picnic area and travel
over a small hill before
joining an old cart road.
This road was the main
access route for the
Scottish settlers who
established farmsteads along
the east side of the river
in the mid 1800s. This trail
is relatively wide with
slight to moderate slopes,
surface is uneven with
sections of loose rock,
exposed tree roots and
shallow washouts. 3-4
hrs, 5 kms (3mi)
Difficulty Rating: 3C
Trail
heads/Starting Point:
Follow
the map to North River.
Drive past 3.8 kms down the
Oregon Road and Follow the
signs to the North River
Provincial Park. Meet in the
parking lot.
14) Red
Island (Barrachois) Trail -
2:30 pm Thursday, September
21
The trail begins behind the
St. Ann's Bay United Church.
The fairly level trail winds
along the Barrachois River
through a mostly spruce
forest with a few oaks along
the way. You hike a trail
along the river to some
excellent viewing spots
where the river opens up
into a large open salt and
freshwater estuary (Barachois)
before it empties into the
sea. Here you may see some
resident Canada geese, black
ducks, great blue herons and
common goldeye to name a few
common bird species.
The trail then goes on to
the shore of St. Ann's Bay
with a magnificent view of
Cape Dauphin and the
Englishtown shoreline - once
again a favorite spot for
birders looking for
seabirds, shorebirds and
loons. The trail then makes
a loop on the return section
past a large freshwater lake
with some nice views. 3hrs.
4km.
Difficulty Rating: 2C
Trail
heads/Starting Point:
Located at
Indian Brook on the Cabot
Trail near the St. Ann’s Bay
United Church ( next to the
bridge) . Meet in the
parking lot of the church.
15) Franey
Mountain Hike - 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, September 20
(CBHNP*)
Climb 366 metres in 3 hours.
Enjoy a panoramic view of
the Clyburn Valley and
Middlehead. Hike through
mixed woods to a cliff-top
look off providing
breathtaking views of the
Clyburn Valley and the
surrounding highlands,
extending ridge upon ridge
into the distance. You are
in the domain of ravens and
eagles and they can
sometimes be seen below you,
soaring among the walls and
buttresses of the cliffs.
3-4
hrs, 7.4
kms (4.6mi)
Difficulty Rating: 4C
Trail
heads/Starting Point:
Drive north
from the Ingonish Beach
campground for 1.5 km, past
the church and golf course
and over the Clyburn bridge.
Take the next left at Franey
Trail sign. Continue on this
road from pavement to a
gravel road up the hill for
about km to the trailhead &
parking lot.
16) Middle
Head Hike - 10:00 a.m. on
Sunday, September 24
(CBHNP*)
Along this walk there are
views on both sides of the
path of the mountains and
sea and the rocky cliffs.
The trail begins near the
Keltic Lodge and travels to
the tip of Middle Head and
back. The Corson's who were
befriended by Alexander
Graham Bell owned this
estate during the early part
of the century. This was
also the site of a fishing
village at the turn of the
century.
2 -3
hrs, 4 kms (2.5 mi)
Difficulty Rating: 2C
Trail
head/Starting Point:
Follow the
road signs to Keltic Lodge
in Ingonish Beach. Proceed
past the main lodge to the
parking lot . A set of
stairs on the left side
marks the beginning of the
trail.
17) Corney Brook – 10:00 am.
On Sunday, September 23
(CBHNP*)
Waterfall, Acadian hardwood
forest in a river canyon,
wildlife. Distance
6.5
km, 3-4 hours.
Difficulty Rating: 2B
Trail head/Starting Point:
Corney Brook Parking Lot
across the road from the
hiking trail
18) Uisge Ban
Falls
-
1:30 pm Sunday, September 23
A 4km (2.4mi) trail through
a climax hardwood forest,
provides access to view the
16m (50ft) high waterfall.
The walls of the gorge tower
50m (500ft)) on either side
of the falls.
2.5 hrs, 4 kms (2.5mi)
Difficulty Rating: 2C
Trail
head/Starting Point:
Take Exit 9
off the Trans Canada Highway
and follow the sign for
Forks Baddeck, cross a
single lane bridge while
keeping right. Continue
along till you come to a
sign pointing out the Uisge
Ban Provincial park, drive
down that gravel road until
you reach the park. 14kms
from Baddeck
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