Length of stay: 3 days
Visited: September 2022
Cape Breton Highlands National Park was the first national park created in Atlantic Canada. It’s situated on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia where the mountains meet the sea. It is famous for its dramatic coastline and ocean scenery. The Cabot Trail, a scenic highway that is 298km in length, weaves through the park and offers spectacular viewpoints and access to a variety of hiking trails.
Day 1: The Drive to Cape Breton Highlands
Today was a long day of driving. We left Prince Edward Island National Park first thing in the morning and spent the next several hours driving towards Cape Breton Highlands National Park. We made a couple of detours along the way, including at the Balache Point Lighthouse, located near the Canso Canal in Cape Breton.
By the time we reached the southern edge of Cape Breton Highlands, it was just after 6p.m. We planned to spend the next two nights at the Broad Cove Campground. Along the drive to the campground, we stopped at a couple of overlooks off the highway to admire the coastal scenery.
We also stopped at the Ingonish Visitor Centre to pick up a map of the park. We were eager to stretch our legs from being in the car all day so we hiked the Freshwater Lake Look-off (300m round trip, rated moderate), which is located across the road from the Visitor Centre. The trail involves a short, but steep climb up a series of steps to an overlook of the ocean. There was a bench and a single Parks Canada Red Chair at the very top.
We contemplated whether to hike another trail, but it started to lightly sprinkle outside, so we decided to just head to the campground. The forecast was calling for 30-40mm of rain overnight and we didn’t want to risk it. We picked up the key to our oTENTik, which is an A-frame cabin with canvas walls. It consists of a single room and contains six foam mattresses arranged on a giant bunk bed, as well as a table with four chairs and a bench. It also had solar lighting and an electric heater, which we turned on since it was getting chilly outside.
We bunkered down for the rest of the evening as it steadily rained for the next several hours.
Day 2: The Views
It was lightly misting when we woke up the next morning. We walked down to the beach, which is located a couple hundred metres from our campsite. The forecast was calling for more rain throughout the day, mostly in the morning.
After eating a late breakfast, we continued our drive along the Cabot Trail, hitting up a few of the scenic viewpoints along the way, starting with Green Cove. There’s a short trail along a boardwalk that leads to an overlook of the rugged coast and shallow coves. The plants here have adapted to the rough winds and salty spray. At this point the rain had subsided, but everything was a bit wet and slippery.
We hopped back in the car for a short stretch before pulling over again to hike the Jack Pine Trail (2.3km loop, rated easy). The trail winds through a jack pine stand that was created after a fire swept through this area along the coast in 1921. The interesting part about this lonesome forest is that it’s situated almost 200km from other jack pine stands in Cape Breton.
Along the trail there’s a series of interpretative signs that provide some fun facts about the forest and about the flora and fauna found in the area. The trail connects with the Coastal Trail (11.3km round trip) in a few places, which we followed. This portion of the trail features a few scenic overlooks of the rocky coastline and passes by a single Parks Canada Red Chair.
From here we drove through Neils Harbour, a small fishing village situated in the northeast corner of Cape Breton Island, just outside of the park. We passed the Neils Harbour Lighthouse and found a seafood place around the corner, the Chowder House. We were a bit too early for lunch though and the place was still closed.
And so we continued driving along the Cabot Trail. At this point it started to rain again. Hard. We had little interest in getting out of the car to check out more of the viewpoints or trails. And so we turned around and drove back to the Chowder House to get takeaway and return to our oTENTik to eat lunch.
We headed out later in the afternoon to go on a few hikes by Ingonish, starting with Middle Head Trail (3.8km round trip, rated moderate). The trailhead is located just beyond the Keltic Lodge. The path weaves through the forest along a narrow peninsula and features several viewpoints of both sides of the bay, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Smokey and Ingonish Island.
There were a few signs along the trail that provided more information about the Keltic Lodge. In 1890, Henry Corson spotted this peninsula and decided to build his summer home here. In 1938, Middle Head became part of Cape Breton Highlands National Park and a few years later, the summer home was replaced with the Keltic Lodge, now owned and operated by the government of Nova Scotia.
We then hiked up Broad Cove Mountain (2.3km round trip, rated moderate). The trail consists of a steady incline up a series of switchbacks through the forest. At the summit there’s a nice view of the rocky coastline with Middle Head in the background, as well as a single Red Chair and a bench to soak in the views. We didn’t stay long as it looked like it was about to rain again. We hurried down the mountain and returned to our campsite.
Day 3: The Rest of the Cabot Trail
We ate an early breakfast and packed up to hit the road again, or rather the incredibly scenic Cabot Trail. We planned to drive around the rest of Cape Breton Highlands towards Cheticamp. We picked up where we left off yesterday. Thankfully it was less rainy outside, but it sure was windy.
We stopped at a few viewpoints, including Beulach Ban Waterfall, which is located right off the Cabot Trail. The waterfall tumbles into a river that flows through the valley into the Atlantic Ocean.
Another notable viewpoint was of the Aspy Fault, which extends 40 kilometres from the centre of the highlands to the Atlantic Ocean. The fault was created millions of years ago when two continental plates collided and pushed the seafloor upwards to form the Appalachian Mountains.
Shortly after we pulled over again to stretch our legs at the Lone Shieling (0.6km loop, rated easy). There’s a short trail that leads through the Grande Anse Valley, one of the largest old growth hardwood forests in the Maritimes. Some of the trees here are over 350 years old. There were a few storyboards along the trail that provided more information of the forest and history of the park. The trail also passes a replica of a Scottish shepherd’s hut which was built in recognition of Donald S. MacIntosh and his Scottish heritage as he bequeathed 100 acres of his homestead in 1934 for a park. In 1936, Cape Breton Highlands National Park was established to preserve these valleys and highlands.
We then hiked along the MacIntosh Brook (1.7km round trip, rated easy). The trail weaves through an Acadian old growth forest in the valley and follows a babbling brook towards a waterfall. There were lots of mossy rocks, gnarly bark and mushrooms along the way.
We hopped back in the car and hit up a few more viewpoints in the MacKenzie River Valley. We stopped to hike the Bog Trail (0.5km loop, rated easy). The path follows a boardwalk through the French Mountain Bog, situated on the highland plateau, 410 metres (or 1,350 feet) above sea level. Along the way there’s a series of signs that provided more information about the bog and the types of plants that can be found here.
Wetlands like this are common in the highland plateau because of poor drainage and a cool, wet climate. This bog is actually a slope fen, which receives its moisture from precipitation, but also through the seeping ground or surface water. They are important as they support a variety of wildlife and plants, but they also reduce flooding. They act like a sponge and soak up and store water which is slowly released in dry periods. The vegetation through this highland plateau bog is stunted from the harsh conditions of extreme winds and changes in the temperature.
At this point we were getting hungry (and cold from the wind), so we drove to the Mkwesaqtuk/Cap-Rouge Campground where there’s an enclosed picnic area to eat lunch. We weren’t quite ready to brave the wind again, so decided to just drive to the Cheticamp Campground where we planned to spend the night (in another oTENTik of course). Naturally we stopped at a few more viewpoints on the drive.
After unpacking, we headed out later in the afternoon to hike the Skyline Trail (8.2km look, rated easy). The trail is located up on a headland cliff in the highlands and contains a series of viewpoints that overlook the rugged coastline. It is considered the most popular trail in the park and it lived up to its reputation, both in terms of the views and the crowds.
The terrain along the trail is pretty easy. The path is mostly made of gravel and winds through the highlands. The vegetation looked windswept and oh boy was it windy. At the junction the path splits off into two directions to form a loop. We went to the right. The first scenic viewpoint overlooked the highlands and showcased the lush greenery in the area. The second viewpoint provided sweeping views of the coast.
Near the third viewpoint, the trail splits off and makes a small detour to the main highlight of the trail, which consists of a boardwalk along a ridge through the wild boreal headland. It is here where the global winds and ocean currents converge on mountain rock, creating a unique and fragile environment for certain low-growing plants and animals. This stretch of the trail provided the best views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Once we got to the lowest viewing platform, we turned around and climbed back up all the wooden steps. At the junction we turned right to complete the loop. The trail continues to weave through the open headland and passes through a moose exclosure, a fenced area which is meant to keep moose out so recently planted tree seedlings can grow. There was a viewing platform inside the exclose and a sign that provided some fun facts about how the park is testing a variety of planting methods here to determine what works best.
On the drive back to Cheticamp Campground, we pulled over at a few of the overlooks to enjoy the blue skies and wavy water.
What a fabulous end to our road trip through the Maritimes. The next morning we had to get up early to drive towards Halifax to catch our flight back home to Ontario. It poured rain pretty much the entire day and we just didn’t have the energy to make any detours.
L
Amazing! 🙂
Cape Breton Highlands is simply stunning with all those lush forests and views of the rugged coastline. It made for some scenic driving as well as hiking. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
Great description and beautiful pictures! Really enjoyed the blog!!
You are too kind. The scenery in Cape Breton Highlands is spectacular, which makes it hard to put the camera down sometimes.
Wow! Some great shots.
Thanks for your kind words. The weather was all over the place and super crazy windy, but I’m glad we enjoyed some periods without the rain and some blue skies and sun to more fully appreciate the scenery through Cape Breton Highlands.
It’s so beautiful!! I bet it smelled so good too, especially the path with all the pine trees.
It was a long drive to get to Cape Breton Highlands, but it was worth it for the gorgeous coastal scenery. The Jack Pine Trail was perfect to hike in such gloomy weather as the rain tends to bring out the natural scents of the forest. It was also neat to learn more about the impact of a wildfire from over a century ago has had on this area.
Looks like a beautiful area! Thank you for sharing
The landscape in Cape Breton Highlands is gorgeous, which makes for some incredibly scenic hiking and driving. It’s a long drive across the entire national park, but at least there are viewpoints and hiking trails along the way so we could take a break and stretch our legs. Thanks for reading. Take care. Linda
Stunning views everywhere you look! I think a few days here would have me waxing poetic and wanting to become a painter just to try and capture the beauty. I really love the boardwalk steps leading down to the water. 🙂
It’s a long drive through Cape Breton Highlands, but it’s nice that there are plenty of viewpoints and hiking trails to better enjoy the scenery. The boardwalk section of the Skyline Trail definitely had the best views of the coastline. Even though it was really windy up there, at least it wasn’t raining while we were hiking.
A spectacular part of Canada we have been lucky enough to see numerous times. Looks like you fit a lot into your visit and while the weather was mixed, you managed some spectacular shots Linda. Thanks for sharing. Happy Tuesday. Allan
Thanks for your lovely comment. It was a long drive to get to Cape Breton Highlands, but it was so worth it for the beautiful scenery. The weather was all over the place, but thankfully the timing worked out well and we never got caught in the rain while hiking. I’m so glad we were staying in an oTENTik though as I’m not sure our tent could have survived all that wind (or the rain)! Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of your week and the holiday season. Take care. Linda
Love pics where it the water ends and the sky begins. Just beautiful. 😊
Thanks for your kind words. The scenery in Cape Breton Highlands is breathtaking, especially along the coastline. I was in my element taking as many pictures as I could.
Yay! Glad you got to spend some time surrounded by beauty. 😊
You bet. It’s definitely my happy place 🙂
👍🏽😊
Love the last photograph, must visit Cape Breton. It would be a perfect camping/cycling trip.
Thanks! The scenery in Cape Breton Highlands is very enchanting. It was very windy and rainy when we visited, which wasn’t ideal for camping. Thank goodness we were staying in one of those oTENTiks though as I don’t think our tent could have survived!
That gnarly tree photo is interesting. I wonder why that tree decided to grow in such a way? All of your photos are a breath of fresh air. Thanks for taking us with you.
Oh I know. The trees that are gnarled or have a big knot or bump are so intriguing. It’s always fun to come across them on the trail. Thanks so much for your lovely comment. Linda
Pretty pics! 😊
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. The scenery in Cape Breton Highlands is stunning. I’m glad there were lots of viewpoints and hiking trails for us to soak in the sights.
Wow! A great way to end your trip! The photos are amazing. I must put this on my must-visit list. Thanks, Linda.
Thanks! It was a bit of a drive to get to Cape Breton Highlands, but it was so worth it. And at least it was a scenic drive. Similar to PEI, this area unfortunately got hit pretty hard by Hurricane Fiona.
I heard. You were very lucky to have seen it just before.
Oh I know. I couldn’t even imagine what we would have done if we were there when the hurricane hit.
Wow, the sea and coastal views are absolutely beautiful! The geology is amazing with it’s fault lines and forests. Thank for the tour! ❤️🇨🇦
The coastal scenery is so dramatic as was the weather. It was fun to learn more about how the landscape here was shaped and created. Geology rocks!
Geology is amazing! The Canadian Sheild rock is so ancient, to touch it is to touch millions or billions of years!
For sure. In the grand scheme of things, we’re really only around for a blink of an eye. The Canadian Shield is pretty incredible. We learned a lot about it during our road trip through Northern Ontario last year as it largely consists of the Canadian Shield.
Yep, usually less than 100 years, while the Shield has seen billions! Have a great weekend. ☺️🇨🇦
All the more reason for us to live our lives to the fullest! We went to our first (of many) family Christmas parties this weekend. It’s hard to believe that Christmas is less than a week away. Hope you enjoyed your weekend as well.
Too bad that your weather was so rainy and chilly but you still managed to take great photos. Cape Breton has a wild beauty that is quite reminiscent of Scotland and your pictures have really captured that sense.
The weather was pretty wild and very windy. It was also crazy how different the weather was depending which side of the island we were on. I’m so glad we were staying in an oTENTik though instead of our tent! It also had a heater, which helped take away some of the dampness from the rain. I’ve never been to Scotland before, but I’d love to, especially after hearing that the landscape is similar to Cape Breton.
I really like these ‘bulky’ lighthouses! Your Day 2 looked a bit wet, but Day 3 seemed better (although windy) … the boardwalk must have been a lovely walkway. And the Skyline Trail definitely is my favourite in this post – the views are beautiful! I’m impressed … through rain and windy conditions, you have actually done exceptionally good on the hiking trails!
The lighthouses in Cape Breton are very stumpy, yet cute. Maybe they build them short because of all that wind! The weather was all over the place, but thankfully we never got caught out in the rain while we were hiking. The wind was relentless though. The Skyline Trail was definitely my favourite trail that we hiked. The views were incredible and I’m glad we had some blue skies and sun to more fully appreciate the scenery.
I wonder if it always rains there. We had a lot too. Good that you still got to see quite a bit of this gorgeous part of the country. Maggie
Given how lush the forests and valleys are, I’d say Cape Breton probably gets its fair share of rain! I’m just glad that we were staying in an oTENTik (that had a heater) instead of our tent! Despite the wild weather, we had a wonderful time soaking in the scenery and driving along the Cabot Trail.
We stayed in our tent ☹
Bummer. I guess it was a good way to test the waterproofness of your tent! Hope you at least stayed dry.
Such amazing vistas. I loved the different boardwalks that meandered along the water. This really is a grand finale!
Oh I know. The viewpoints along the Cabot Trail are outstanding. It was a bit of a drive to get to Cape Breton Highlands, but it was so worth it. It was a great way to end our road trip through the Maritimes. There’s still so much we have left to see and explore though.
Wow! Wow! Wow! Looks amazing and peaceful place! Love the cabin and chairs.
Wonderful photos! Thank’s for share, Linda. Have a lovely evening and week!
Take care.
Elvira
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. The weather was pretty wild with all the wind and rain, so I’m glad we were staying in a sheltered oTENTik, which is kind of like a cabin made with canvas. Enjoy the rest of your week as well. Linda
What a beautiful travelogue Linda. Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail are on my wishlist to visit one day. We did Halifax, Lunenberg and Peggy’s Cove a few years with T but didn’t have time to do Cabot Trail. Your photos and recap make me wanna go so bad.
Good to know that three days is about the estimated time needed and good to know about the OTentik options and some of your trail recommendations. I just love those boardwalk style stairs and paths up to the hilltop views. It is stunning even after all that rain you two encountered.
Thanks! Cape Breton Highlands is such an enchanting place. It’s quite the drive to get to, but so worth it. I really wanted to spend some time in and around Halifax, but we ran out of time. Plus the weather was awful on our last day. There never seems to be enough time to see it all.
The oTENTiks are such great options for accommodations. There is no way our poor little tent could have survived all that wind and rain, especially since many of the campsites are out in the open. The oTENTiks in Cape Breton Highlands even had heating, which was nice to take out the chill and dampness. We’ve really pampered ourselves this year when it comes to camping (or rather glamping)!
I bet the awful weather doesn’t compare to what we’re getting today! Hope it was a work from home day today for you. 😆
Oh I know. We didn’t get nearly as much snow as what the forecast was initially predicting, but it was pretty gnarly out there. And the snow that we did receive was very wet and heavy to shovel. Oh well. I hope it stays and that we’ll get a white Christmas this year. Hope you’re all ready for the holidays!! Have a wonderful weekend.
Thanks Linda. I’m now off for 2 weeks and gonna try to relax and hope for no surprises. 🙂 Wishing you the same too!
Fingers crossed. Enjoy your time off. It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only one week away!!
This year has really just flown by! It’s been relaxing so far. Wishing the same for you and K!
I read that relatively nothing stops you from hiking when you can except hunger and the onset of nightfall. I would rather tackle this relatively flat area as a hiker than risk ascending the highlands in Western Canada for sure. Happy Holidays
That is very true. I am not a fan of hiking in the rain though, but I have been known to make exceptions when the scenery is breathtaking. Even though the weather was all over the place in Cape Breton Highlands, I’m glad we never actually had to hike through the rain. Most of it happened in the evening or while we were driving. Enjoy the holidays as well. We’re expecting a major snowstorm today, which should make everything look festive. I can’t wait.
Rain or snow is out of my control so I don’t overthink about that when I can
Very true. You can’t predict the weather. Besides, hiking in the rain or snow sure beats sitting behind a desk at work!
beautiful indeed. thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks for your lovely comment. The coastal scenery in Cape Breton Highlands is spectacular. I’m glad there were a lot of viewpoints and hiking trails along the drive to soak it all in and appreciate our surroundings.
thanks again for sharing with us your beautiful experience with these breathtaking viewpoints and coastal scenery. gratitude. 🙂
These looks like beautiful hikes, despite the bad weather! Thanks for sharing!
The scenery in Cape Breton Highlands was gorgeous; the weather not so much. Thankfully we managed to miss most of the rain while hiking though. Thanks for reading. Linda
Cheticamp is also a good base for exploring Cape Breton and with its French-speaking population, it feels like you’re somewhere else, really on holiday, far away.
For sure. Cheticamp has a very different vibe than Ingonish and felt very laid back. It’s also closer to some of the more popular hikes like the Skyline Trail. The campground was a bit underwhelming, largely because many of the sites were out in the open. We were staying in another oTENTik, which was in a fantastic spot by the river though, so we had no complaints.
As usual amazing photos. Thank you for sharing this adventure, I travelled from my sofa 😊
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. We had a wonderful time in the Maritimes and I’m glad we managed to squeeze in a visit to Cape Breton Highlands. The coastal views were stunning, which made for some great hiking.
A lovely article, Linda. What a beautiful area this is, luckily someone was far-seeing and wise enough to preserve it as a national park. Fascinating stories and characters as well interwoven with the amazing vistas, pines and boardwalks weaving their way around the coast. I liked the shepherd’s hut replica in honour of Donald S. MacIntosh, trust a Scott to settle in a highland area even if it’s across an ocean.
Thanks for your kind words. It’s always interesting to learn more about how some of these national parks were created. It’s amazing that even then some people recognized that this area is special and that it needed to be protected and preserved. I got a good laugh too about how Donald S. MacIntosh traded in the highlands in Scotland for more highlands in Canada. Stick to what you know I guess.
It’s great to know that the weather gradually improved over the three days of your hike in this national park. Skyline Trail certainly is the winner — it’s good that put it at the end of your itinerary.
The weather was pretty crazy in Cape Breton Highlands. We managed to avoid the worst of the rain as it happened either overnight or while we were driving. There was no escaping from the wind though. The Skyline Trail was such a highlight. I was surprised at how busy it was considering we didn’t encounter many people on the other trails we hiked. This was an amazing end to our road trip through the Maritimes.
You managed to fit in some very decent walks in terrific scenery despite the rain doing its thing!
The weather was pretty wild, but that didn’t prevent us from soaking in sights. Despite all the rain, we somehow managed to avoid most of it while hiking, so the timing worked out rather well. There was no avoiding the wind though.
I’m interested to see those lighthouses. I did a trip once along the east to see some of the lighthouses.
The east coast of Canada is a great spot to go on a scavenger hunt for lighthouses. I love how each one is unique. While some of them are no longer functional, I’m glad they’re still maintained as they’ve become such a big tourist attraction.
I wish we could have gone that far. We toured some of the lighthouses in Maine. We actually went around the New England states so we had a short time window for each place.
Maine has a similar vibe to Eastern Canada. If we had more time I would have loved to drive back through New England for a change of scenery. It’s very beautiful, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing colour. There just never seems to be enough time (or vacation days)!
Yay yay yay! I love this place and Skyline Trail is one of my favorite hikes I’ve ever done! Thanks for the walk down memory lane, as I hiked many of these trails too. It sounds like you had more time on the island than we did, though, and managed some extra thing. The waterfall was super pretty, I don’t recall seeing that.
The weather was all over the place when we were in Cape Breton Highlands, but I’m glad we enjoyed some blue skies and sun while hiking the Skyline Trail. It’s one of my favourites as well. The only thing missing was us seeing a moose. It was nice how all the trails and viewpoints were just off of the Cabot Trail, which was super convenient.
Wow it looks just incredible…what a wonderful set of trails to explore, and those coastal views are just magnificent 🙂
The hiking in Cape Breton Highlands was top-notch. I love how different the landscape is depending on whether you’re in the valley, through the forest or along the coastline. It’s all very beautiful.
I’m certain the long drive was worth it to reach the Cape Breton Highlands. I’ve really enjoyed your adventure and it has inspired me to visit Canada)# eastern seaboard.
For sure. Even though it was a long drive to get to Cape Breton Highlands, at least it was super scenic. This was a wonderful last stop on our road trip through the Maritimes. Glad to hear that Eastern Canada is now on your radar. Take care. Linda
Yes..we always drive over the Cabot Trail and the Highland National Park. But this hurricane was a disaster there. Great images. Anita
Thanks! The Cabot Trail is such an incredibly scenic drive. I like how there are plenty of viewpoints and hiking trails along the way to take a break, stretch our legs and admire the views. I heard that Cape Breton was hit pretty hard by Hurricane Fiona. It’s always sad to see and hear about the aftermath. I can’t imagine what it was like for the people that live there.
Yes I was born in Cape Breton..but Hurricane Fiona was such a terrible time all of these were destroyed.
Thanks Anita
It’s very tragic. I remember reading an article in the news a couple of months ago about how many people in Cape Breton were still struggling to find housing after the hurricane destroyed their homes.
😔
Oh you got so much more hiking in than we did. Looks like you had better weather too! We had debated doing the Skyline Trail, but the one full day we had was misty and overcast so we explored Cabots Landing Park instead. The rugged coastline with the water views are definitely lovely!
The weather was actually much better than what we were expecting. Even though we got a lot of rain, thankfully it was mostly overnight or while we were driving. I was so happy to be staying in a heated oTENTik as I don’t think our poor tent would have survived all that wind and all that rain. It’s too bad that the crummy weather prevented you from hiking the Skyline Trail. It was one of my favourite hikes. I guess this means that you’ll just have to return someday!
Your cover image is marvelous
Why thank you. The weather was all over the place when we were in Cape Breton Highlands, but I’m glad we had some periods of sunny weather to more fully appreciate those coastal views. The sun always has a way of making the water sparkle and shine.
Cape Breton Highlands is wonderful place , eternal nature with flora and fauna , beauty of ocean and it’s
Waves, amazing the stone figure , fantastic waterfalls, the light house and so many varieties of flowers 🌺
mind blowing sceneries and dear your worth explanations marvellous ✍️👏grace wishes 💝 🙏
For sure. The landscape in Cape Breton Highlands was very wild and enchanting. We must have stopped at every viewpoint to soak in the scenery. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Linda
Nice shots
Thanks for your kind words. The scenery in Cape Breton Highlands, especially around the coastline, are marvelous.
I wish that I can visit Cape Breton highlands once in my life.
Hopefully that happens. Eastern Canada in general is very scenic and the people are very friendly.
Amazing n beautiful indeed. Seems the tour comprising Cabot Trail, oTENTik, Green Cove, Neils Harbour, Broad Cove Mountain, Aspy Fault, Lone Shieling, MacIntosh Brook, Bog Trail, Skyline Trail …was memorable.
Thanks for your lovely comment. Even though the weather was a bit wild, we had a wonderful time driving along the incredibly scenic Cabot Trail and visiting as many of the viewpoints as we could. It was definitely a memorable trip.
Wish you would have even more happier trips in times to come 🙏 ☺
Thanks! I’m looking forward to 2023 and all the new adventures we’ll have. We already have a few trips planned.
That’s really great you took the time to thoroughly explore this area! I think the mushrooms are a good indicator of the sea climate lol
It was quite the drive to get to Cape Breton Highlands, but it was so worth it. It’s such a wild and enchanting area. The weather was pretty crazy though with all that wind and all that rain. I was not surprised to see so many mushrooms through the forest.
This looks so beautiful, and your travel adventures in Nova Scotia make me want to go up north! This seems like the perfect spot to just relax and take in those amazing nature views. Thank you for sharing this!
It was a bit of a drive to get to Cape Breton Highlands, but at least it was incredibly scenic. It was a great last stop on our road trip through the Maritimes. I just wish we could have stayed for longer. Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
WOW! Beautiful – thank you for such an inspirational story.
Thanks for your lovely comment. The landscape in Cape Breton Highlands is insanely beautiful. It was the perfect way to end our road trip through the Maritimes.
The views in your photos here are just absolutely stunning. I am so glad you got to see so much natural beauty even with the winds and some rain. Thank you for bringing us all along for the drive! 🙂
You are too kind. Despite the weather, we had a wonderful time exploring the trails and terrain. If anything, I’m sure all that rain is the reason why the forests and valleys are so lush. The timing of the rain actually worked out well and thankfully we didn’t have to hike in the rain.
I can definitely see the resemblance to Scotland. I was thinking of biking the trail but man it’s long!! Great photos
Thanks! I’ve never been to Scotland before, but if the scenery is similar to Cape Breton Highlands, I’ll just have to move it up my travel bucket list. The coastal views were breathtaking. Biking along the Cabot Trail sounds like it would be quite the adventure (and the challenge given how windy it is)!
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Bump it up the list!! It’s so rugged and beautiful and the people are amazing. The food was really good and those ocean views…
The landscape looks gorgeous, which means the hiking must be incredible. Plus who doesn’t love those Scottish accents!?
This area has such nicely maintained boardwalks and stairs. I’m sure that was especially welcome to keep you out of the mud and marsh! I enjoyed seeing the maritime provinces with you.
Thanks for your lovely comment. Visiting Cape Breton Highlands was a great way to end our short road trip through the Maritimes. The boardwalks are definitely most welcome over fragile or marshy terrain.
Crape Brenton Highlands had a lot to offer. it’s impressive how much you got to see and do ! The scenery looks so peaceful 😍 About how far is cape Breton Highlands from Ontario? I know you wrote you took a plane. It definitely wouldn’t be car distance ? I know driving takes a lot more than a plane trip. I’m so deathly afraid of flying haha 😂 but I did it for the family cruise we went on. It was fine but I was scared inside haha 😂 The cruise made it worth it though. Those otentiks are so awesome. I love that they even have an electric heater in there for you guys . I’m sure the ocean breeze kept things cooler. All of those trails you took held such beautiful views. I would be lost in photography heaven there 🙂 great post