Some hiking venues are known for their grueling week- or even month-long treks. Others boast a panoply of dawn-to-dusk, fifteen-mile, calf-busting day hikes. Cape Breton may be remembered for its rich assemblage of half-day walks. “In the Cape Breton Highlands, you can take a pleasant hike in the morning, have lunch in a Celtic pub, and do another modest hike in the afternoon,” said Tom Wilson. “There are enough fine walks to keep you engaged for a weeklong holiday or more.”
Cape Breton comprises the northeastern section of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, one of the Maritimes. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the west, it’s blessed with pine-covered mountains, deep river canyons, and steep cliffs that fall away to the sea; it’s regularly recognized as one of the Northern Hemisphere’s most beautiful islands. The Highlands encompass the northern section of the island, much of which is given over to 367-square-mile Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Thanks to a cool maritime climate and mountainous terrain, the park hosts a unique blend of Acadian, boreal, and taiga habitats. “To me, the beauty of the Highlands comes in the manner in which the mountains seem to touch the sea,” Tom continued. “Many of the trails accentuate this feature.”
Most of the hiking trails in the Cape Breton Highlands are situated in the national park or off the Cabot Trail, a 180-mile road that runs along the perimeter of the park and provides the less ambulatory visitor a chance to appreciate Cape Breton’s many natural appeals. (The Cabot Trail, along with Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road, is perennially ranked among the world’s most spectacular road trips.) Tom shared a few of his favorite walks in the park, beginning on the east side. “Franey Trail is one that always comes to mind. It’s a saucy little trail, climbing 1,400 feet in just two miles. It really gets your heart beating. When you reach the top, there are splendid views of the town of Ingonish, the Clyburn Valley, and Franey Mountain behind, and the open Atlantic before you, with Middle Head Peninsula jutting out right below into the sea. It’s a two- to three-hour walk. Middle Head Trail, which starts near the historic Keltic Lodge, also has great ocean views and vistas of Cape Ingonish Island. Many people like to visit the lodge [which was commissioned by the Canadian National Park Service along with its famed adjoining golf course, Highlands Links, to attract visitors in the waning years of the Great Depression], have lunch, and then walk Middle Head, which takes less than two hours. Clyburn Valley Trail gives you a little taste of the region’s history, leading out to an abandoned gold mine. The trail follows the Clyburn River and gives a glimpse of the golf course and passes some great moose habitat. In the fall, you may have a chance to glimpse Atlantic salmon in some of the Clyburn’s deeper pools.” (The salmon return to their natal streams to spawn; some die, some return to the sea. Their offspring, or parr, remain in the freshwater for several years before heading to sea, where they spend their adult lives before repeating the cycle of regeneration.)
If there’s one walk that stands out on the west side of Cape Breton Highlands National Park, it would be the Skyline trail. A mostly level, modest four and one third miles, Skyline moves through boreal forest, ending at an overlook some 1,350 feet above the Gulf of St. Lawrence. “Words don’t do justice to the views from the end of Skyline,” Tom continued. “It frequently makes the cover of the Nova Scotia Tourism guide, and it’s no surprise. You may see whales down below, and you’re almost guaranteed to see moose. They’re incredibly tame along this trail; you can walk right by them and they don’t pay any attention, whereas on other trails they might charge if you were that close. For a really good workout, I’d recommend L’Acadien Trail. There’s a 1,200-foot elevation gain over three miles, starting from the banks of the Chéticamp River. At the top, you can look out over the Acadian coastline as well as the Chéticamp River Valley. Black bears are often seen along this trail.” If you didn’t find any salmon along the Clyburn River, consider a walk on the Salmon Pools Trail along the Chéticamp, where four named pools (First, Chance, Second, and Third) often harbor fish.
Part of the allure of a hiking vacation to Nova Scotia is the chance to partake of Cape Breton’s thriving Celtic culture. Though initially settled by the French in the early 1700s and then ceded to England in 1763, the flavor of Cape Breton island has been shaped most profoundly by Scottish immigrants, who arrived in the early 1800s. These Scots, forcibly displaced from the Scottish Highlands, have managed to maintain much of their way of life. While the number of citizens speaking Gaelic is shrinking, the region’s culture is being passionately preserved in its music, especially a style of violin playing that’s been branded “Cape Breton Fiddling”.
For many hikers, the call of the trail is the chance to find solitude for contemplation, or simply silence. For others, though, hiking presents an opportunity to commune with kindred spirits who share a love of the outdoors. Walkers in the latter category will want to consider visiting Cape Breton in September during the Hike the Highlands Festival. This ten-day extravaganza features daily guided hikes, equipment and photography workshops, nightly Celtic music—and, most important, the camaraderie of like-minded folk who’ve traveled from across North America and Europe to attend. “I recall a hike a few years ago at the Hike the Highlands Festival,” Tom added. “A group of people did the Franey Trail, and there was a lady from Scotland in the group, though I didn’t realize this at the time. When we got back down to the parking lot, I heard beautiful Scottish fiddle music. I thought someone had switched on a radio, but it was the lady playing her fiddle.
“For me, this is what hiking in Cape Breton is all about: Experiencing nature and listening to music with your friends. It was the perfect ending to a hike.”
TOM WILSON is the director of recreation and tourism for the Municipality of Victoria County, Cape Breton Island. An avid hiker, kayaker, cyclist, mountain biker, and amateur photographer, Tom acts as chairman for the Hike the Highlands Festival.
► Getting There: Air Canada (888-247-2262; www.aircanada.com) offers daily flights to Halifax, Nova Scotia, with connecting flights to Sydney, which is on the island.
► Best Time to Visit: The trails are generally clear of snow from mid-May through mid-October. Information about Cape Breton Highlands’ trails and other attractions is available on the Parks Canada Web site (www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ns/cbreton/index.aspx).
► Accommodations: The Keltic Lodge (800-565-0444; www.kelticlodge.ca) in Ingonish is the higher-end choice on the east side of the park. The Victoria County Department of Tourism website (www.visitvictoriacounty.com) lists other options.