# Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia



## CSB (May 6, 2017)

Advise please. 

I am allowing 3 days for the Cabot Trail. Is there a good place to stay along the trail that would allow us to hike different good trails (medium to difficult) without doing a lot of driving. At first I thought that we would hike and drive every day but my DH is worried about his back. The Cabot trail is about an eight hour drive through the whole thing as I understand it. What if we just drove to Cheticamp, stayed there a couple of nights and hiked trails near there but didn't drive through the whole Cape Breton Highlands National Park, would we be missing too much?


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## Farm girl (May 7, 2017)

Cindy:

Try this link for hotels/motels along the Cabot Trail:  www.cabottrail.com/hotels.html


If you like older places with flavor I would suggest the Keltic Lodge.  It's quite old, very picturesque and is located on a golf course.  It's on the east side of the Cabot Trail at Ingonish and is the last stop before you start heading west and down the far side of the trail.  It's also very near the Highlands National Park which has lots of hiking trails.

We live in Cape Breton, have driven the Cabot Trail several times, stopped for lunch at the Keltic Lodge and loved the ambiance (food was good too).

You might also try booking.com which will show you a map of Cape Breton with the various towns along the route so you'll have a better idea of distances etc.  The trail can be hard on somebody with a bad back so your idea of stopping part way through the drive is a good one.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

Julie


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## CSB (May 7, 2017)

Thanks Julie. If I booked a place in Cheticamp (I think the Skyline trail is close by) and stayed there, doing hikes that are in the area, would I be missing out by not doing the whole trail?


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## Farm girl (May 8, 2017)

Both my husband and I think the views on the east side of the Cabot Trail are outstanding and well worth seeing.  The locals here would tell you the best way to drive the trail is to start from the English Town side of the trail and work your way through over to the Cheticamp side.  If you're going to be in the area for 3 days I would definitely suggest doing the entire drive.  As well, you won't have to pay any national park fees this year as Canada Parks is waiving fees to celebrate their 150th birthday.

Julie


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## Chilcotin (May 8, 2017)

In order to get free admission to the Cabot Trail you will need to order the free discovery pass:

Here is the link:

http://www.commandesparcs-parksorders.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/parksb2c


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## theo (May 8, 2017)

Chilcotin said:


> In order to get *free admission to the Cabot Trail *you will need to order the free discovery pass:
> 
> Here is the link:
> 
> http://www.commandesparcs-parksorders.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/parksb2c



I'm confused. Having traveled the Cabot Trail by both bicycle and car on different occasions, I do not understand your reference to "free admission".

Are you perhaps instead referring to admission to Highlands National Park, as opposed to "admission" to the Cabot Trail?


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## Farm girl (May 11, 2017)

We're both referring to entering the national park.  The Cabot Trail enters the national park in two different places so if you drive the entire route you usually would have to pay a fee at whichever gate you arrive at.  Parks Canada is waiving the fee this year if you have the discovery pass.  That is the link that Chilcotin has provided to Cindy.

Julie


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## LurkerBee (May 11, 2017)

We went last summer. I would recommend staying in Baddeck or the town with the Keltic Lodge (I forgot the name). We went through Chetitcamp on a Sunday and a lot was closed - so I'm .  We actually stayed 2 night at the tip top (Burton's Sunset Lodge). It was a clean place, with a small kitchenette and a very awesome owner. He even pulled out his grill so we could grill up some oysters, mackerel, and snow crab legs.

Overall, I would highly recommend finding a town. We thought it would be rural, but were surprised at *how* rural and how few services. Mainly food. We had a very hard time finding places to eat and even places to buy groceries.  If you plan to stay a few days, don't go in thinking "oh, we'll just stop for something that looks good on the way" because there isn't much on the way. Maybe others knew this, but even with all my research beforehand, I was surprised.

I'd also recommend White Point (near Nell's Harbor) over Skyline trail. We found the Skyline trail very overrated. Neat at the end, if you are up for climbing a bazillion stairs, but a hot, boring, flat mile or so to get there. Also we found some good trails near the Keltic Lodge.


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## CSB (May 13, 2017)

Thanks for the wonderful information. We are going to drive the trail and I will now be looking carefully at food availability along the way and places to stay. I called the park services and they said that you do not have to send for the discovery pass - you can get one when you arrive although my daughter and I both have one. I will try to write a summary of the trip when we get back. It's nice to document what we did for myself and for the benefit of others who are planning a trip.

Right now we are going to do a day kayak trip at Advocate Harbour. We may stop at Truro on the way to PEI so my daughter can do the Tidal Boring. Then across the bridge to PEI (New London) where we stay 3 days in a VRBO house. I haven't decided where to stay on the way from PEI to Cape Briton Highlands National Park. It's a long drive from PEI to the Ingonish area so we'll probably stay somewhere along the way. Then, two nights in one place near or in the park area and another night near the end of the park. I haven't figured out the rest of the trip yet. We will end up in the Halifax area. I am disappointed because I had to change our plans. We were originally going to stay the first two nights in the St. Martins area and go to Hopewell Rocks but when I looked at the driving distances, I decided to give that up and go to Advocate Harbour first. I am hoping that we can still see the Bay of Fundy tide changes in the Advocate Harbour area.


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## CSB (May 13, 2017)

LurkerBee said:


> I'd also recommend White Point (near Nell's Harbor) over Skyline trail. We found the Skyline trail very overrated. Neat at the end, if you are up for climbing a bazillion stairs, but a hot, boring, flat mile or so to get there. Also we found some good trails near the Keltic Lodge.



I went over all the trails in the park and that one is not listed. It must be outside the park boundaries. Thank you for posting it. The ones that look promising for me in the park are: Acadian, Salmon Pools, Skyline (only because it seems like everyone does it), Mica Hill, Coastal, Broad Cove Mountain, Franey and Middle Head. I will obviously have to whittle it down after consulting a park ranger when we get there. If you have done any of these hikes, let me know what you think.


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## LurkerBee (May 13, 2017)

CSB said:


> I went over all the trails in the park and that one is not listed. It must be outside the park boundaries. Thank you for posting it. The ones that look promising for me in the park are: Acadian, Salmon Pools, Skyline (only because it seems like everyone does it), Mica Hill, Coastal, Broad Cove Mountain, Franey and Middle Head. I will obviously have to whittle it down after consulting a park ranger when we get there. If you have done any of these hikes, let me know what you think.


It is outside the park, on the east side of the Cabot Trail. It was my favorite trail (and we didn't even do the whole thing, we skipped the spur to the cliffs).

Of your list, we only did Skyline and Middle Head. I already told you my feelings on Skyline. This was my review at the time.  Middle Head was very nice. My book said it was a 1 (on a scale of 1-5), so I did it in sandals. I would actually have put it at a 2.5 - hilly and rocky at times, but still relatively easy. The best part was there were puffins at the end of the trail!

Also, thinking about my food comment.  I think the biggest thing was we spent two nights in Bay St Lawrence. There are only two options for food there, one closes at 2pm and the other is only open in the evening. Both have a very limited selection. Fine for one day. Fine to stop in as you drive by. But to try to get a couple days of meals wasn't really doable. And since we were only staying a night or two at each location, we hadn't planned to do a cook-your-own vacation.


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## CSB (Jun 30, 2017)

We're back from our trip and had a fabulous time. I'll write a summary here and hopefully help someone who's looking to make similar trip.

June, 2017 Landed in Moncton and drove the rental car to Magnetic Hill. Enjoyed the illusion and began to see the advantage of travelling in mid-June. No crowds or traffic problems in almost every place we were going to except for Peggy's Cove. Continued to our first airbnb accommodation in Port Greville, Nova Scotia. Picked this location because we were scheduled to do a kayaking tour in Advocate Harbour the next day and Port Greville is nearby. Place we stayed was good - nice scenic view including the water. Dinner at Harbourview Restaurant in Parrsboro - shrimp with mango salsa was really good and scenic location.  I have to say that Parrsboro is a lovely town and we enjoyed touring Ottawa House and meeting Kerwin, wonderful man who took us for a spin in a 1929 Nash that he had restored. That car and a couple of others are on display outside in the main square and that's where we met Kerwin. The next day we were to go on the kayak trip but the winds were too high so it was cancelled. Lunch at The Beach House in Spencer's Island near Advocate Harbour. Small lighthouse next door that's fun because you can go inside and climb up to the top. I recommend the Canadian Pea Soup. Had to make the hard decision about what to do at this point because while NovaShores did not have a problem taking us kayaking the next day, our airbnb reservation was now in a place that was further away and we would have to drive back very early in the morning. We decided that it was worth it. Kayaking tour was great - you start out at low tide and end up coming back when the tide is high about 5 to 6 hours long. Kayaking is in two person kayaks and the tour does a lunch spread on one of the kayaking stops. The airbnb we stayed at in Harmony was out of the way but a real treat. The unit was built onto the host's house. It sits up high offering a full window wonderful view of the area and is very spacious, clean and comfortable. The owner, Emily, runs a hobby farm right on the property so we were treated to freshly baked muffins when we arrived and newly hatched eggs in the fridge. We were there for one night but I wish that it had been longer. 

PEI: We spend 3 days in New London, PEI and stayed in a wonderful VRBO rental on the water that included the use of 2 kayaks which we never used. Too busy and to tell the truth, the mosquitoes were too much for us to brave taking the kayaks out.  There was an eagle's nest right opposite the large window in our cottage and we did see the eagle on a couple of occasions. I would highly recommend going to Greenwich Interpretation Centre. We had such a good time going on the trail which takes you to a boardwalk and then you get a view of dunes which are protected and then down a hill to a lovely beach. It was deserted and we had it all to ourselves. Lunch in St. Peters at Ricks. Chowder, scallop burger and seafood pizza, very good. Near New London, the Cavendish area is very nice for the scenic cliffs and Cows ice cream. The Festival of Small Halls was occurring during our stay and we attended a couple of events and really enjoyed the local entertainment. The fiddle playing of Cynthia MacLeod, William Prince singing and The Kitson Family singing and playing various instruments. We also attended the finals of an Art Competition at a pub in Charlottetown. If you take the ferry across from PEI to Nova Scotia, you might want to stop in Pictou. There is a replica of the ship "Hector" which brought Irish immigrants over and down the road is the best soft serve ice cream with mutiple flavours 63 West River Road.

Cape Breton: We stayed in Ingonish 3 nights and Cheticamp 1 night. Airbnb in Ingonish was very nice. Our host had lots of information about the area in the living room. We went on some of the hikes: Broad Cove Mountain, Franey, Middle Head (lots of viewing areas and located behind Keltic Lodge), Freshwater Lake Look-off in the Ingonish area. All these hikes were very nice. Seagull restaurant has good food and a wonderful seaside enclosed patio. We got up early to watch the sunrise over the water from the wharf and saw the fisherman head out to sea. If you are near Pleasant Bay and want to stop for a meal, try Mid Trail Restaurant which is part of a motel property. You wouldn't notice it but we were directed there and really enjoyed the meal. They have a hill you can walk up and it has a great whale watching spot with nice chairs to relax.  Cheticamp - we stayed at Nestle In and were very happy with the basement unit with kitchen and 3 bedrooms. Dinner at Harbour Restaurant and Bar was really great - Bayside Fettuccine (seafood pasta) and the BBQ Ribs. Patio looking out at the water and gave a great view of the sunset. In the morning we walked over to the dock and watched the seaman unload their catch of snow crabs. We finished the National Park with The Skyline Trail. The view from the end is amazing although the hike itself is somewhat monotonous. "Hold on to your hats" is more than just a saying here. On our way out of Cape Breton, we stopped at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre in Judique. At the centre you can have lunch while being entertained by locals and they offer to teach you some Music, Dance & Gaelic Lessons for a fee. The lunch was very good - Chicken, apple and brei panini,  the coastal summer panini or the tacos. This side dish of potato salad was also good.

Phillips Harbour, Nova Scotia: I booked this tripadvisor place in what I thought was Guysborough but it turned out that it was in Phillip's Harbour which is not exactly close to the town of Guysborough. I thought that it would be a nice place to be on the water in a rural setting. I was right. It is about a 25 minute drive to the grocery store and restaurants in Canso. The rental house is near but not on the water. We had such a good time here. Our hosts couldn't have been any nicer. They had kayaks that you could just take out and a wonderful cove to explore. We watched the sunset from the beach. We were shown how to harvest blue mussels from the rocks on the beach at low tide how to cook them over a fire on the beach along with some hot dogs. The owner named Karen and her husband Jerry treated us so well.  He was a lobster fisherman and he told us many good stories about the area and the fishing industry. Visited the nearby Lighthouse Museum, small but very interesting and informative. Run by volunteers who usually had some family who were lighthouse keepers. If you are planning to be in this area over a Canada Day Weekend, there is a folk festival in Canso called the Stan Rogers Folk Festival. It is named after the great singer and songwriter Stan Rogers who died in a plane crash.

Halifax: Enjoyed walking along the waterfront, seeing the Halifax Citadel taking the ferry across to Darmouth and visiting Pier 21. Stayed in a airbnb in a good location and was very happy with the place. Eat dinner at the Bicyle Thief restaurant on the waterfront. Tip - there are places to park for free on the weekends so it's a good time to visit  - the seaport farmer's market on the waterfront has free parking on the weekends. If you get there before it opens (10 am), you may be able to find a space. We drove to Peggy's Cove and Wolfville for the day. Peggy's Cove was beautiful even if you had to share the space with loads of tourists. Wolfville is a nice area for visiting vineyards and has a very nice views of the area. We stopped for dinner at The Port in Port Williams. It has a patio overlooking the river where you can watch the tide go in or out, and the distant farmer's fields and vineyards. They supply blankets if it gets a little chilly outside.

Hope you enjoyed this summary.


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## CSB (Jun 30, 2017)

LurkerBee said:


> We went last summer. I would recommend staying in Baddeck or the town with the Keltic Lodge (I forgot the name). We went through Chetitcamp on a Sunday and a lot was closed - so I'm .  We actually stayed 2 night at the tip top (Burton's Sunset Lodge). It was a clean place, with a small kitchenette and a very awesome owner. He even pulled out his grill so we could grill up some oysters, mackerel, and snow crab legs.
> 
> Overall, I would highly recommend finding a town. We thought it would be rural, but were surprised at *how* rural and how few services. Mainly food. We had a very hard time finding places to eat and even places to buy groceries.  If you plan to stay a few days, don't go in thinking "oh, we'll just stop for something that looks good on the way" because there isn't much on the way. Maybe others knew this, but even with all my research beforehand, I was surprised.
> 
> I'd also recommend White Point (near Nell's Harbor) over Skyline trail. We found the Skyline trail very overrated. Neat at the end, if you are up for climbing a bazillion stairs, but a hot, boring, flat mile or so to get there. Also we found some good trails near the Keltic Lodge.




I fully intended to do White Point trail based on your recommendation but we were just so tired of hiking by the time we got to Nell's Harbour and we skipped it. I was not planning to do Skyline but everyone kept telling us to do it that my family would not hear of skipping it so we went. I can see what you mean about the flat, boring part but we did really enjoy the stairs and the wonderful view.


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## CSB (Jun 30, 2017)

Overall, I would highly recommend finding a town. We thought it would be rural, but were surprised at *how* rural and how few services. Mainly food. We had a very hard time finding places to eat and even places to buy groceries.  If you plan to stay a few days, don't go in thinking "oh, we'll just stop for something that looks good on the way" because there isn't much on the way. Maybe others knew this, but even with all my research beforehand, I was surprised.

I followed your advice and made sure that we stocked up or found a place to eat when we were in a built up area. Thank you. There are long stretches of highway where you are not going to find any groceries or restaurants.


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## RASTUS (Jul 1, 2017)

Interesting & good info. 
Hopefully Cindy doesn't mind if I steal in on her thread?

Maybe someone on or familiar with NS can assist me with my planning as well?  Did PEI a couple of years ago.
Driving from Boston. Used to long distances but don't want too much time wasted windshield time v/s exploring. 

Interested in scenery, geology, fishing & just really nice places. I'm active & enjoy hiking, but wife is not so much & interested in cross stitch & craft.
Stays 1 or 2 nights envisaged on this NS leg of our 2.5 months away from OZ.  All suggestions appreciated.

Will be arriving Yarmouth NS by ferry from Portland ME 20th September & have booked accommodation in Annapolis Royal that evening.
The rest is open.....
Was planning leaving Digby NS 25th September.  Could extend & just need to be in Pittsfield MA by 30th September for timeshare.


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## CSB (Jul 2, 2017)

RASTUS said:


> Interesting & good info.
> Hopefully Cindy doesn't mind if I steal in on her thread?
> 
> Maybe someone on or familiar with NS can assist me with my planning as well?  Did PEI a couple of years ago.
> ...



With a google search, I see that there is a cross stitch store in Bridgetown which is not to far from Annapolis Royal. http://www.foxberrycottage.com/index.html. You might be able to find some hiking in that area if you research it.


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## MULTIZ321 (Jul 2, 2017)

St Croix Cove Fall Near Bridgetown, NS

Richard


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## richard andrews (Apr 15, 2018)

CSB said:


> Advise please.
> 
> I am allowing 3 days for the Cabot Trail. Is there a good place to stay along the trail that would allow us to hike different good trails (medium to difficult) without doing a lot of driving. At first I thought that we would hike and drive every day but my DH is worried about his back. The Cabot trail is about an eight hour drive through the whole thing as I understand it. What if we just drove to Cheticamp, stayed there a couple of nights and hiked trails near there but didn't drive through the whole Cape Breton Highlands National Park, would we be missing too much?





MULTIZ321 said:


> St Croix Cove Fall Near Bridgetown, NS
> 
> Richard


I recommend getting a RV camper for the Cabot trail.   I have done that but three days is not long enough


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