Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, here we come

With weather reports indicating two days of sunshine and blue skies in northern Nova Scotia, we decided to leave New Brunswick and the Bay of Fundy area, where we had been camping, and head directly for the Canso Causeway, taking us onto Cape Breton Island.

We made the crossing, and after stopping at the Welcome Centre, planned to head toward Cheticamp and the Cape Breton Highlands National Park campground, also called the Cheticamp campground.

This proved to be the first time that our in-car navigation led us astray. I had programmed it for Cheticamp at the Nova Scotia Welcome Centre just across the causeway, not realizing there were a few different routes. Leaving the centre and taking the roundabout we were directed to a highway that headed to Cheticamp, but through the interior and not on the Ceilidh Trail, as we had planned.

Yikes! We ended up on Hwy 105 to We’koqma’q on the St. Joseph’s Channel of the Bras d’Or Lake. At a gas station we were advised to take the 395 north past Lake Ainslie and onto Highway 19, which would get us onto the Cabot Trail. Lesson learned.

It fooled us yet again on this leg, taking us on the Old Cheticamp Road, which was twisty, turny and bumpy. Lesson learned again, I hope! Check all suggested routes before programming the first one listed.

We had been to Cape Breton a few times before as newlyweds, and again with our young family. We were always struck by the scenic views along the Cabot Trail and were looking forward to viewing these again. I must say that the opportunities seemed to have increased in the intervening years. There are now eight camping areas in the park. Some can be reserved, while others are first come first served. A variety of hikes are offered throughout the park — 26 in all!

On our first day in the Cheticamp area we decided to do the Skyline Walk. The trailhead is located on the Cabot Trail at the top of French Mountain. This was described as an ‘easy’ walk of 6.5 kilometres, taking approximately two to three hours. An extra, more rugged, loop makes it 8.2 kilometres in length.

Most of the hike is on boardwalks to protect the surrounding plants, and it’s claimed that moose can sometimes be seen. There is a platform that gives views out over the treed area that is slightly off the main trail. A fenced enclosure, which hikers access through gates, is on the trail. This enclosure keeps moose out and allows the smaller spruce trees to regrow after they were decimated by disease some time ago.

It is the end of the main trail that has the most spectacular views of the rugged coastline of Cape Breton and the waters off shore. Here, a series of boardwalks leading to platforms with benches allows visitors these views. We, along with many others, sat and took in the sights on a perfect day for visibility and a comfortable cooling wind off the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The walk back, slightly uphill, seemed a bit more strenuous than ‘easy’ and I was concerned about some more elderly folk doing the hike.

This is a very popular hike and there are two parking lots. The first, lower one, is for RVs and cars with trailers. But past this first lot, cars can go around a bend up to a much larger parking lot which is closer to the path’s starting point.

Another, much shorter walk that I encountered by accident on our drive was the Lone Sheiling. Located along the Cabot Trail at the base of North Mountain, it is a very easy 15-minute walk through a ‘magical’ forest. The trail and markers along the way describe the Scottish heritage of the settlers to this area, and there is a replica of a Scottish crofter’s dwelling near the beginning of the trail.

The forest walk that crosses a babbling brook takes you through a magnificent area of the Grande Anse Valley. It is one of the largest old-growth hardwood forests in the entire Maritimes and features 350-year-old sugar maple trees.

This short path is the only one that goes through the forest, as the rest of the area is protected. It was quite awe-inspiring to walk under the canopy of this forest with luscious fern growth below. We could have sat in this area all afternoon if it had been possible, but we had to move on.