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Cape
Chignecto Provincial Park
Day Hiking above the Bay of Fundy
©
Outdoor Adventure Canada
 Cape
Chignecto Provincial Park, located in Advocate Harbour, Nova Scotia,
rises above the Bay of Fundy and has 29 km (18 miles) of coastline.
It is an area full of Mi'kmaq legend. One of the legends speaks
of the Mi'kmaq God, Glooscap, who was moose hunting when his prey
was chased off by three dogs. In retaliation Glooscap turned the
three dogs into what is known as the Three Sisters and he made
the moose immortal by turning him into "Isle Haute".
It is the Three Sisters that first piqued my interest in the day
hikes on Cape Chignecto's coastline.
The trails range in
difficulty from easy to very challenging and all of the trails
can be done in one day except for the Cape Chignecto Coastal Trail
which has a three to four day completion time. The shortest trail
leads to the beach at Red Rocks and is considered an easy trail
taking only a half hour to complete. The next in difficulty is
the Christie Viewpoint Trail which visits an old farmstead, now
abandoned, and provides spectacular views from the Escarpment.
The trail takes under an hour to complete.
The Fundy Ridge Trail
and McGahey Brook Canyon Trail are more challenging and both take
about 4 hours to complete. The Fundy Ridge Trail is 5 km (3 miles)
long and has beautiful views. Be sure to check the tidal schedule.
You will reach elevations of approximately 150 m (164 yards).
The McGahey Brook Canyon Trail hooks up with the Fundy Ridge Trail
to form a 9 km (5.6 mile) loop.
 The
Mill Brook Canyon Trail can be done as a full day trip or as an
overnight trip. It is a steep trail with amazing views from the
top of the canyon. This is not a loop trail and the total distance
for the trip is 15 km (9 miles) including the return journey.
The Refugee Cove Trail is also very challenging and like the Mill
Brook Trail can be done with an overnight stay. It is a 12 km
(7.5 mile) journey with a campsite at Refugee Cove. The beach
is not an appropriate return route because of the tides. There
are large hills on this trail reaching over 200 m (218 yards)
and at times you will descend to almost the elevation as the ocean.
The Eatonville Trail
should only be attempted by experienced hikers as it is steep
and long, about 20 km (12 miles) including the return trip. You
will see the Three Sisters from this trail and visit Eatonville
which was a busy community in the 1890's but is now only the remains
of cellars and mills. If you plan your trip right you can even
access the Three Sisters during low tide. More information about
the Three Sisters and the tides can be obtained from the Visitor
Center.
Cape Chignecto is a
relatively new wilderness park that was opened in the summer of
1998. It is the biggest provincial park in the province, 4200
hectares (10378 acres), and is home to all types of wildlife including
wildcats, peregrine falcons, black bear, moose and seals. Cape
Chignecto Provincial Park is open every year in May and there
is a small fee for using the park.
Cape Chignecto Provincial
Park is heaven for day hikers and backpackers alike. It delights
us with incredible views from the top edge of the Chignecto Fault
and the area is full of culture, legend and history. On your next
trip to Nova Scotia be sure to include a day hike at Cape Chignecto
in your itinerary.
Special thanks
to http://www.capechignecto.net
for providing the photos. Please visit their website for more
information on this incredible place.
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