Nova Scotia · best-of list
The 8 Best Outdoor Spots in Nova Scotia
All 8 outdoor spots our route editors picked in Nova Scotia, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
8 outdoor spots in Nova Scotia, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail 4 picks
Franey Trail
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Steep climb to a fire-tower lookout over Clyburn Valley and the Atlantic.
Photo: Glenn Tremblett · Google
Ingonish Beach
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Sand barrier beach with both a warm freshwater lake and the ocean.
Photo: Julien Gourribon · Google
Mary Ann Falls
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Short gravel side road to a waterfall and swimming pool in the eastern highlands.
Photo: Leonid Chukhovsky · Google
Skyline Trail
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Boardwalk hike to a headland above the Gulf of St. Lawrence; moose and whales are common.
Tip: Go for sunset and bring a headlamp for the walk out.
Photo: Tony Webster from San Francisco, California · CC BY-SA 2.0
Halifax 2 picks
Halifax Public Gardens
Halifax · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Victorian formal gardens with ponds, a bandstand and old trees, open spring to fall.
Photo: Hayden Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Point Pleasant Park
Halifax · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Wooded park at the peninsula's tip with trails, fort ruins and harbour mouth views.
Photo: The Singing Badger at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Lunenburg & Mahone Bay 2 picks
Blue Rocks
Lunenburg & Mahone Bay · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Tiny fishing hamlet of fish shacks on grey slate, great for kayaking and photos.
Photo: Lynne LeBlanc · Google
Ovens Natural Park
Lunenburg & Mahone Bay · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Clifftop trail to sea caves that boom with the surf, plus a seasonal campground.
Photo: The Ovens Park · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the outdoor spots in Nova Scotia?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 8 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Nova Scotia has the most outdoor spots on this list?
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail has the most (4 of 8), followed by Halifax (2) and Lunenburg & Mahone Bay (2).
Are any of these free?
6 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Franey Trail, Halifax Public Gardens, Blue Rocks, Ingonish Beach, Point Pleasant Park, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Nova Scotia
Best outdoor spots nearby
Destinations on this list
- Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail 4 on this list
- Halifax 2 on this list
- Lunenburg & Mahone Bay 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.