Antigonish County is perhaps best known for being home to St. Francis Xavier University (St. FX), but there’s so much more to do here. You can find whatever part of the outdoors you love best and have a tremendous time exploring it. From 4 million-year-old-rocks to a modern day amusement park, you’ll become part of the story of the county, and it will become part of your story too.
Visit a Lighthouse with a Centre and Café
Sometimes places have names which tell you that you must go there, or your life will have less meaning. Arisaig Lighthouse, Lobster Interpretive Centre & Café is one of those places. You can wander around a lighthouse, explore the Interpretive Centre to learn about lobster, and visit the café for fish cakes, fish chowder, and ice cream! It’s three integral parks of the Nova Scotian experience: lighthouses, lobster, and great seafood!
Cost: Depends on what you do there!
Address: Arisaig Point Road, Arisaig
Phone: 902-863-1101, 902-863-9432
Website
Land on the Trail
The Antigonish Landing Trail winds its way down an estuary of Antigonish Harbour. It’s a 4.8 km path, so it’s great for an afternoon adventure. Since the landing is also a Wildlife Management Area, you’ll see plenty of birds enjoying the protection of the area. The trail even has two elevated platforms, so you can get a great view of birds like ducks and eagles on your way.
Cost: Free
Address: 20 East Main Street, Antigonish
Website
Explore the Lookoffs Three
If you want to spend some time looking out over the ocean and absorbing the sheer wonder of it all, you should head to Highway 337 in the Arisaig area. There you’ll find not one, not two, but all three Antigonish North Shore look offs. There’s Arisaig Hill, Cape George , and Ballantyne’s Cove, each with their own perspective and interpretive panels. With a picnic area between the three, these lookoffs are the perfect place for photography, painting, and having a beautiful meal beside the sea.
Cost: Free
Address: Highway 337, Arisaig
Phone: 902-863-1101
Website
See the Rocks of History
Speaking of Arisaig, if you’re already in the area you should check out Arisaig Provincial Park. It’s got huge geological significance thanks to exposed Silurian rock, which is around 4 million years old. You can also explore the 1.6 km loop trail, which goes through white spruce and up to some viewing points. You can also go down to the beach, or you can explore some of the geocaching opportunities in the park. Just remember, if you find a fossil, let the park staff know—you may have just discovered a vital piece of history.
Cost: Free
Address: 5704 Highway 245 Arisaig
Website
Visit the Resting Place of a Bard
The history of Nova Scotian music wouldn’t be complete without Bard John MacLean. He was a Gaelic bard who came to Nova Scotia in 1829 from Scotland, and composed several songs about life in Nova Scotia. He died in 1848, and he was the first person buried in the cemetery named after him—the Bard John MacLean Cemetery. Come pay your respects to him and others buried here, including Reverend Alexander MacLean Sinclair, a great Gaelic scholar. The cemetery’s been inactive for some time, making it a restful place both for the dead and the living who visit them.
Cost: Free
Address: Highway 4, Glen Bard
Website
Take a Little Trip to a Lovely Little Beach
Bayfield Nova Scotia is a small town, and they have a small beach. But Bayfield Beach packs a big punch when it comes to summer fun. They have supervised swimming through July and August, and there are change houses and a picnic area next to this sand-and-pebble beach. The waves aren’t huge, so it’s good if you’ve got little ones, and you’ll have a great chance to meet locals and tourists alike at this popular beach.
Cost: Free
Address: 151 Bayfield Beach Road
Website
Be an Eager Beaver to Explore
Beaver Mountain Provincial Park is on a mountain that does look a bit like a beaver. You won’t be spending too much time looking at the mountain itself though—there’s too much else to do! They’ve got 6 km worth of trails, from easy paved walking paths to unpaved hills to make things more challenging. You can have a picnic, learn about the park’s natural history, and, of course, get some great views. But you won’t just see the rest of Antigonish County—you’ll also get a great look at Cape Breton Island.
Cost: Free
Address: 472 Beaver Mountain Road
Website
See the Rocks of Clans
In a place called Nova Scotia, it makes perfect sense to honour the Scottish pioneers that came so many years ago. And on Main Street in Antigonish, Cairn Park serves that purpose for several clans. Dedicated in 2013, there are cairns (rocks dedicated to commemorate an event, a people, etc.) for several clans, including Clan MacInnes, Clan Chisholm, and Clan Donald. Each cairn provides some information about the clan, so you can learn about their history in Scotland and in New Scotland.
Cost: Free
Address: Main Street, Antigonish
Website
See Two Islands
Cape George Point has a beautiful lighthouse and is the trailhead for three different trails. But its most special attribute has to do with what you can see on a clear day. Like the lookoffs, you can see Cape Breton on a clear day, but at Cape George Point you can also see Prince Edward Island. That’s two islands from one lighthouse, which makes its placement very important indeed. So if it’s sunny, head for the lighthouse and see what you can see on PEI and Cape Breton!
Cost: Free
Address: 152 Lighthouse Road, Cape George Point
Phone: 902-863-1101
Website
Visit the Deslauriers’ Land
You’ll find Chez Deslauriers just outside of the village of Pomquet. It’s a beautiful property with a rich history. While the property was built and owned by Acadians, the interpretive centre also focuses on Mi’kmaq history in the area as well. You can also visit the tearoom before setting out on the 6km walking trail that is both coastal and inland. If you can, visit on Friday during the summer, as they hold weekly Acadian lunches during July and August!
Cost: Free
Address: Pomquet
Contact: crennie@stfx.ca
Website
Enjoy a Centrally Located Park
Columbus Field is the site of several outdoor events in Antigonish, but even when there’s nothing on, there’s still plenty to do! You’ll find trails to walk in the woods, a paved track, a playground that has water features (perfect for a hot day), and even tennis fields if you brought your racket. It’s right on Main Street, close to Cairn Park actually, so if you’re just getting into the town it’s a perfect place to go right after you’ve dropped off your bags. Whether you’re there to see something cool or just to blow off steam, this is a place to walk out your car jitters.
Cost: Free
Address: 121 Main Street, Antigonish
Website
Keep an Eye out for the “Echoes” Statues
I Spy takes on a whole new meaning when you’re looking for the Echoes of Our Past Wooden Sculptures in Antigonish County. Carved from dying elms, these statues are scattered throughout Antigonish, Lochaber, St. Andrews and Meadow Green. Interestingly, there’s no real list of the locations, and no hints about even how many there are. There have to be at least four, so keep your eyes sharp! And if you can’t find them, find a local and ask them; you’ll make new friends and be able to help other tourists in the future!
Cost: Cost of gas
Address: A surprise! Can be found in Antigonish, Lochaber, St. Andrews and Meadow Green
Website
Go into the Wilderness
The name of this wilderness area is quite the mouthful: Eigg Mountain-James River Wilderness Area. But that makes sense, because it’s quite a big place, with over 7,600 acres of protected land. With ravines, flood plains, forests and wetlands, its plant diversity is matched by its wildlife diversity, which includes endangered mainland moose, Atlantic Salmon, and goshawks. You can explore by bicycle or by foot, and you’re also able to camp in the wilderness if you like backcountry camping.
Address: Northwest of Antigonish
Website
Walk the Loopy-Loops
If you love hiking loops, then Fairmont Ridge Hiking Trail is the perfect place for you! You’ll find it 9 km north of Antigonish with a great view of Antigonish Harbour. I’m not sure if you’ll have time to look at the view much though—there’s a lot of ground to cover. There are 6 stacked loops in total which take roughly 4 hours to complete, but of course you can decide how many loops you want to do. You’ll find old forests, a beaver pond, brooks, and tons of wildlife. Just don’t get too dizzy!
Cost: Free
Address: Highway 337, near Fairmont Road, Fairmont
Website
Pick Your Own Best Berries
Antigonish has several options for U-picks, but if you want strawberries then you should go to Havreacres Strawberry Farm. They’re open seven days a week during the summer, so whenever you arrive you’ll be able to get some delicious local berries, and you get to pick the best ones (which is subjective when it comes to strawberries, as I’ve learned over the years). If you love the farm, come back in the winter and early spring, because Havreacres also has a Maple Farm.
Cost: Contact for details
Address: 325 St. Joseph’s Road, Antgonish
Phone: 902-863-3929
Website
Camp By the Ocean
If you want the full outdoor vacation experience, it makes sense to include camping. Hyclass Ocean Campground is a great option for camping as a family, whether you’re using it as your main place or just for a few nights before you go somewhere else. They’ve got access to a beach complete with a volleyball net and horseshoes, you can rent kayaks and canoes, and you’re only a short drive from other outdoor fun options, including fishing, golfing, and more!
Cost
Address: 11373 Highway 4, Havre Boucher
Phone: 902-232-3117 or 1-866-892-3117
Website
Explore a Trail-Covered Mountain
This is a fascinating mountain with a huge amount of trails. It was once a ski mountain, and that’s reflected in the way they categorize the trails (green circle for easy, blue square for medium, black diamond and double black diamond for difficult/very difficult). There are geocache locations all over the mountain, so make sure to bring your equipment and some souvenirs to exchange. There are also trails for biking, a lake, a wheelchair accessible trail, and a disc golf course.You don’t have to climb every mountain, but this is a great one to start with!
Cost
Address: 193 Keppoch Road, Beaver Meadow
Website
Park, Picnic, and Paddle
If you’ve got kayaks or canoes of your own, and you’re not sure where to launch them from, allow me to introduce you to Livingstone’s Cove Wharf Park. It’s a pretty little park on the Northumberland Shore off Highway 337, and it has a launch area, a sandy beach, and picnic tables. This makes it a great place for a base, especially if you can only take a few people out at a time. Some of your group can enjoy the shore while the others enjoy the sea, and everyone wins!
Cost: Free
Address: 190 Livingstone’s Cove Wharf Road, Livingstone Park
Phone: 902-863-4640
Website
Row The Loch
Row, row, row your boat, gently down the lake….or really fast in a race! Lochaber Lake, named for Loch Aber in Scotland, is home to several rowing regattas in the summer, and is also going to become the headquarters for the local rowing clubs. A lot of the shore is undeveloped and wooded, so you’ll be drawn out into the water. There are lessons available if you want to learn how to row, or you could simply fish or drift, enjoying a day on the water.
Cost: Free
Address: Nova Scotia Trunk Highway Seven, North of Goshen Lochaber Road
Website
Rock Out at the Beach
Not all beaches are for swimming; some of them are for finding cool rocks. Mahoney’s Beach is a great example, because the beach is almost totally rocks, with some sand mixed in (but then again sand is mostly just extremely tiny rocks). There’s a trail along the beach that’s 1.4km one way that gives you very pretty views of St. George’s Bay, as well as the chance to see some pretty birds. Pro tip: if you like rocks, bring a sturdy bucket, because the last thing you want when you’re picking rocks is to have your favourites fall out of your pockets.
Cost: Free
Address: Mahoney’s Beach Road, Mahoney’s Beach
Website
Swim at the Cove
Despite the threatening name, Malignant Cove has an absolutely beautiful beach. The water conditions can vary from smooth surfaces to choppy waves you can ride. There are wild roses and pine around, which compliment the sea air smell perfectly. It’s an unsupervised beach, so be careful, but if you’ve got a group of strong swimmers you should head for Malignant Cove and enjoy a splendid afternoon at the beach.
Cost: Free
Address: Highway 337, Malignant Cove
Website
Check out Some Sand Dunes
Pomquet is an Acadian village with a rich history, including Chez Deslauriers (see above). This history extends to the Pomquet Provincial Park Beach in a natural way. You’ll find the best example of dune succession (the process by which dunes are slowly formed) in the entire province. The dunes are quite large, so you can get a better idea of how long it took for the sand and plants to build up. It’s a 3km beach that’s sandy with some cool rocks, and it’s an accessible beach with a beach wheelchair available, so it’s perfect for everyone to make new memories.
Cost: Free
Address: Pomquet Island
Website
Cars and Camping
The Riverside International Speedway is a race track just outside of Antigonish. Stock cars participate in various events and races throughout the city, and everyone’s welcome to come and watch the show. They also have the IWK 250, which is raced to raise money for the IWK Health Centre. If you don’t feel like driving back to Antigonish, you can always camp out around the Speedway in either an RV or a tent.
Cost: See site for details, things changing this season
Address: 101 Beaver Mountain Road, Antigonish
Phone: 902-863-2410
Website
Have Fun at your Leisure
There aren’t too many family entertainment parks in Nova Scotia, which is what makes the Snow Queen Leisure World so special. You can ride the rides, go Go-Karting, mini-golf it up, and practice in the batting cage. You even have your choice of Bumper rides—Bumper Cars and Bumper Boats! They’ve also got food from hot chicken sandwiches to burgers, to mac and cheese. There’s something for everyone, so grab your kiddos and head out for an afternoon of fun!
Cost: Check their Facebook page, as prices can vary
Address: 4220 Trans Canada Highway 104
Phone: 902-863-1450
Website
Enjoy Sunrise Trail at Any Time
The Sunrise Trail is a drive that goes along the whole northeastern coast of Nova Scotia, with about 80 km within Antigonish County. Even if you’re driving instead of hiking, there are plenty of stops along the way that show off the natural beauty of the area, like farmland, the Northumberland Strait, and tidal saltmarshes. Drive for a day trip, or do a multi-day hike—no matter your decision, you’ll enjoy the trail at any time of day.
Cost: Free
Website
By: Adrienne Colborne