Halifax 
Credit: T. Fry/Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens
Explore the towns and communities of Annapolis County. The following is a list of some of the outdoor activity highlights, ranging from simple strolls to experiencing the power of the ocean for energy. Make sure you pack sunscreen and snacks!
Learn About Renewable Energy at the Source
The Annapolis Causeway holds incredible power. It’s the site of the Annapolis Tidal Generating Station, which gets renewable energy from the Bay of Fundy. There’s a park close by and a short trail, but if you want to see the station up close you can absolutely do that. You can visit the information centre onsite, or you can take the tour, which includes going underground to experience the whole plant.
Address: 236 Prince Albert Road, Annapolis Royal
Phone: 902-532-0502
Website
Take a Walk on An Ever-Changing Boardwalk
I will forever sing the praises of waterfront boardwalks, and the Annapolis Royal Waterfront boardwalk is a great example of why. They have a splendid little lighthouse (literally little, it’s pretty small), and then you have the boardwalk itself, which has lots of little shops and eateries nearby. What makes this boardwalk unique is that you’ll have a completely different experience depending on the time of your visit. It has the Bay of Fundy tides, after all, and the difference in water height can be up to 30 feet. Maybe plan to go at different times in the same day, and that way you can walk along the boardwalk and enjoy the changing landscape.
Cost: Free
Address: Boardwalk, Annapolis Royal
Website
Bike Along the River
Belleisle Marsh has a cycling trail that loops through the marsh and out to drive alongside the Annapolis River. It’s 8.2km loop, with flat dirt terrain. They recommend having fat tires to deal with the dirt, but it’s an easy cycle overall; you can even just go around the locked gates. You will occasionally see farm machinery, but more likely it’ll be just you, other cyclists, birds, and archaeologists learning about Acadians.
Cost: Free
Address: Belleisle Marsh Road, Belleisle
Phone: 902-665-5010
Website
Have Natural Play Time at Jubilee Park
People have always found ways to interact with nature, but some of them have been harmful. Those attitudes are starting to change, and Bridgetown decided to put that into action for kids at the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Park. They’ve built a natural playground, crafted from the wild around it (like log teeter-totters and a slide down a hill) so that no damage is done, and everyone can still enjoy. It’s a great place to take little ones and teach them about living in harmony with nature, especially how fun that can be!
Cost: Free
Address: 232 Granville Street Bridgetown
Phone: 902-665-5010
Website
Walk Through Graves with Candles
Graveyards are haunting places (pun absolutely intended). For full effect, Annapolis Royal has Candlelight Graveyard Tours. Everyone gets their very own candle as you’re guided through the “Oldest English Graveyard in Canada”. You’ll learn about history and mystery as you wander through the rows of gravestones on this world-famous and worldwide-recommended tour. Think of it as a moving campfire, complete with artifacts of the past.
Cost: 10$ for adults, 5$ youths, 3$ for children (12 and under)
Address: 323 St. George Street, Annapolis Royal
Phone: 902-532-3035
Website
Cycle the Wild
Most of the entries in this article are meant for people of varying levels of skill, because most groups will have a range of experiences and inclination when it comes to physical activity. The Wilderness Loop bike trail, on the other hand, is very much intended for people with plenty of experience with long and challenging bike trips. The loop is 45km, and most of the terrain is hilly, though paved. It takes you through woody areas and past a few lakes (some of which are mentioned later in this list), and it starts in Annapolis Royal on Drury Lane. If you’ve been longing to stretch your legs and really go on a bike adventure, this is definitely the place to do it!
Cost: Free
Address: Various places to join up with it
Website
Explore the Wild with Family
In sharp contrast to the Wilderness Loop, the Delaps Cove Wilderness Trail is appropriate for all. It’s two nature trails together, one that’s a 2.2 km loop and one that’s a 1.9 km loop. They’re connected by the Shore Road Trail, which is 2.7 km one way, but you can just do one of the loops if that’s what you feel like. The forests are canopy-like, and you can breathe in salty sea air as you walk along the coast parts of the loops. There are guides available at the trailhead to help you identify local flora and fauna, so you can make a game out of it, and your group will totally forget that they’re learning if you make it a competition.
Cost: Free
Address: 2077 Shore Road West, Delaps Cove
Website
Paddle Through Meadows
I am uncertain as to why this canoe route is called Flanders Meadows, but I suppose there are flowers along the way, so it counts. This route goes through five lakes and a long stillwater, so you’ve got plenty of time for canoeing. If you do the full route you’re bound to end up camping overnight along the way, but you can also just pick one of the lakes to canoe around, and maybe pick some flowers to make a bouquet for someone special.
Cost: Free
Map
Website
Find Unlimited “Canards”
Look, it’s called the French Basin Trail, I’m going to make a joke that has the French word for ducks!This trail goes around a wetland that is designated by Ducks Unlimited, making it a protected ecosystem that’s home to many species of ducks. You’ll find more than just ducks though; this 1.2 km trail also has geese, muskrats, and other wetland flora and fauna. It’s also partially wheelchair accessible, which is a great way to make sure everyone can get outside and enjoy.
Cost: Free
Address: Prince Albert Road, Annapolis Royal
Website
Hunt for Treasure at Lighthouses
Geocaching, to put it broadly, is higher-tech treasure hunting. With a GPS and good eyes, you can go hunting for stashes of little objects left by other hunters, and you take one and leave something of your own behind. Annapolis County has created a Geocaching Passport Program, which involves looking for treasure at each of the six Annapolis County Lighthouses. It’s a great way to get everyone out, see some awesome lighthouses, and go on an adventure for hidden loot!
Cost: Cost of geocaching supplies
Address: Various
Phone: 902-665-3022
Website
Play in Memory
Grant Potter Memorial Park is another great place to take kids to have natural play experiences. Named for a man who worked incredibly hard to improve Annapolis Royal for all who stayed there, the park honours his legacy by creating a special place for kids. It’s got a mix of natural play space and traditional playground equipment, and also has an adventure hill, so it’ll be appealing to kids of all ages. It’s right on the Annapolis River too, so you get a full natural experience for both the kiddos and you.
Cost: Free
Address: 167 St. George Street, Annapolis Royal
Phone: 902-955-1205
Website
Bike Under the Moon (Maybe Even at Harvest Time)
The Harvest Moon Trailway isn’t related to the video game, as far as I know. Stretching through Annapolis Royal all the way into the Annapolis Valley a county over, there’s 110 km of wonderful things to see. There are several places along the way to stop and explore, eat, and stay overnight, or you can camp along the way. Whether you’re trying out a piece of this trail or going the full distance, I think harvest time or moonlight would be a great time to enjoy the beauty around you, both natural and man-made.
Cost: Free
Google Map
Website
See the Loonie Lighthouse
Travel to the Hampton Beach Lighthouse to see a working piece of history. The lighthouse was purchased for the princely sum of one loonie in 2001 by the Hampton Lighthouse Society (it’s symbolic, but so are most things). Since then, the society has kept the lighthouse burning, making repairs and painting it inside and out as needed. This lighthouse was built more recently than some others in the area, lighting up in 1911, and it feels right that this younger light is still glowing.
Cost: Free
Address: Hampton (near Bridgetown)
Website
Take a Walk Through Green Thumb History
If you like to garden, love to garden, love walking in gardens, or just enjoy beautiful things, you’re going to love the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. Over four hundred years of green thumb expertise have gone into creating this beautiful place (which opened in 1981), and it shows in every inch, from the hundreds of roses in the Rose Collection to the Innovative Garden, which shows off methods and plants for urban gardeners. It’s seventeen acres of loveliness, and there’s something here for everyone, especially at the Elm Tree Café.
Cost: 10$ for adults, free in the summer for under 18 if accompanied by an adult
Address: Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens, 441 St. George Street, Annapolis Royal
Phone: 1-902-532-7018
Website
Be Wild by Night and Day
Credit: Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Kejimkujik has been an outdoor destination for generations. This National Park encompasses camping sites, dozens of trails, rivers perfect for paddling and canoeing, and thousands of years of Mi’kmaq history. They also have Kejimkujik National Park Seaside, which is a protected area on the coast where even more adventure awaits. And if you want to stay up late you can see by the stars above this Dark Sky Preserve, where there are thousands of visible twinkling lights watching over you.
Cost: 5.90 for adults’ daily pass, 5.00 for seniors daily, free for youths, 12$ for a family. Seasonal passes are 30.05 (adults), 25.04 (seniors), 60.20 (family), and free for youth.
Address: 3005 Kejimkujik National Park
Phone: 1-877-737-3783 (for camping)
Website
Canoe in the Soft and Wild
Lamb and Crotchet Lakes. These words both remind me of soft, pretty things, but nature’s very good at doing soft and challenging at the same time. There’s a stream between these lakes that you have to portage just a bit, and both lakes offer wonderful sandy beaches. You can also see the remnants of the log drive past, especially at Crotchet Lake, where rocks were dynamited out of the way. It’s a one day trip all together, and you’ll find a great trip with a soft name and a wild heart.
Cost: Free
Map
Website
Enjoy Watery Wilderness
Wilderness areas are part of what makes Annapolis County so beautiful, and McGill Lake Wilderness Area is no exception. Containing forests of pine, spruce, and maple-oak-birch trees, wetlands, lakes (both McGill and Big Molly Upsim), there’s plenty to explore. You can canoe down the waterways between the lakes or just stick to one and enjoy being in one of nature’s safe places—just remember that it’s meant to be safe for nature, and you must exercise normal caution.
Cost: Free
Address: Old Liverpool Road, close to Albany Cross
Website
Explore a Wild Pocket
When you think of pockets, you think convenient storage, something you can carry with you. You’ll certainly be able to carry the memories of Mickey Hill Pocket Wilderness, which is a smaller provincial park packed with things to do. There’s a 1 km loop trail, a swimming area, and other wilder trails that include a suspension bridge (which someone else can have fun on). You can come for a picnic, explore the park, and finish the day with a nice swim, or you can do that in a different order. In this pocket, there’s room for all.
Cost: Free
Address: 7956 Highway 8 Graywood
Website
Take a Walk Through Time
Annapolis Royal’s chock full of history; established in 1605, it was one of the first permanent residences in Canada for the colonists. You could never learn it all in one trip, but if you want a great start you should join one of the National Historic District Tours. Alan Melanson is recognized worldwide as a heritage interpreter, and he’ll lead through the historic district as he tells you stories about the place, the people, and the projects in Annapolis Royal’s 400-year history.
Cost: 10$ for adults, 5$ youths, 3$ for children (12 and under)
Address: Meet at the Annapolis Royal Lighthouse
Phone: 902-532-3035
Website
Walk to Nictaux Falls
Sometimes you want a quick and easy trek into nature so you can spend more time enjoying the natural beauty of your destination. Nictaux Falls is perfect for that. It’s 0.2 km of moderate terrain up to the falls, so you’ll be able to get there pretty quick and have lots of time for a picnic. People mention that there’s plenty of wildlife to see, so if you get bored of watching the beautiful falls then you have something else to look for.
Cost: Free
Address: 8950 Highway 10
Website
Canoeing Through Paradise
Paradise Lake is quite close to the Nictaux Falls, so you could enjoy them both in the same day. Paradise is relative of course, but paddling in a beautiful lake with plenty of islands to explore, beautiful waterfowl and hawks, and plenty of places to have a picnic and do some swimming sounds like canoe paradise to me. Note: the lake’s water levels will change with power generation (it’s part of Nova Scotia Power’s Nictaux Development), so be sure to pay attention to depth before you set out on your journey.
Cost: Free
Address: Thorne Road, south of Bridgetown
Website
Visit A Birdy Beach Haven
Let’s be real—if you’re coming to Nova Scotia, you’re going to spend at least one day at the beach. Raven Haven, the Beachside Family Park, is a great place to start. This beach is wheelchair accessible and supervised, and you’re able to rent both canoes and pedal boats, so there’s plenty of things to do for everyone. Come for a picnic, enjoy a sunny day, and make sure you’ve got something to bribe little ones away when the time comes to leave the Haven.
Cost: 2020 is day-use only, so the only costs are hourly rentals for canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats (8$/hour or 50$ for a day)
Address: 2239 Virginia Road, West Springhill, Sandy Bottom Lake
Phone: 902-532-7320
Website
Explore the Wild Amongst the Settled
Scrag Lake Wilderness Area protects forest and woodlands in LaHave, which stretches between Annapolis and Lunenburg counties. Since this area was heavily settled, this is a necessary oasis of peace and natural calm. You are still allowed to enter, of course, but it’s important to have low impact on the natural surroundings. This is a beautiful place to explore and enjoy, and it’s everyone’s responsibility to keep it that way for the generations to come.
Cost: Free
Address: Subdivision D, Annapolis
Website
Start Your Canoeing Journey
If you’re interested in taking a long canoeing trip, Shannon River Canoe Access Park is a great place to start. This park is connected to several rivers and lakes in the area, so you can launch your boat and away you go! Whether you’re planning to explore every watery place you can, or you just can’t decide where to go first, Shannon River is the place to begin your adventure. Who knows, you might be inspired by the beauty and spend the day paddling close by, coming in for picnic lunches when you get hungry.
Cost: Free
Address: 4081, Highway 10, Albany Cross
Website
Look Out Fit for King’s
No, that is not a typo. Valleyview Park has everything you could want and expect from a Nova Scotian park—campsites (serviced and unserviced), hiking trails, a picnic area, and plenty of flora and fauna to appreciate. It’s the view that’s special, which I’m sure is why they called it that. There’s a lookoff in this quiet park that looks down into a valley—the Annapolis Valley, in fact. And that valley is part of the next county we’re going to explore: King’s County. See, I told you it wasn’t a typo!
Cost: Free
Address: 960 Hampton Mountain Road, Bridgetown
Phone: 902-665-2559
Website
Author: Adrienne Colborne
