Halifax 
Lunenburg County is a special county for so many reasons I could write three articles talking about them all. The human settlements in Lunenburg show the history and creativity of the region, but their true riches lie in the natural spaces they’ve created. Whether it’s six trails that connect in various points, blue rocks in the water, mountain biking or going to an art park, Lunenburg County’s got it, and just looking at the places will be enough to put your soul at ease.
**Sailing Bluenose II, and some other activities are not included due to COVID-19. Check 25 Things to do in Lunenburg for more fun ideas.**
Have a Trail Adventure
A lot of the trails in Lunenburg connect to each other, but each offers its own aesthetic experience. The Adventure Trail is a great example of this. It’s a 14 km trail between Mahone Bay and Bridgewater, passing through woods and town and passing four lakes on the way. It connects to the Centennial Trail and the Dynamite Trail at either end, so you can go for longer than 14 km if you like, sharing the mainly flat trail with cyclists, hikers, ATVs and sometimes even horses!
Cost: Free
Address: Dayspring, Nova Scotia
Phone: 902-541-1352
Website
Walk Along the Ridge
Named for Councillor Arthur Young, who served 42 years for the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, the Arthur Young Trail has been a great outdoor escape since 2012. The trail starts on a ridge high above the LaHave River and then winds down through switchbacks, with benches for resting. This trail connects to the Centennial Trail at the end, so there’s another chance to extend a walk, since the trail is 1 km long. The trail is about 10 feet wide and off-highway vehicle users are encouraged to try out the trail. Share the trail, take lots of pictures, and have fun!
Cost: Free
Address: 523 Trunk 10, Pine Grove
Website
Walk From Bay to Bay
Lunenburg County is home to quite a few bays, so having a trail between two of the best known ones makes sense. The Bay to Bay Trail connects Lunenburg and Mahone Bay over ten kilometres through the woods. It hooks up with both the Adventure Trail and the Dynamite Trail, so you could plan a day that includes all three. Make sure to bring a swimsuit, so you can wash the dust and sweat of the hike (or bike or ATV) off in the ocean.
Cost: Free
Address: Longhill Road, Mahone Bay
Phone: 902-541-1352
Website
Find Treasure at the Beach
Right outside of Mahone Bay you’ll find a quiet sand-and-stone beach. Westhavers Beach usually has calm surf, and it’s a good place to relax (there are no services here though, so make sure you bring everything you might need). One suggestion is to come hunting for treasure here amongst the rocks (seaglass and driftwood are the most likely, but who knows what else you could discover?) If you want your first taste of the ocean but it’s been a long day, take a quick drive out to Westhavers, get your toes wet, and take a quick peek in the rocks.
Cost: Free
Address: Maders Cove Road, just outside Mahone Bay
Phone: 902-527-7009
Website
Run the Rail Trail
If you’re looking for a longer trail to hike, run, walk, or bike, Bull Run Trail is happy to help. A rails-to-trail, the terrain is mainly flat for all 23 kilometres. Since it was once a railway, it makes sense that it passes through several communities, giving you a chance to stop and look around. There are picnic tables and benches along the route, there’s one of the few covered trail bridges in Nova Scotia, and there’s lots of places to get on and off the trail, so you can decide how far you want to go. If 23 km simply isn’t enough, however (or the 46 km return trip), fret not: Bull Run also connects to the Centennial Trail.
Cost: Free
Address: Crossing Road, Pleasantville
Phone: 902-541-1352
Website
Paint the Blue Rocks
There’s a tiny little town just outside of Lunenburg with lots of blue slate rocks around—that’s why it’s called Blue Rocks. It’s a working fishing village, so you can watch the fishermen come in and out as you please. It’s also a beautiful place to paint or photograph, especially the fish shack on an outcropping in the water. That’s the most photographed building in the county though, so why not explore Blue Rocks and find your favourite building?
Cost: Free
Address: Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia
Phone: 902-527-7009
Walk the Trail of the Century
Celebrating a century of anything is worth doing, and Centennial Trail was born from one such effort. The trail is 8 km and multi-use, like the trails it connects with. The trail mainly follows the LaHave River, but also goes through the forests, parks, and the town of Bridgewater itself, making it convenient if you’re not sure how far you want to go. And of course, with Bull Run Trail to the west and Adventure Trail to the East, it’s easy to go even farther.
Cost: Free
Address: Bridgewater (multiple access points)
Phone: 902-541-1343
Website
Have a Dynamite Experience
The final entry of the connected trails, the Dynamite Trail takes you from the Town of Mahone Bay to Martins River. It’s 10 km long and passes farms, forests, and freshwater lake (and saltwater, but that breaks the alliteration!) It’s a beautiful multi-use trail with some fascinating views, so make sure you check this one out, whether on its own or in conjunction with another trail.
Cost: Free
Address: 210 Aberdeen Road, Bridgewater
Phone: 902-541-1352
Website
Surf by the Gray Beach
Credit: Lunenburg Region
Cherry Hill Beach is a unique beach in Lunenburg County for several reasons. For one, the sand here is gray, matching the rocks that also line the beach. It’s also quite a long curve, so you can ramble on sand and rock for quite a distance. Finally, it’s one of the few in the county explicitly recommended for surfing. As a Nova Scotian, I can tell you that when beaches are recommended for surfing you’ll get great waves, but the water tends to be on the colder side, so if that bothers you make sure you bring a wetsuit!
Cost: Free
Address: Off Highway 331 in Cherry Hill (turn left at the firehall)
Phone: 902-541-1343
Website
Choose Your Own Hike
Some days are great beach days, and some aren’t great for swimming but can still be good for beach days. At Hirtle’s Beach, you’ll find Gaff Point Trail, which is perfect for days when the water (or the air) is a bit too cold for swimming. Hirtle’s Beach is 3km long, but you only have to hike 1.5 km to reach the trailhead. The main loop of the trail can be done either clockwise or counter-clockwise, you just choose whether you want to walk along the coast or through the forest first. You’ll find beautiful views and gorgeous flora on the way, including Ladyslippers, endangered Nova Scotian wildflowers (do not pick them it’s illegal). Stay on the trail, because there are lots of cliffs around that are impossible to navigate without rock climbing equipment.
Cost: Free
Address: Hirtle’s Beach, Kingsburg
Phone: 902-541-1343
Website
Swim in the Warm Bay
Swimming in the ocean in Nova Scotia is fun, but it can be challenging, not least because the water tends to be chilly. There are some beaches where you can depend on warmer water, one of which is Green Bay Beach. The cove is shallow around the beach, so the water tends to be warmer than the surrounding area. It’s naturally divided into sections by boulders, so you can choose your favourite one. In the summer there’s a canteen close by, so you don’t have to haul your beach snacks to your towels!
Cost: Free
Address: Green Bay Road, Green Bay
Phone: 902-541-1343
Website
Walk the Middle Way
The LaHave River Trail is not a connecting trail yet, but it’s trying its best. Currently 3.5 km, the trail will connect Centennial Trail (see above) and the South Shore Annapolis Valley Trail in New Germany. The developed portion goes by Wentzell Lake and the LaHave River (hence the name). It’s a lovely area and you’ve got a great chance of seeing loons on the lake. Keep your eye on this one—you might find it’s made more progress by the time you visit.
Cost: Free
Address: Trunk 10, Bridgewater
Phone: 902-541-1352
Website
Sunrise, Sunset
Watching the sunset on the east coast of Nova Scotia is just as spectacular as the west coast of the province, and the LaHave Sunset Park was created to celebrate that. It’s on the west side of the LaHave River, and it’s a simple and beautiful park. You’re encouraged to bring a picnic and watch the sunset, either by yourself or with a group. If you want to be a rebel though, why not go at sunrise and watch the sun come up over the river?
Cost: Free
Address: 893 Highway 331, Conquerall Bank
Website
This Complex Hits The MARC
The Municipal Activity and Recreation Complex is…quite a mouthful, which is why it tends to go by its acronym MARC. MARC has 6km of trails (some of which include mountain bike trails!), a fire pit, ponds, and lots of open fields. If you’ve got sunscreen, energy, and imagination, you don’t even need equipment to have a fun day here. And if you really like it, you should come back in the winter, because they’ve got three different hills for tobogganing!Cost: Free except the baseball fields
Address: Leary Fraser Road, Dayspring
Phone: 902-541-1343
Website
Go to Musamush
Credit: Lunenburg Region
Mushamush Beach Park is another lakeside park in Lunenburg, but it’s a bit different than Molega Lake. You can paddle a canoe or kayak in the water, and the lake is shallow you’ll have a warm and safe swim. There are picnic tables here as well as a playground, and there are short walks throughout the park. There are no pets allowed here, which is different than any other municipal park in Lunenburg County, so keep that in mind if you’ve got fuzzy friends (or if you’re like me and are nervous around dogs, then this becomes a welcome positive).
Cost: Free
Address: 15 Aulenback Point Road, Blockhouse
Phone: 902-541-1343
Website
Find Peace at the Point Park
Going into nature is often caused by longing for peace, and you’ll find it at Miller Point Peace Park. The park has 5km of walking trails, all accessible to walkers, strollers, and wheelchairs, so everyone can access natural beauty. Hundreds of wildflowers bloom here through the spring and summer, and in the fall you can watch the leaves change into a blaze of colour around you. Walk by the river, find some of the stone foundations scattered around from days gone by, and breathe in peacefulness.
Cost: Free
Address: 13905 Nova Scotia Trunk 3
Phone: 902-541-1343
Website
Golf With the Birds
Credit: Osprey Ridge Golf Course
When you look for a golf course to play in Lunenburg, the name Osprey Ridge Golf Course will keep popping up, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a golf course built for all levels of experience designed by Graham Cooke, an internationally recognized golf course architect. Osprey Ridge has been around in one form or another since 1927, and the care they put into the course is obvious. You can even get a bird’s eye view before you even set foot on the course, with an in-depth tour of each hole available in their course gallery online, with helpful tips and even a video for each one.
Cost
Address: 492 Harold Whynot Road, Lunenburg County (Author’s note: this is the greatest road name in the history of road names)
Website
Swim the Two-County Lake
If you want to spend a day at the lake, you’ve got plenty of choices in Lunenburg County. One interesting choice is Molega Lake Park in Chelsea. Described as a “sweet spot”, this lake has picnic tables and benches if you just want to hang out or have a picnic, and you can swim during the summer. It technically straddles the boundary between Queens County and Lunenburg County, so you can say you swam across two Nova Scotian counties for bragging rights!
Cost: Free
Address: 564 Molega Lake Road, Chelsea
Website
Visit the Deep Caves
The Ovens is a park that allows you to imagine standing there centuries ago with very little changing. Its timeless rugged beauty comes from the caves at the base of the cliffs, where salt water spills in and out creating haunting noises. There’s a trail on the cliffs so you can look down on the caves, or you can take a kayaking tour out to the caves. If you can’t get enough of the park, camp overnight either in a tent or in one of their cabins.
Cost
Address: 326 Ovens Road, Riverport
Phone: 902-766-4621
Website
Pick Your Play at Pine Grove
Credit: Pine Grove Outdoor Play Park
I find the name Pine Grove Outdoor Park interesting—can you have indoor parks? But I’ll forgive it, because it has my favourite kind of building: a gazebo! There’s lots of other things to do, of course: they’ve got a trail for walking and a trail for mountain biking, a playground, a place to do inline skating and play ball hockey, and a splash pad. There’s also a fireplace for BBQ (bring your own food), and even a little free library so if you’ve already read the books you brought with you check something new out! If you’ve got a group that likes a wide variety of things to do, or if you’re having a low-energy day, you’ll find fun and relaxation at Pine Grove.
Cost: Free
Address: 72 Charlie Lane, Pine Grove
Website
Hang Out At the Wharf
If you’re looking to hang out by the water but not at the beach, you should check out Sawpit Wharf. The Wharf is really a whole park includes the wharves, a boat launch, and picnic area. There are public tie-ups available if you’ve brought a boat for a longer stay, or you can simply launch your own or a rented water vehicle and head into Lunenburg’s Back Harbour. Or you can just watch the boats come in and out on the harbour, make up stories about the people on them, and do pretend races—or is that something only I do? I highly recommend it.
Cost: Free to visit
Address: 28 Back Harbour Road, Garden Lots
Website
Visit a Nature Park
Credit: Municipality of the District of Lunenburg – MODL
Here in Nova Scotia, or New Scotland, there is a place called New Germany. And in New Germany you’ll find River Ridge Common. This recreation site is 115 acres with mountain bike trails, a playground, and even an interactive art park. What makes this park so special is that everything is made from wood, stone, and plants—it’s nature and humans combined in a harmonious way to create a special place for all. There are plenty of lookoffs and rest stops to see other natural features of the area, including a working woodland that’s growing back into a forest.
Cost: Free
Address: Nova Scotia Trunk 10, New Germany
Phone: 902-543-8383
Website
Find a Sheltered Beach
Time for this-is-not-a-typo: it is Splinders Beach and not Splinters Beach (which is good because who would want to go to a beach with a bunch of splinters?) This beach is also known as Feltzen South Beach as it’s in that region, and it’s a reasonably sheltered beach. It’s great for kids because the surf is usually calm and the water is fairly shallow. There are no services here, so you’re more likely to find some peace and quiet than some of the more popular beaches. When you look across the Lunenburg Harbour, you’ll even get a glimpse of Blue Rocks (see above).
Cost: Free
Address: Feltzen South Road, Feltzen South
Phone: 902-527-7009
Website
Go to the Park by the Sea
The United Communities Marine Park was created with a lot of local pride, and is a credit to all their hard work. Right by the sea, there’s a place to launch canoes or kayaks built to be accessible to people with motor difficulties. You can also just hang out at the picnic tables or in the dock chairs if boating’s not your thing. It’s an incredibly beautiful space by the water, perfect for one of those days where it’s too beautiful out to be inside, but too cold for swimming.
Cost: Free
Address: 8809 Highway 331 Voglers Cove
Website
Relax by the Lake
The final entry on our list is another beautiful lake park. Wiles Lake is certainly not the biggest lake in the county, but it’s got plenty of room for swimmers and paddlers to co-exist in harmony. When you get hungry, search out one of the picnic tables, which are either shady or sunny depending on the time of day. If you want a lake day on a low-energy day, this is the place to go.
Cost: Free
Address: 3270 Highway 325
Website
By: Adrienne Colborne
