Cape Breton Island 
Cape Breton County is the most populated part of Cape Breton Island, with the capital city of Sydney in the middle (almost). This is a county rich in diverse history, and the names and locations of outdoor places reflect this history. Here is a list of 25 places to enjoy summer outdoors in and around Sydney. Several of the places on this list are close to towns and cities, making them great options for day trips or a quick outing with the little ones.
Walk the Acadian Woods
If you’re looking for a day on the trails, you’ll love the Baille Ard Trails. There are four 3km trails in the Baille Ard park, among 70 acres of Acadian woods. You’ll find dozens of flower and tree species, two lovely brooks, and plenty of places to stop and enjoy the nature around you. The site also has some activity suggestions for family hikes, and the park isn’t done developing new trails, so keep an eye out for news!
Cost: Free
Address: Cottage Road or Terrace Street behind Sherwood Park Education Centre, Sydney
Website
Hike the Park Hills
Ben Eoin is a park perfect for exploring in any season. Just off an old farm, the park has several hills to climb and fields to explore. One of the hills has a hiking path that takes you all the way to the top, which give you a beautiful look off to East Bay. While it’s not a long walk, it is quite steep, so make sure you wear your good sneakers!
Cost: Free
Address: 5549 NS-4
Phone: 602-662-3030
Map
Remember the Miners
The history of New Waterford is inextricably tied to mining. You’ll find some beauty from this history in Colliery Lands Park, which is on the site of the No. 12 and No. 16 pits. The park shows you a great amount of history of the area in memory of the miners killed on the site over the many years of operation. The best way to explore is along the Bill Davis Trail, which is accessible to all, including wheelchair users and strollers. Learn about mining history, explore the memorial, and enjoy a day outside in memory of the men who worked below.
Cost: Free
Address: Colliery Lands Park, New Waterford
Map
Website
Celebrate Carmen Young
If you’re looking to enjoy an outdoor day in North Sydney, heading to the Carmen Young Track is a great place to start. The track itself is about 402 metres, which is a good length if you want to do laps, or just have a shorter walk near the woods. When you’re done with the track, there’s also a skate park nearby and an open field; it’s also close to the Carmen Young soccer field. Carmen Young was a young girl who promoted organ donation awareness until her death at age 15 in 1992, and her memory is alive and well in these outdoor spaces.
Cost: Free
Address: King Street, North Sydney
Website
Go For High-Effort, High Reward Hikes
If you’re looking for a bit more challenge in your hikes, you should visit Coxheath Hills. There are six separate trails within the trail system, and they range from moderate to difficult, so you can choose how adventurous you want to be. You’re likely to see bald eagles and other birds, there’s a waterfall (which trail it’s on is a surprise), and there are spectacular views from all trails. Grab some trail mix and water, and get ready to test your hiking skills.
Address: 1580 Coxheath Road, Sydney
Phone: 902-539-7254
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Website
Make the Beach Your Dominion
There is a small town called Dominion in Cape Breton County, and it’s right next to one of Cape Breton’s most famous beaches. The Dominion Beach Provincial Park has a 1.5 km sandy beach that provides supervised swimming in the summer and beach walks all year round. There’s also a boardwalk that stretches through the grass, so if you want a seaside walk you don’t have to walk on the sand if that’s difficult for whatever reason. Come to the park and stay for the beautiful town of Dominion.
Cost: Free
Address: 48 LoMitchell Avenue, Dominion
Map
Website
Follow the Trail of Trees
Just outside of East Bay on Highway 4, you’ll find Easy Bay Hills Trail. This 3-kilometre trail is on community property and has gently sloping terrain through the hills and mixed forest. There’s also a remnant beech hill, the only place on the property with beech trees, so if you’re doing a leaf collection project you should definitely check this place out! If you can’t remember what kind of tree is what, don’t fret—there are signs that will identify all the trees, as well as tell you about the history of the area and the forests themselves.
Cost: Free
Address: Highway 4 (close to #4073), East Bay
Website
Explore a Community Trail
Frenchvale volunteers have created something beautiful and practical in their area—the Frenchvale Brook Trail. It’s community owned and volunteer maintained, so it really captures the spirit of the community. Some of the trail goes by a brook (which explains the name), and since it’s fairly short it’s accessible to all. It’s especially good for bringing kids, because it’s a non-motorized trail, so you don’t need to be concerned about ATVs.
Cost: Free
Address: Frenchvale Road, Frenchvale
Map
Learn About First Nation Culture Firsthand
Credit: Eskasoni Cultural Journeys
Eskasoni is a First Nation Reserve on an island just off the coast. This island is also known as Goat Island, and the Goat Island Trail system is a splendid way to learn about the history and culture of the Mi’kmaq people. The tour will teach you traditional skills and techniques, and you can take part in a traditional dance. This is a great way to learn about Mi’kmaq culture in a respectful way beside the Bras D’Or Lakes.
Cost: 40$ for adults, 20$ for children under 10.
Address: 25 Goat Island Trail, Eskasoni (First Nation Reserve)
Website
Visit a Dam Park
John Bernard Croak was a Victoria Cross recipient in World War II. Glace Bay honours their hero in the John Bernard Croak Park. Right off of Beacon Street, the park is home to a lake that’s perfect for fishing in the warmer months and skating once it’s frozen over. There’s also a walking track beside the lake that 1.3 km long. You can also see the dam while you visit; this was once the town reservoir, but now it’s just a place to relax and enjoy being outdoors.
Cost: Free
Address: 53 Beacon Street, Glace Bay
Map
Golf At the Lakes
Credit: The Lakes at Ben Eoin Golf Club & Resort
The Lakes Golf Course is a visually stunning golf experience. The Lakes encompasses a world class golf course fit for all golfers, including a fantastic driving range. The course is beautiful, with trees framing the greens and beautiful views of the water. With the diversity of the terrain, every hole looks different, but there’s still a unity of vision that gives you a sense of accomplishment as you complete the holes and then head to Founders restaurant for a splendid meal.
Cost
Address: 5153 East Bay Highway, Ben Eoin
Phone: 902-828-2277
Website
See the Louisbourg Lighthouse
Credit: Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site
Louisbourg is a place steeped in history, mainly associated with the fort. However, it’s also home to Canada’s oldest lighthouse, built in 1734. When you visit the lighthouse, you should head down the Lighthouse Trail along the coastline. It’s a 2km loop with interpretive panels all about the surrounding area. If you want to keep walking, there’s another 3km trail just beyond that leads to Lorraine Hill, but it’s a challenging hike recommended only for experienced hikers.
Cost: Free
Address: Havenside Road, Louisbourg
Map
Website
Walk the Louisbourg Boardwalk
While you’re in Louisbourg, you should head down to the waterfront. The Louisbourg Boardwalk runs along a busy part of the harbour, so you can walk and watch all kinds of fishing boats come in and out. There are shops along the way, and if you’re in town you should check out the annual Crabfest on the boardwalk. It’s a beautiful place to watch the sunrise, learn from panels, and breathe in sea air.
Cost: Free
Address: 30 Harbourfront Crescent, Louisbourg
Map
Follow Your Gut Instinct to this Beach
The Mira River has inspired many with its beauty, including Allister MacGillivray who wrote Song for the Mira. If you want to go swimming in the river, Mira Gut Beach is a great place to go. There is supervised swimming during the summer, and there’s a boardwalk close by. It’s a lovely beach with a sandbar that goes for kilometres at low tide, so get ready to get sandy; don’t worry, you can just jump in the river to wash off!
Cost: Free
Address: 45 Mira Bay Drive, Mira
Website
Visit the River Park
If you want to explore Mira on land and water, come to Mira River Park. The park has several trails, 150 camping sites in total, a place to launch boats and canoes, and unsupervised beach access. The trails are different lengths and difficulties, so you’re sure to find one that works for your whole group. Come to a park surrounded by a river, and experience the unique beauty of the Mira.
Address: 439 Brickyard Road, Albert Bridge
Phone: 902-563-3373
Map
Website
Skate Somewhere New
The New Waterford Skateboard Facility is actually new, so I guess it’s the new New Waterford Skateboard Facility? Finished in 2019, this skatepark is already very popular. It’s over 200 acres of space, which makes it one of the biggest in the province, and they have dirt trails and paths to walk along if you’re not all skaters. Come check it out if you’ve brought your board; there’s enough here to spend a whole day skateboarding under the sun.
Cost: Free
Address: 590 8th Street, New Waterford
Website
Follow History’s Trail
Credit: Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site
So you can’t take your horse down here, but I guarantee Old Town Road is going to get stuck in your head anyways. Stretching along the Louisbourg Harbour, the trail goes through Old Town, which was inhabited until the Fort’s Historical Site was created in the 1960s. There’s 300 years of history to explore in Old Town and 2.5 km of trail to do it on, so get started early so you can history-nerd out to your heart’s content.
Address: Highway 22, near the Parks Canada Visitor Centre
Phone: 902-733-3552
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Website
Peruse a Perfect Park
As I’ve said before, alliteration is awesome, so Petersfield Provincial Park is worth checking out just for that. But there’s much more to it, including historical remnants from four different periods of history, dating back to the late 18th century (which is the 1700s if you’re like me and get them mixed up a lot). There’s also a trail network that’s about 7 km long if you walk all of them, so you can get as much of a walk in as you like. Come have a picnic at Petersfield Provincial Park!
Cost: Free
Address: 1N2 1126 Westmount Road, Sydney
Map
Website
Visit a Cold Beach
I’m sure several of you have heard of Polar Bear Dips. They happen in very early spring or in the middle of winter where people go into the ocean, duck, and then immediately exit because they’ve proved themselves and hypothermia would spoil the mood. If you want to do it thematically, why not go to Polar Bear Beach? This beach has cold water all year round, so you might want to just come for rock hunting, but if you’re feeling brave…might as well get your feet wet, right?
Cost: Free
Address: 2532 NS-28, South Bar
Website
Follow the Path to the Parks
Glace Bay is a beautiful part of Cape Breton County, and if you want to get a good sense of its natural beauty without going too deep into the woods, Renwick Brook Walking Path is the place for you. It starts on Commercial Street and follows Renwick Brook’s shoreline. This takes you past Cameron Bowl Ball Park and continues through Queen Elizabeth Park, crossing several bridges on the way. The path is part of the larger Renwick Brook Park, so if you walk the path you’ll end up visiting three parks in one day, so there’ll be plenty to see and do!
Cost: Free
Address: Commercial Street, Glace Bay
Map
Find Beauty Made From Rocks
Once upon a time, Scotchtown Summit Recreation Park wasn’t a park at all. In fact, it was a waste rock disposal. The park’s left that past behind though, and you’ll find a beautiful pond and several looped walking trails. If you ride ATVs, this is a great park to check out because the trails connect to other ATV trails in the county. And if you’re content riding a bike or just walking, you’ll be sure to enjoy this beautiful park.
Cost: Free
Address: May Street, Scotchtown
Website
Simon Says Point!
Simon’s Point Trail is another beautiful trail in Louisbourg, actually just past the trailhead for the Old Town Trail (see above). This trail is more challenging than the others described in this article—while only 800 m out, the terrain is quite rough. The view is worth it though—not just of the sea, but of Fort Louisbourg itself. If you’re looking for a short, challenging walk, head to Simon’s Point.
Cost: Free
Address: 84 Kennington Cove Road, Fortress of Louisbourg
Map
Website
Find A Fiddle on the Boardwalk
This boardwalk is 1.2 km long and manages to still have several landmarks. It stretches from the Fire Station Playground all the way to the Cruise Ship Terminal, and there are usually buskers and entertainment there during the summer. You’ll see boats, memorials, the St. Patrick’s Church Museum, and the World’s Largest Fiddle (it’s much, much bigger than you think). There are lots of local shops along the way too, so get ready for an afternoon stroll in Sydney.
Cost: Free
Address: Sydney Waterfront
Camp By the Wild Animals
Credit: Two Rivers Wildlife Park
Wildlife parks are awesome, and camping is awesome. Combine them, and you have the Two Rivers Wildlife Park. As you walk the 1 km Wildlife Trail, you’ll see over 40 different species, from owls to reindeer to even emus! They also have a rehabilitation cage for animals that have been recently rescued. They’ve also got a petting zoo, more trails, a fishing pond, and a bounce pillow, which is like a bouncy castle but without walls and it’s just set into the ground, and I want to try it immediately. At the end of the day, return to your camp site, light a fire and share some s’mores!
Cost
Address: 4581 Grad Mira North Road, Huntington
Phone: 902-727-2483
Website
Find Community at Whitney Pier
Whitney Pier has a fascinating history as a community, linked to waves of immigration and the Steel Plant days. To celebrate that heritage, the Whitney Pier Community Heritage Trail was built. You’ll find information about the history of Whitney pier long the way thanks to several interpretive panels. It’s 1.7 km long and is mainly flat, and there are several places to step on and off the trail, so you can walk as much as you want.
Cost: Free
Address: 88 Mount Pleasant Street (one of the trailheads)
Phone: 902-564-9819
Map
Website
By: Adrienne Colborne
Your website contains the following glaring error: “…The Mira River has inspired many with its beauty, including John McDermott, who wrote Song for the Mira.” It was ritten by Cape Bretoner Allister MacGillivray. I suggest you correct that error. —BMG