Outdoors & Nature
Fortress of Louisbourg
The largest historical reconstruction in North America.
The Cabot Trail (Scenic Drive)
The most famous drive in Canada — a 298-km loop around the northern Highlands.
Skyline Trail
Iconic boardwalk-ended headland trail with sweeping Gulf of St. Lawrence views, frequent moose sightings, and the most-photographed sunset in Atlantic Canada — reserve in peak season.
Bay St. Lawrence Harbour
Working fishing village at the top of Cape Breton, departure point for whale tours.
Money Point Lighthouse
Northern-tip lighthouse named for Spanish coins reportedly washed ashore from old wrecks.
White Point Lookout
End-of-the-road lookoff over the Atlantic, north past Smelt Brook and South Harbour.
Sugarloaf Mountain Trail
Short steep climb up a distinctive cone-shaped mountain over Aspy Bay.
Cabot's Landing Provincial Park
Long stretch of golden sand on Aspy Bay, by tradition the spot where John Cabot first landed in 1497.
Salmon River Beach
Quiet pebble cove on the road to Meat Cove where the Salmon River meets the Gulf.
Meat Cove Beach
Wild black-and-cobble beach at the very top of Cape Breton, framed by 300-metre cliffs.
Bell Bay Golf Club RV Village
On-course RV sites at one of Canada's top public golf clubs.
Peck's Cottages & Riverdale RV Park
Two-bedroom housekeeping cottages with a co-located RV park, a five-minute drive from the Fortress of Louisbourg historic site.
Waves End RV & Campground
Oceanfront RV and tent campground beside the Cabot Trail in Chéticamp.
Meat Cove Campground
Cliffside oceanfront campground at the very tip of Cape Breton.
Inverness Beach Village
Cottage and RV resort along Inverness's sandy beach.
MacLeod's Beach Campsite
150-site beachfront resort campground in Dunvegan.
Mountain Vista Seaside Campground
Small oceanfront campground on the Bras d'Or Scenic Drive.
North Sydney / Cabot Trail KOA
Lakeshore KOA terraced above the Bras d'Or.
Adventures East Campground & Cottages
Family-run campground and cottages just outside Baddeck.
Baddeck Cabot Trail Campground
Full-service campground at the gateway to the Cabot Trail.
Bras d'Or Lakes Campground
The only lakefront campground in Baddeck.
Hideaway Campground & Oyster Market
Halfway around the Cabot Trail with on-site oyster market.
Arm of Gold Campground & RV Park
Closest campground to the Newfoundland ferry in North Sydney.
Ben Eoin Beach RV Resort & Campground
Lakefront RV resort on East Bay of the Bras d'Or.
Mkwesaqtuk / Cap-Rouge Campground
Walk-in cliff-side Parks Canada campground above the Gulf.
Broad Cove Campground
The largest national park campground, near Ingonish.
Ingonish Beach Campground
Parks Canada campground a short walk from Ingonish Beach.
Big Intervale Campground
Tiny riverside campground at the foot of North Mountain.
Corney Brook Campground
Small first-come oceanfront campground on the Cabot Trail.
Chéticamp Campground (Cape Breton Highlands National Park)
Parks Canada front-country campground at the Cabot Trail's western gateway.
Wagmatcook Culture & Heritage Centre
Mi'kmaw cultural centre on the Bras d'Or Lake with exhibits, restaurant, and live performances.
Eskasoni Cultural Journeys (Goat Island)
Mi'kmaw-guided walking tour on Goat Island showcasing traditional life, food, and storytelling.
Membertou Heritage Park
Mi'kmaw cultural centre in Membertou with exhibits, art, and traditional craft demonstrations.
Whitney Pier Historical Museum
Community museum celebrating the multicultural steel-town heritage of Whitney Pier.
Highland Village Museum / Baile nan Gàidheal
Open-air Gaelic heritage museum in Iona telling the story of Cape Breton's Scottish settlers.
Cossit House Museum
Sydney's oldest house, a 1787 Loyalist clergyman's home, now a Nova Scotia provincial museum.
Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site
Museum in Baddeck dedicated to the inventor's decades of work at his Bras d'Or Lake estate.
Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site
Largest historical reconstruction in North America, a partial rebuild of an 18th-century French fortress.
North River Falls
Tallest waterfall in Nova Scotia, reached by an 18-km return wilderness hike.
Beulach Ban Falls
Tall ribbon waterfall in the Aspy Fault valley reached by a quiet gravel road.
Bay St. Lawrence Drive
Side trip off the Cabot Trail to the northernmost villages of Cape Breton.
Ceilidh Trail
Coastal Route 19 from Port Hastings to Margaree, the heart of Cape Breton Gaelic music country.
Cabot Trail
298-kilometre loop ranked among the world's great coastal drives.
French Mountain Lookoff
Highest point on the Cabot Trail with a boardwalk loop across the bog plateau.
MacKenzie Mountain Lookoff
Switchback summit lookoff with northern views over Pleasant Bay and the Gulf.
Cape Smokey Lookoff
Roadside lookoff at the top of Smokey Mountain with views down the Atlantic coast.
Scatarie Island Light at Main-à-Dieu
Wave-battered fishing village viewpoint with a relocated heritage light.
Low Point Lighthouse
Tall coastal lighthouse at the entrance to Sydney Harbour near New Victoria.
Enragée Point Lighthouse
Octagonal lighthouse on Cheticamp Island guarding the entrance to Cheticamp harbour.
Margaree Harbour Lighthouse
Compact lighthouse at the mouth of the Margaree River where it meets the Gulf.
Neil's Harbour Lighthouse
Picturesque red-and-white lighthouse and ice-cream stand above a working fishing village.
Englishtown Ferry & Park
Two-minute cable ferry crossing St. Anns Harbour, a Cabot Trail shortcut and photo stop.
MacCormack Provincial Park
Quiet riverside campground on the Northeast Margaree salmon river.
Ben Eoin Provincial Park
Beach and day-use park on the East Bay arm of the Bras d'Or Lake.
Plaster Provincial Park (day-use)
Day-use park overlooking Plaster Cove on Bras d'Or Lake.
Two Rivers Wildlife Park
Family wildlife park near Marion Bridge with native Nova Scotia species and walking trails.
Battery Provincial Park
Coastal provincial campground beside the St. Peter's Canal.
Mira River Provincial Park
Large provincial park on the Mira River near Sydney.
Whycocomagh Provincial Park
Provincial campground on Skye Mountain above Bras d'Or Lake.
Big Pond Beach
Calm Bras d'Or Lake beach in the village famous for Rita MacNeil.
Want a starting point?
Locally-ranked outdoors lists
25 Best Places to Visit in Cape Breton (2026)
A locally-curated, ranked guide to the island's essential stops — beaches, lookoffs, fortresses, lighthouses, fishing villages, and the drives that connect them
The best beaches on Cape Breton Island
Sandy stretches, warm-water swimming, and the wild Highlands coast
The best hikes on Cape Breton Island
From the Skyline Trail to quiet local lookoffs — ranked by what they deliver
The 15 best Cabot Trail stops, in driving order
A clockwise loop with the must-stop lookoffs, beaches, hikes, and meals — plus where to skip and where to spend extra time
Cape Breton in fall — the 12 best stops for autumn colour
Where to be in early-to-late October when the Highlands turn red and gold — plus when to go and what else is on
Cape Breton lighthouses worth visiting
Working harbour beacons and dramatic Highlands cliff posts