Cape Mabou Highlands Trails

The Cape Mabou Highlands trail system is a 35-kilometre network of interconnected paths managed by the Cape Mabou Trail Club. Routes such as Beinn Bhiorach, MacKinnons Brook, and Sight Point string together along sheep-cropped ridges and along a wild Gulf shoreline. The terrain is genuinely remote—there is no cell service and several climbs exceed 300 metres—so carry a paper map, water, and rain gear. Trailheads are accessed from the Mabou Post Road and from the end of MacKinnons Brook Lane.

What you'll see

• A 35 km network of named routes — Beinn Bhiorach, Steep Mountain, MacKinnons Brook, Sight Point, and others.
• Sheep-cropped ridge meadows that look more like Scotland than Atlantic Canada.
• Wild Gulf coastline with cliffs, coves, and beaches accessible only on foot.
• The MacKinnons Brook valley, with the foundations of an abandoned settlement.
• Bald eagles, deer, snowshoe hare, and the occasional black bear.

On the trail

• The full system is genuinely remote — no cell service across most of it.
• Several climbs exceed 300 metres; some traverses are exposed to wind.
• Trail club volunteers maintain the network; donations and a paid map ($10 in season) support the work.
• Some loops can be done in three to four hours; full traverses run six to eight.
• Surface varies from old logging road to single-track with rock and roots.

What to bring

• A printed Cape Mabou Trail Club map — essential.
• Real hiking boots and trekking poles.
• Layers, rain gear, and a wind shell — the ridges are exposed.
• Plenty of water and a snack; no sources on the trails.
• Bug spray in early summer.
• A first-aid kit and headlamp; help is far away.

Park & access

• Trailheads at the end of the Mabou Post Road and at the end of MacKinnons Brook Lane.
• Free access; donations to the trail club appreciated.
• No washrooms at the trailheads.
• Trails closed during high-fire-risk periods — check ahead.

Combine it with

• A pint and live music at the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou village.
• West Mabou Beach for a swim after the descent.
• A square dance at the West Mabou Hall on a Saturday in season.