Outdoors & Nature in Cabot Trail
The Cabot Trail (Scenic Drive)
The most famous drive in Canada — a 298-km loop around the northern Highlands.
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.
Meat Cove Campground
Cliffside oceanfront campground at the very tip of Cape Breton.
Hideaway Campground & Oyster Market
Halfway around the Cabot Trail with on-site oyster market.
Broad Cove Campground
The largest national park campground, near Ingonish.
Ingonish Beach Campground
Parks Canada campground a short walk from Ingonish Beach.
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.
Cabot Trail
298-kilometre loop ranked among the world's great coastal drives.
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.
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.
Black Brook Beach
Sheltered cove with a small waterfall spilling onto pink granite sand.
Broad Cove Mountain Trail
Short steep climb to a panoramic ridge over Ingonish and the Atlantic.
Lone Shieling Trail
Tiny loop through 350-year-old maples to a replica Scottish crofter's hut.
Jigging Cove Lake Trail
Quiet flat loop around a small forest lake near Neil's Harbour.
Meat Cove Mountain Trail
Steep, rewarding climb behind the village to a Cape Breton summit panorama.
Polletts Cove Trail
Demanding 16-km wilderness hike to a roadless meadow-and-beach valley north of the national park.
Cape Smokey Provincial Park Trail
Cliff-edge trail along a 366-metre headland with a gondola, suspension bridge, and viewing tower.
Aspy Trail
Gentle forest hike to a lookout over the broad Aspy Fault valley.
Coastal Trail
Rugged shoreline ramble between Black Brook and Halfway Brook with wave-carved cliffs and cobble beaches.
Franey Trail
Steep climb to a granite summit with the best view of the Clyburn Valley and Atlantic coast.
Mary Ann Falls
Tiered waterfall and natural swimming hole reached by a short gravel road off the Cabot Trail.
Ingonish Beach
Unique double beach—Atlantic surf on one side, warm freshwater pond on the other.
Middle Head Trail
Easy peninsula walk past the Keltic Lodge to a tern-nesting headland between two bays.
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
