Outdoors & Nature
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.
Sugarloaf Mountain Trail
Short steep climb up a distinctive cone-shaped mountain over Aspy Bay.
MacIntosh Brook Trail
Flat streamside walk through tall hardwoods to a small waterfall.
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.
Uisge Ban Falls Trail
Easy forest walk to a 15-metre waterfall tucked in a steep mossy gorge.
Cape Smokey Provincial Park Trail
Cliff-edge trail along a 366-metre headland with a gondola, suspension bridge, and viewing tower.
Cape Mabou Highlands Trails
Network of community-maintained ridge and shoreline trails high above the Northumberland Strait.
Aspy Trail
Gentle forest hike to a lookout over the broad Aspy Fault valley.
Fishing Cove Trail
Long descent to a remote backcountry beach and the only wilderness campground in the national park.
Coastal Trail
Rugged shoreline ramble between Black Brook and Halfway Brook with wave-carved cliffs and cobble beaches.
Acadian Trail
Steep climb above Cheticamp to a panoramic overlook of the Acadian coast.
Franey Trail
Steep climb to a granite summit with the best view of the Clyburn Valley and Atlantic coast.
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