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.
Acadian Trail
Steep climb above Cheticamp to a panoramic overlook of the Acadian coast.
Aspy Trail
Gentle forest hike to a lookout over the broad Aspy Fault valley.
Baddeck Nordic Club
Broad Cove Mountain Trail
Short steep climb to a panoramic ridge over Ingonish and the Atlantic.
Cape Mabou Highlands
Cape Mabou Highlands Trails
Network of community-maintained ridge and shoreline trails high above the Northumberland Strait.
Cape Smokey Provincial Park Trail
Cliff-edge trail along a 366-metre headland with a gondola, suspension bridge, and viewing tower.
Capelin Cove
Ceilidh Coastal Trail (part of Celtic Shores Coastal Trail)
Chestico Trail (part of Celtic Shores Coastal Trail)
Coastal Trail
Rugged shoreline ramble between Black Brook and Halfway Brook with wave-carved cliffs and cobble beaches.
Fishing Cove Trail
Long descent to a remote backcountry beach and the only wilderness campground in the national park.
Franey Trail
Steep climb to a granite summit with the best view of the Clyburn Valley and Atlantic coast.
Green Cove Trail – Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Inverness Shean Trail (part of Celtic Shores Coastal Trail)
Jigging Cove Lake Trail
Quiet flat loop around a small forest lake near Neil's Harbour.
Lone Shieling Trail
Tiny loop through 350-year-old maples to a replica Scottish crofter's hut.
Lowland Cove Loop – Meat Cove
Mabou Rivers Trail (part of Celtic Shores Coastal Trail)
MacIntosh Brook Trail
Flat streamside walk through tall hardwoods to a small waterfall.
Meat Cove Mountain Trail
Steep, rewarding climb behind the village to a Cape Breton summit panorama.
Middle Head Trail
Easy peninsula walk past the Keltic Lodge to a tern-nesting headland between two bays.
Polletts Cove Trail
Demanding 16-km wilderness hike to a roadless meadow-and-beach valley north of the national park.
Salt Mountain Trail
Skye River Trail
Sugarloaf Mountain Trail
Short steep climb up a distinctive cone-shaped mountain over Aspy Bay.
Tenerife Mountain
Uisge Ban Falls Trail
Easy forest walk to a 15-metre waterfall tucked in a steep mossy gorge.
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