Musquodoboit

Musquodoboit Trailway

(Admiral Lake Loop)

Trail Summary

· Very well marked and maintained trail

· Easy to navigate thanks to markers and signage.

· Can Make your hike as easy/hard, long/short as you like.

· Various trail loop options

· Spectacular views from designated lookout points.

The Musquodoboit Trailway is one of the best trail systems in Nova Scotia. The trail itself is an abandoned railway with various loops and sub-trails branching off of it. You can decide if you’re up for a simple walk with the dog or a day long adventure. If you decide to do the main loop (and you should) you will want to set aside the majority of the day (or 4-5 hours minimum) and make sure you are in condition enough for some strenuous hilly, hiking. The payoff is worth the effort. Some of the best vista’s I’ve seen in the province come from the various designated look-offs which are well marked on the trail map.

The trails may be hiked year round, but after fresh snowfall, some of the backwoods trails would require snowshoes. Cross country skiing and biking would be reserved for the main trail, as the backwoods would be very difficult due to the elevations and narrowness of the trails. All the trails are very well maintained and marked every 20ft or so with yellow trail markers, and getting lost would be fairly difficult as a result. The Musquodoboit River and various lakes are seen throughout the trail system, and at some lookouts you can see as far as the coast. Wildlife is plentiful along the backwoods trails and if you look around you can find tracks of all sorts.

You’ll need to bring some food and water if you plan on taking one of the longer trails, and (forest fire conditions permitting) a fire on one of the many large rocks, can be a nice break.

All in all this is a must do hike, bring a tripod and you’ll come back with some great photos. I can’t help but think about how fun it would have been to bring in some skates to skate on one of the various serene, untouched, beautifully silent lakes.

View from “rolling stone” lookoff