- Difficulty: Easy.
- Facilities: Parking, picnic shelter, benches, garbage cans & dog waste bags.r
- Signage: Minimal (adequate).
- Categories: Bird Watching, Bridge, Dog Friendly, Family Friendly, Lake, Paddling, Picnic, Public Transit, Swimming, Waterfall.
- Features: 1m wide, 1.2km of trails with a compacted crusher dust base. Lake, dam with waterfall & a bridged stream.
Kearney Lake Dam
This dam is the middle of 3 in the Kearney Run Watershed, along with Quarry Lake upstream & Papermill Lake downstream. Built for stormwater management & regulating lake levels, water flow depends on recent rainfall, and the waterfall can be mighty at times. Kearney Run empties into Papermill Lake and the Bedford Basin, playing a key role in filtering runoff, supporting aquatic habitats, and maintaining water quality downstream.
This area supports a variety of species, including beavers, amphibians, waterfowl, and native fish. Adjacent to the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area, a region renowned for its biodiversity and recreational value, this area has been a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts for generations. Popular for hiking, paddling, angling, and nature study, this area is a valuable outdoor classroom and wellness resource for residents.
In 2022, Halifax Regional Council approved a pilot management plan for Kearney Lake and Little Kearney Lake. This plan is part of a broader initiative to create a standardized municipal lake watershed management framework. The goals of the Framework are to protect water quality and aquatic ecosystems, guide land use in sensitive areas, and engage residents, developers, and environmental experts in the stewardship of these areas. The plan encourages citizen science, public input, and collaboration with groups like the Friends of Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes, who have conducted water quality surveys and advocated for wilderness protection. You can participate in such citizen science by recording your observations on iNaturalist.
Parking & Access
There is one dedicated parking lot off Amesbury Gate, which accommodates approximately 6 cars. In years past, people would park off of what is now Larry Uteck Boulevard, which is now a no-parking tow-away zone, but still offers pedestrian access to the trail on the western side of the lake, as does Abbington Avenue. Further along Abbington Avenue is access to the trails on the Eastern side of the lake. Both access points are separated by 200m of sidewalk, allowing you to walk a full (1.5km) loop of the lake if you incorporate it along with a 200m section of the shoulder of Larry Uteck Boulevard.
Trail Rules
- Leash your dog.
- Clean up after your dog.
- Control your dog.
- No motorized vehicles.
- No campfires.
- Don’t feed the waterfowl.
Walking Trails
The surrounding trails are managed by volunteers with the Halifax North West Trails Association, and it’s thanks to them that the dog waste bag dispensers get refilled, amongst numerous other stewardship tasks. Consider becoming a member to help them out.
These trails are home to mixed hardwood and coniferous forests, wetlands, and other stream and lake-adjacent land known as riparian zones. These moist soils and plant life are critical for filtering pollutants, buffering dry land from flooding, and providing a biodiverse habitat. As such, a lot of nature is packed into this small space.
You can do a 1.5km loop of the lake, but it involves walking 200m of sidewalk on Abbington Avenue, and 200m of walking on the shoulder of Larry Uteck Drive. The walking trails are otherwise divided by the lake.
The longest section of trail is off the Amesbury Gate parking lot, stretching for 850m. Starting from the lot, you’ll meander through the lakeside forest until you reach a trail junction that joins another entrance off of Amesbury Gate & the dam area. Adjacent to the dam are a couple of benches to sit and enjoy a view of the lake or a view of the dam. Depending on water levels, the waterfall can be quite impressive but also dangerous if you don’t maintain a safe distance, so be cautious, especially with children.
Onward from the dam, you’ll walk by a lower pool that is drained by Kearney Run, a stream that eventually flows into Papermill Lake. This pool and stream area has long been a popular fishing spot, but it’s also a nice place to enjoy the calming atmosphere. A bridge crossing allows you access to both sides of the stream, and an entrance onto Abbington Avenue, where you can continue your walk toward the trail on the other side of the lake.
The other trail on the opposite side of the lake connects from Abbington Avenue to Larry Uteck Boulevard. This 300m trail leads to a picnic shelter and multiple benches beside the lake. Resident ducks will greet you, but a sign advises you not to feed the waterfowl as per a city bylaw, but it’s also just better not to. Further up the trail is a bench near a traditional swimming hole, and then onto the Larry Uteck Drive entrance. From here you can walk on the shoulder of the road toward the parking lot, 200m down the road.
My Kearney Lake Dam Photos
Trip Tips
There are lots of good food and drink establishments adjacent to the nearby roundabout in West Bedford, a 2-minute drive or 15-minute walk from the Kearney Lake Dam Trails parking lot. There are a few shopping plazas located here, offering a wide array of cuisine & refreshments, such as The Village Tap House, The Roastory cafe, and Chicken Little Dairy Bar.
A 5-minute drive to Bedford South is more shopping plazas with your standard Starbucks & Tim Hortons, but be sure to consider The Mellow Mug. There’s a seasonal Cows Ice Cream kiosk (available indoors at Boomburger in the offseason), which makes for a great trail treat as well. If you want to enjoy some sit-down eats, there are lots of great options nearby. Check out the shopping Plazas on Southgate Drive and further up Larry Uteck Drive to find something that suits your taste.
Nearby Parks & Trails
If you want to continue with more nature exploration, there are a few nearby options within a 10-minute drive.
- Cabin Lake Trail is a short, 1km, community trail that borders a small lake.
- Halifax’s historic Hemlock Ravine Park offers over 5km of easy walking trails and an iconic heart-shaped pond.
- Extensive backcountry wilderness trails are located in the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area. Kearney Lake has an easy lakeside stroll and a seasonally supervised public beach & paddling launch.
- DeWolf Park on the Bedford waterfront is a vibrant park with a playground and outdoor fitness equipment.
- Papermill Lake Beach Park offers lake access, popular for swimming, strolling & paddling.
