Kejimkujik National Park Info:
- Difficulty: Easy – Difficult (destination dependent).
- Facilities: Parking, canoe rental, washrooms, food, campsites, showers, supervised beach, sky observatory, visitor center.
- Signage: Excellent signage, trail markers & information panels throughout.
- Features: Nova Scotia’s top camping destination. Accommodates adventures large and small. On-site canoe & kayak rentals.
- Biodiversity: Blanding’s Turtle | Barred Owl | Eastern Hemlock | More…
- Categories: #Camping, #Backcountry, #Paddling, #Hiking, #Biking, #Lake, #Lookoff, #Old-Growth, #River, #Waterfall.
Kejimkujik National Park
Kejimkujik National Park is one of two National parks in Nova Scotia and the crown jewel of the UNESCO Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve. It is very popular with campers, hikers, bikers, and paddlers. “Keji” as it’s affectionately known, is Disney World for Nova Scotia nature lovers. With something to offer people of any ability, it appeals to anyone who loves the outdoors.
Paddling Through Ancient History
This very sizeable park has a long history as a canoe route hub, frequented for thousands of years by the Mi’kmaw people. Its many waterways connect either directly, or by (relatively) short portages. I venture to guess that these portages helped the park earn its Mi’kmaw name which has been said to mean something along the lines of “chaffed groin” (funny and probably true). Fortunately, you don’t have to risk a chaffed groin as a canoe/kayak cart makes for a painless portage.
You’ll discover, as the Mi’kmaw did, that it is an ideal place for #paddling due to the interconnected nature of its waterways. Canoe and kayak rentals are available from Whynot Adventures located in Jake’s Landing (it’s wise to book in advance). Networks of portages of varying lengths connect most of the major waterways in the park, allowing for some substantially challenging, isolated backcountry camping destinations.
Campsites For Everyone
The park is a campers paradise and has many different group, RV serviced, and individual sites throughout the park. Newly added “oTENTik’s” provides a basic cabin-type structure, ideal for families who don’t want the hassle of packing, and setting up a tent. Group camping areas have large (soon to be re-vamped) communal washrooms with showers, sinks, toilets and outdoor running water. There are nearby playgrounds for children and a network of hiking and biking trails that lead to a few beautiful sand beaches on Kejimkujik Lake.
Note that in 2018, the park instituted a Ban on imported firewood (due to destructive invasive species). You can purchase firewood on-site, with kiln-dried wood now available. Visitors can bring commercially available heat-treated/kiln-dried firewood, fibre logs, and processed fire bricks as long as they are in the original sealed packaging.
There’s a new Facebook group dedicated to connecting people offloading a booking with those looking for a site. This “Campsite Exchange” group may be your best bet for short-notice buy & sell. Note that making a profit or bidding on sites is strictly forbidden. This process is accomplished by going into your account and changing the name of the registered camper to whom you want to transfer.
Merrymakedge Beach
Public WiFi is available in a few spots in the park, namely the Visitor’s Centre, and at Lakeview Cafe’ & Eatery. The latter is newly opened in August of 2023 and serves pizza, fish & chips, burgers, chicken fingers, nachos, wraps & ice cream amongst others. The Eatery is open daily from 11 am to 7 pm. The cafe is located in a great spot next to beautiful Merrymakedge Beach where you can also bring your own food to cook on the beach’s charcoal grills.
With two large parking lots & multiple picnic areas Merrymakedge can well accommodate a sunny day crowd. Merrymakedge has many different spots to sit and enjoy great lake views. The sandy beach has a coastal beach feel. It’s a great spot for sun, sand & a soak. A nearby change & washroom facility makes it a family-friendly day at the beach.
Check out the Birch Bark Canoe Shop at the south end of Merrymakedge to watch master craftsman Todd Labrador & family as they craft traditional birch bark canoes. June 27 to September 7, 2024 from Thursday to Sunday 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
Dark Sky Preserve
Recently designated as a “dark sky preserve”, Keji is also the best place in the province to experience the stars as you’ve probably never seen them before. An outdoor amphitheatre and sky circle host many events and include telescopes. For many people, like myself, the Kejimkujik night sky brilliance is a transcendent experience. The amphitheatre is well worth a visit to have a perfect, reclined, unobstructed view of the galaxy.
Hiking Trails
Kejimkujik National Park has over a dozen trails ranging from the multi-day Channel Lake Wilderness loop for experienced backcountry explorers, to beginner-friendly strolls like most of the front-country trail. Below are the most popular trails, most of which can be done in an hour or two of easy hiking.
Make sure to stay on the trail and practice tick safety. Cell phone reception is spotty at best, so be sure not to underestimate basic considerations, including how many hours of sunlight are remaining in the day.
Click the links to view interactive 360° virtual tours & more information about each trail.
Flowing Waters Trail (1km)
Following a calm section of the Mersey River, Flowing Waters hiking trail. This quick, 1km loop is a good starter trail.
Gold Mines Trail (3km)
Walk the story of gold fever which swept this area in the 1800s along this semi-looped interpretive trail. Complete with mining relics, pits & character cutouts, this trail is heavy on storytelling.
Grafton Woods Trail (3km)
With two interconnected 1.5km loops, Grafton Woods has options. It’s worthwhile to do both loops, but if you’re pressed for time, I suggest keeping to the right until you reach this view of Grafton Lake
Hemlocks & Hardwoods Trail (5km)
My favourite trail in the park. As a former tree planter, I have a deep appreciation for untouched, natural forests. This trail is a tour of the growth stages of a natural forest, the final stage contains the oldest trees in the park; Hemlocks that are over 400 years old.
Mill Falls & Beech Grove Trails (3km)
Perhaps the most scenic trail in the park, a great one for photographers. You can do the 1.5km (one way) Mill Falls by itself but it’s not a loop. Mill Falls trail has parking/access points at both ends & in the middle of the trail. While Mill Falls is the crown jewel, the subtle beauty of Beech Grove shouldn’t be underestimated. Toward the end of Beech Grove trail is a steep drumlin that’s fit for a dream.
Rogers Brook Trail (1.2km) CLOSED
A very scenic walk along a Red Maple flood plain. Plenty of camera-friendly views are packed into this short semi-looped trail. A great accompaniment to Farmlands Trail, which combined tell a story about 18th century resident farmer of the area, Peter Rogers. Update (June 2024): trail closed due to disrepair.
Slapfoot Trail (3.5km)
The Slapfoot Trail serves as the backbone connecting the various group camping areas. The trail stretches for 3.2km, from the beginning of the group camping areas to Jake’s Landing via a floating bridge. This busy walking and biking trail has various sections of boardwalk, gravel, and more rugged terrain. The trail runs along the shore of Kejimkujik Lake, with access to 3 supervised beaches. Dogs are not allowed on all 3 (Meadow, Slapfoot, and Kedge) beaches. Significantly further away Merrymakedge Beach does allow dogs.
Farmlands Trail (1.5km)
Telling a blended story of cultural & natural history, Farmlands Trail is a walking history lesson. Learn about ancient glaciers that shaped this land that was worked into an 18th-century farm by Rogers Brook’s namesake.
Fire Tower Trail (10km)
More of an access trail to a cabin/fire lookout tower than a hiking trail. Better suited for mountain biking, this former access road reaches into a very remote area of the park.
Ukme’k Trail (6km)
The park’s newest trail has banked turns and all the fun features that make for a great beginner-friendly mountain biking trail. This trail now allows you to travel exclusively on trails from Mill Falls near the Visitor Center, to Jakes Landing, Merrymakdedge & group camping areas. This spine trail follows along the Mersey River and allows you to go almost the entire length of the park from one end to the other. The trail is roughly 2 hours on foot. Bikers must yield to pedestrians.
Disneyworld For Nature Lovers
Kejimkujk National Park has the best-preserved nature the province has to offer, and as such you are sure you see lots of nature you’ve never seen anywhere else. Whether it’s a 400-year-old Hemlock tree re-defining your idea of a forest, a barred owl watching over your campsite, or echoing Loons signalling another spectacular sunset, there’s always something to remind you that you’re in a special place.
Numerous hiking & biking trails run throughout the park and can go from a leisurely stroll to a multi-day adventure. Paddling routes are much the same, with plenty of options to choose from. The visitor’s centre is more than happy to help you plan something good. For detailed guides on some of the most popular hiking trails in the park, see a list at the bottom of this post.
Planning Resources & Campsite Reservations
I highly recommend talking to the friendly and knowledgeable Kejimkujik National Park visitor center staff and getting their recommendations on how best to accommodate the type of trip you have in mind. You can book online, but be sure to do it early if you have a certain date or campsite in mind. Sites are booked quickly with many queued up the day that reservations begin in January. If no sites are available for your preferred dates or equipment, click ‘Notify me’ and you’ll receive an email if any sites matching your criteria become available.
Check out the Friends of Keji Cooperating Association Facebook page for lots of helpful, up-to-date info. They also run a “Campsite Exchange” Facebook group to connect short-notice cancellations with people looking for a site.
If you drive an EV as I do, the Visitor Center has 4 free EV chargers, each at roughly 7kw. The park staff’s fleet is mostly electric, and you’ll find them often plugged into these chargers. You can speak with the front desk to free one up if needed. These are the only chargers in the park, and it’s not within walking distance of the camping areas so plan accordingly. I used them for a couple of hours while hiking the Mill Falls & Beech Grove trails which start adjacent to the parking lot. There is one 50kw charger at the Best Western in Bridgewater and one in Digby, both an hour (70km) away from Keji in opposite directions. Digby will also soon have Superchargers.
The community of Caledonia has recently created a great directory page full of local shopping, dining, accommodations, artistry, culture, and event locations nearest the park.
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