7 Best Things to Do in Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Located on the eastern tip of North America, this part of Nova Scotia feels as wild as the Northern Atlantic Ocean. It draws its heritage from Scotland, and in many ways, it feels like Scotland. One of the top places to explore in Nova Scotia is a Parks Canada National Park, Cape Breton Highlands National Park. With scenic drives, hiking and camping, it offers lots of do. Here are the best things to do in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

7 Best Things to Do in Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Take a Scenic Drive

Hike in the Park

Attend an Interpretive Program

Find a Red Chair

Chase Waves at the Beach

Picnic in the Park

Camp or Stay at the Keltic Lodge

Is Cape Breton Worth Visiting?  

Borrowing its heritage from Scotland, Nova Scotia celebrates that Scottish heritage with ceilidhs or gatherings with traditional Scottish folk music. Founded and granted to Sir William Alexander in 1621, Nova Scotia has limited French influence, unlike Quebec and Saint John, Nova Scotia, except around Chéticamp.

During our visit, we enjoyed the scenery, which was a bit wild due to the remote nature of this area. We stayed in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and utilized its equipped campsites, an excellent choice for road trippers.

As a part of an extended road trip. Nova Scotia and the Cape Bretons Highlands National Park is an excellent addition when traveling in the Canadian Maritimes, like the Bay of Fundy and Prince Edward Island.

It offers one of the top scenic drives in Canada and driving the Cabot Trail through Cape Breton Highlands National Park

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Drive the Cabot Trail

As one of the top scenic drives in Canada, the Cabot Trail offers rugged beauty as it snakes its way through the park. It is one of the best things to do in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

The Cabot Trail is a 185-mile scenic route that hugs the northernmost coast of Nova Scotia with views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the North Atlantic. It was named after John Cabot, who landed in Canada in 1497.

With several interpretive areas, discover Cape Breton slowly and stop along the way with scenic overlooks.  The Cabot Trail offers stops along its route.

• La Bloc
• Cap Rouge Exhibit
• Veteran’s Monument
• MacKenzie Mountain
• North Mountain Look-off for Beulach Ban Falls
• Ingonish Beach

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Hiking in Cape Breton Highlands

Grab a water bottle and take a hike in the park. This is one of the best things to do in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

Any of the following are rated easy hikes, suitable for most.

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Attend an Interpretive Program at Cape Breton Highlands National Park 

The rangers in the park offer programming during the summer, especially in the evening. The park regularly offers campfire programs at the Chéticamp Campground, the Mkwesaqtuk/Cap-Rouge Campground or Ingonish Beach. Or take a guided hike with a park guide.

• Meander to Middlehead—Take a guided 4-km hike along the rugged Middle Head Peninsula, near the Keltic Lodge.
• Salmon Pools Walk—See where the Atlantic salmon come to sawn along the Chéticamp River Valley.
• Presqu’ile Beach–Take a guided walk to see what the waves leave behind.

Explore Cape Breton at Night

You can explore the park after the sun sets. Cape Breton Highlands National Park offers several summer programs.

• Skyline Sunset Hike–Hike through a boreal forest to get to where the mountains meet the ocean just in time for sunset. Admission and reservations are required.
• Seeing in the Dark—Take a guided night hike in Cape Breton and observe how the senses adjust in low light. Admission and reservations are required.
• Lantern Walk Through Time—Take a guided tour of Nova Scotia’s past with the help of a lantern. Admission and reservations are required.

Parks Canada Xplorers 

Similar to the National Park Service’s Junior Ranger Programs in the U.S., Parks Canada offers the Xplorer Program. Kids receive a booklet at the visitor center to complete.

The takes about an hour to complete as you explore the park. Kids receive a collectible dog-tag charm with the park’s name imprinted on it.

Note: The Parks Canada Xplorers Program is easier than the NPS Junior Ranger Badge.

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Cape Breton Beaches

Let the kids chase some waves at one of Cape Breton’s beaches. The water is a bit cold for swimming.

• Ingonish Beach
• North Bay Beach
• Broad Cove Beach
• La Bloc Beach
• Black Brook Beach
• Freshwater Lake
• Warren Lake

Find a Red Chair in Cape Breton

Parks Canada features red Adirondack Chairs across its parks. They are positioned in spots of scenic beauty, so if you find one, sit down and savor a special view handpicked by the park.

You can find Parks Canada red chairs in Cape Breton Highlands  National Park. The special chairs are available at the following locations. There is also a Giant Red chair, which moves locations each year and makes for a great picture.

Acadia

Cap Rouge Exhibit

Fishing Cove

Aspy

Jack Pine

Broad Cove Mountain

Franery

Middle Head

Freshwater Lake Lookoff

Where to Picnic in Cape Breton

I recommend you picnic while exploring the park. It offers ten picnic areas, perfect for rolling out a blanket for an afternoon picnic.

Parks Canada offers catering options if you make reservations ahead. It arranges a picnic complete with a blanket and basket for pickup.

• La Vieux Chemin du Cap-Rouge
• La Bloc
• Fishing Cove
• Grand Anse
• MacIntosh Brook
• Neils Brook
• Warren Lake
• Top of Franey Mountain
• Ingonish Beach
• Middle Head

Aucoin’s Bakery

At the eastern edge of Cape Breton in Chéticamp, stop by a local bakery for fresh bread, like a baguette or a sandwich loaf, along with sweet or meat pies. Don’t forget the sweets, like cookies and brownies. A local favorite for nearly 50 years, I stopped when I visited Cape Breton.

Located at 14 La Point Road, Chéticamp. Open from Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the summer season.

Stop in Neils Harbor

I stopped at the midpoint along the Cabot Trail in Neil’s Harbor to grab some seafood chowder at the Chowder House. I found a top-notch cup of chowder and a picnic table to enjoy the ocean view.

Don’t miss grabbing a cone from the lighthouse at Neil’s Harbor Lighthouse Ice Cream Shop. The owner of the ice cream shop, Scotty, greets every guest and tells the rich history of the area and tales from the sea. Scotty delighted us with the locals-only hiking trails and what winter is like in his corner of the world.

Both are located at 90 Lighthouse Rd. Neils Harbor. Open for the summer season from noon to 6 p.m. most days.

Camping in Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Cape Breton Highlands National Park offers traditional campsites for tents and RVs, but my favorites are the oTENTiks. Its season runs from mid-May until the end of October.

oTENTiks

An oTENTik is an A-frame structure that sleeps five or six. It includes a series of platform beds, a table, four chairs and a bench inside.

Outside, most oTENTiks feature a picnic table, a fire ring or grill for outdoor cooking. Bathhouses are usually a short distance away. All cooking is done outside.

OTENTiks are located at Broad Grove, Chéticamp, Ingonish Beach and Mkwesaqtuk/Cap-Rouge campgrounds. Reservations are a must. Rates start at $111 a night, and some weekends might require a multi-night stay.

Keltic Lodge and the Highlands Golf Course

You can visit or, even better, arrange a tee time for the legendary Highlands golf course. Built in 1939 by Stanley Thompson, it takes design clues from the landscape and borrows elements from the rich Scottish golf heritage. This 18-hole, par 72 course is a highlight for golfers.

Keltic Lodge is a secluded property offering a range of lodging options, from two-bedroom cottages to executive suites. It also has a spa, a pool, and several dining rooms.

Keltic Lodge is located at 383 Keltic Inn, Middle Head Peninsula, near Ingonish Beach. It’s a seasonal property, open from mid-May to mid-October.

Lyme Disease

The Black-legged tick is found throughout the Canadian Maritimes. To prevent Lyme Disease use the following precautions.

• Wear light-colored clothing, including long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
• Use insect repellant with DEET.
• Stay on trails and avoid long grass and brush.
• Take a shower shortly after hiking.
• Put clothes in a hot dryer for 10 minutes to kill ticks.

Where’s Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Adult admission to Cape Breton Highlands National Park is $9 CAN, and children 17 and younger enter for free.

The eastern section of Cape Breton Highlands National Park is 338 miles away from the Bay of Fundy National Park. It took a little over six hours with well-maintained roads and easy to navigate. Chéticamp and Ingonish Beach are gateway towns for Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

Know Before You Go

If you are short on time, enter Cape Breton Highlands National Park from the Ingonish Beach entrance and enjoy as much as you can.