Walking Routes in Atlantic Canada
With travel trends for 2022 all pointing towards escapism and the great outdoors, Atlantic Canada can offer the perfect getaway with three new walking trails for 2022, including the first of its kind in North America, the Ingonish Tree Walk.
At just a six-hour direct flight from the UK, visitors can access Atlantic Canada’s pristine coastline and spectacular scenery across its four provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Also new for 2022 is a 435-mile island circumnavigation on Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick’s newly developed Fundy Trail Parkway. And don’t forget the over 29,000 km of coastline in Newfoundland and Labrador.
NEW – Ingonish Tree Walk, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has beautiful landscapes around every corner … and coming in 2022, they will have a new way to walk amongst the tree tops! Set to open in late 2022, Cape Smokey will be home to North America’s first, a journey that will take place 30 metres amongst the highlands of Cape Breton Island.
Atlantic Canada’s first and only gondola takes riders to the top of Cape Smokey in just four minutes where visitors can admire expansive views of the Cape Breton Highland National Park, Ingonish Harbour and the Atlantic Ocean. Traditionally a popular ski area, the gondola now makes Cape Smokey a four-season destination.
The Tree Walk is planned to consist of over 500 metres of walkways that will be delicately incorporated into the landscape and all joined to a central tower for 360 degree views across the stunning highlands and valleys of Cape Breton. Along the way, the Tree Walk will incorporate interpretive elements to education visitors on the indigenous Mi’kmaq people, the history of the Island, it’s flora and fauna and much more.
For further information on Nova Scotia: www.novascotia.com
NEW – The Island Walk, Prince Edward Island
Known for its iconic lighthouses and the inspiration for Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island is Canada’s smallest province. It is now possible to circumnavigate the island with the new Island Walk, a 435-mile walking route that loops around the island. The full trail takes 32 days to complete (if walking 12-15 miles a day) but there are 32 sections with a mix of inland and coastal walks, taking in red dirt roads, beaches, quiet streets and both tips of the island at North Cape and East Point.
The Island Walk runs through Prince Edward Island’s two cities, Charlottetown and Summerside, and through many small communities allowing participants to immerse in the island’s culinary and art scene, as well as meet the locals. Suggested stops along the way are in Montague where beer lovers will find two local craft breweries with spectacular water views or in Victoria-by-the-Sea for a lobster roll at The Lobster Barn. For some local culture, stop off at the Canadian Potato Museum in O’Leary to learn about the history of the humble potato. Along the route, many partnering inns and hotels offer transfer services to deliver luggage when changing accommodations.
For more information on Prince Edward Island: www.tourismpei.com
NEW – Fundy Trail Parkway, New Brunswick
The newly developed Fundy Trail Parkway is set to open for the season on 20th May this year. The upgraded route will connect well-known lower Bay of Fundy attractions such as amazing whale watching, Kingsbrae Gardens and the only city on the Bay, Saint John, with the delights of the upper Bay of Fundy, including New Brunswick’s top natural attractions of Fundy National Park, the Hopewell Rocks and Cape Enrage. Stretching over 2,559 hectares, the Fundy Trail Parkway is a beautiful way to explore New Brunswick’s nature with its pristine beaches, 20 lookouts with panoramic views, a 15-metre waterfall, and a 60-metre suspension bridge. Also part of the Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark and the Fundy UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Fundy Trail Parkway is the longest undeveloped piece of coastline from Labrador to Florida, and is a unique way to experience the highest tides in the world!
For more information on New Brunswick: www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca
300 hiking and walking trails in Newfoundland and Labrador
Atlantic Canada’s province of Newfoundland and Labrador has 29,000km of coastline, dotted with beaches, sea stacks and 300 hiking and walking trails. If the timing is right, you’ll see seabirds, whale and icebergs.
Reach some of the best views in the province by climbing the second highest peak on Newfoundland, Gros Morne. The 806 metre high mountain can be reached via a difficult trail named after the former British Prime Minister, James Callaghan, but the views at the top of the glacial carved landscape are worth it. For an easier option, try the Skerwink Trail at Port Rexton where historical heritage and natural beauty collide. The 5.3 km (3.2 mi) coastal hike along cliff tops and beaches begins by tracing the old railroad bed and then heading up the ancient sedimentary rock to Skerwink Head where you will be met by views of Trinity Harbour. The hike will take two to three hours.
For more information about the province, visit www.newfoundlandlabrador.com