Uniacke Estate Museum Park Hike, Nova Scotia
The Uniacke Estate Museum Park is a 930-hectare estate of Richard John Uniacke. The estate was first built in 1815 and is now open to the public. Featuring a museum and eight walking trails, the estate park offers something for everyone to enjoy. The wide trails offer relatively little difference in altitude, making them perfect snowshoeing trails in the winter months.
Whether you’re hiking in the warmer months or snowshoeing in the snowy months, the Uniacke Estate Museum Park is a great choice and is only just outside the city of Halifax.
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Length: around 11 km of trails
Suggested Duration: 1-4 hours
Signage: Various maps and trail markers throughout
Facilities: Parking lot, museum, tea room, museum shop
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Key Features Of Uniacke Estate Museum Park
- Offers various walking and hiking trails
- Features one accessible trail
- Dog-friendly (on-leash)
- Snowshoeing in the winter months
- Features the restored and furnished Uniacke Estate Museum, showcasing the 19th-century mansion
- Ideal for history enthusiasts, nature lovers, and outdoor activities
- Opportunities for picnicking, birdwatching, and exploring historic gardens
Facilities And Services
- Parking lot
- Garbages
- Museum
- Guided tours
- Tea room for beverages and snacks
- Museum shop
- Picnic tables
- Washrooms available during on season
Before You Start Hiking Uniacke Estate Museum Park
There are a few things to note before you begin hiking (or snowshoeing) at Uniacke Estate Museum Park.
The estate museum park has times of operation, with the gate closing at dusk. Be sure to look up the hours of operation before arrival. Hikers should time their adventures appropriately to ensure they are finished on the trails before the gates close.
If you choose to explore the museum portion of the park, there is a fee to enter. The trails, however, are open and free to the public. The Uniacke Estate Museum fee is covered as part of the Nova Scotia Museum Pass if you happen to hold such a pass.
There is no winter maintenance on the trails, which means hikers should use them at their own risk. This also makes the trails great for snowshoeing.
The estate museum park features eight trails that range from around 0.5 kilometres to 2.5 kilometres. The eight trails in Uniacke Estate Museum Park are as follows:
- Murphy Lake Trail 0.3 km
- Drumlin Field Trail 2.1 km
- Lake Martha Loop 0.9 km
- Red Spruce Loop 1.5 km
- Hothouse Hill Loop 0.9 km
- Barrens Trail 1.5 km
- Post Road Trail 1.5 km
- Wetlands Trail 2.5 km
For those looking for a longer hike, you can complete more than one trail as they are all part of the same trail system. Below is a photo of the park map so you can plan out your route and desired trails.
All the trails are marked with coloured markers (see image below) that coincide with the colour on the maps. Along with informational signs, these maps are set up throughout the various trails to help visitors locate themselves whilst snowshoeing or hiking.
Lastly, while this is a dog-friendly park, all dogs are to be on a leash. It’s also asked, of course, that owners please clean up after their pets.
Our Experience Hiking Uniacke Estate Museum Park
Recently, we purchased new snowshoes and have been waiting for a good snowfall so we could go break them in. Uniacke Estate Museum Park is a fun and beautiful place to go snowshoeing (and hiking).
If you are interested in the snowshoes we purchased, we went with the brand Tubbs. This is a durable and reliable snowshoe brand that comes in a range of different sizes, styles, and price points.
The trails are quite groomed and easy to follow. There are a few thick roots throughout once you get further into the trails. Some of the trails have slight inclines and declines but nothing too intense, making it good for all levels of hikers and snowshoers.
I’m sure we’re not the only ones to experience greater difficulty on inclines with snowshoes strapped to our feet! These “slight inclines” can really get the heart pumping, especially if you’re one of the first to hit the trails after a fresh snowfall.
We were pretty happy to see that there was still a good coat of snow on the ground when we got on the trails. As this is a popular trail, the snow flattens out within a few days after a snowfall and can become icy as the Park’s many visitors make their way through the trails.
When we first began snowshoeing, the trail was open and featured some bridges alongside Uniacke Lake/Lake Martha.
The further we continued, the less packed the trails got. We soon found ourselves surrounded by beautiful snow-covered trees that made us feel like we were in a winter wonderland.
The trails’ interconnectedness makes it possible to choose between a short trek or a full day of snowshoeing.
We went to the left onto Lake Martha Loop from the parking lot, then continued onto the Drumlin Field Trail and made our way to Murphy Lake Trail. The Murphy Lake Trail is short and leads to a fire hall and Murphy Lake.
From here, we turned around and completed the other side of Drumlin Field Trail and Lake Martha Loop.
Between the trees, you can catch glimpses of the lakes along the trails. However, the lake was not frozen, so we would not recommend getting off the trails onto the lake.
We’ll complete the other trails upon our next visit, starting from the same main parking lot. There’s so much to see, and these trails are beautiful following a snowfall.
Checklists And Recommended Gear
Uniacke Estate Museum Park is great for hiking, dog walking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. Depending on what you want to do, you will need to bring some gear with you.
- Water Bottle
- Hiking shoes – Women’s // Men’s
- Camera/Phone to take photos
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Cascade Hiking Poles (optional)
- Atlantick Tick Removal Tool Kit
- Snowshoes (seasonal)
- Skis (seasonal)
