Hikers Guide To Five Islands Provincial Park In Nova Scotia
The Five Islands Provincial Park is one of many spectacular hiking locations in Nova Scotia, Canada. The trails offer incredible views atop the sea cliffs overlooking the Bay of Fundy, which hosts the world’s highest tides. They also take hikers through wooded areas of the lovely Acadian forest and along the East River that feeds into the bay.
Five Islands Provincial Park is a superb spot for camping and hiking that the entire family can enjoy. Although the park closes for the winter months, the trails themselves are still open for daytime reactional use, such as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Whether you make a day trip out to the Five Islands or spend a few nights camping in the great outdoors, you are sure to fall in love with the breathtaking views that these trails have to offer.
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Length: up to 11.8 km of trails
Suggested Duration:Â 30 minutes to 3 hours
Signage:Â Maps, markers and signs are located throughout
Facilities: Parking lot, campsites, vault toilets
Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. If you click one of them, we may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Five Islands Provincial Park Trails
- Economy Mountain Trail (3.8km one-way)
- Red Head Trail (2.2km one-way)
- Estuary Trail (2.4km one way)
- Estuary Trail Loop (1.2km one-way)
Key Features Of The Five Islands Provincial Park
- A coastal provincial park along the Bay of Fundy (the world’s highest tides)
- Offers opportunities for hiking, picnicking and camping
- Features stunning sea cliffs and panoramic views of the Bay of Fundy
- Ideal for exploring the unique geology and coastal landscapes
- Opportunities for birdwatching and wildlife sightings
- Dog-friendly
- Beach access (unsupervised)
Facilities And Services
- Camp Office
- 88 campsites
- Wood and ice are available
- Playground
- Restrooms with showers
- Change rooms
Before You Start Hiking The Five Islands Provincial Park
As always, we’ll list out a few things we feel you should know before embarking on your adventure in the Five Islands Provincial Park.
First things first. This is a provincial park and is only in operation from June 15 to October 12, 2020.
There are plenty of camping spots to set up a tent for a night or two. The park can be a bit out of the way, so planning an overnight camping trip can make travelling and trekking more worthwhile.
There are no facilities or services offered during the winter months. However, the park is open for winter recreational activities such as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, particularly on the Economy Mountain Trail.
If you’re visiting during Winter, note that the park road is usually plowed to the parking lot near the start of the Economy Mountain Trail and typically no further.
But if you’re looking to hike in the Five Islands Provincial Park, you’ll likely be going during the Spring, Summer, or Fall months.
If you’re planning on camping out, there is a small fee (subject to change) to pay for a campsite. We strongly recommend reserving a spot before heading to the park. Otherwise, if you’re only going on a day hike, the entrance is free!
Be sure to adhere to any advisory and warning signs. For example, be careful of the actively eroding cliffs.
Be aware of the tide times if you decide to go down to the beach via safe access points. The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world, and it can be dangerous if you’re caught along the cliffs as the tides are coming in. They come in fast, so please be safe!
It is important to keep an eye out for ticks and bring a tick removal tool kit with a removal tool along with you whenever you are hiking. To learn more about tick prevention, check out our article How To Avoid Ticks When Hiking.
Other than that, we should mention that the park is dog-friendly, though you are asked to keep your canine companion on a leash throughout the trails.
As previously mentioned, there are four distinct trails making up nearly 12 km of hiking. Mix and match, or do all four at your leisure!
Our Experience Hiking The Five Islands Provincial Park
We hiked through the Five Islands Provincial Park in September and chose to camp out overnight. It was warm enough to tent without winter gear, and the campsite was a drive-in, so we didn’t have to pack our backpacks and trek through any trails to find a tenting location.
If you are looking for an incredible overnight hike on the Bay Of Fundy, be sure to check out our article on the Cape Chignecto Provincial Park!
After nearly 2 hours of driving, we got to the park, bought a bundle of firewood, and made our way to our designated camping lot. After a quick stretch, we set up the tent and got ready to hike the trails.
We stayed at Campground B, and the trailhead of the Red Head Trail was very close. We started there.
The Red Head Trail was our favourite part of the entire hike. There are several look-off points where we stopped to admire the cliffs (as you can see in this article’s featured image).
The sun was shining, and the wind was gentle. It made for an enjoyable experience hiking along the cliffs and catching beautiful views of the Bay of Fundy.
As for terrain, the Red Head Trail was lovely. Not overly narrow and not excessively rocky or rooty. It made for a great start to our hiking day.
The way in was pretty much a gradual decline. Our way up, then, was a gradual incline that got the heart pumping a bit. Again, what a great start to the hiking day!
On our return from the end of the Red Head Trail, we came to a crossroads where we turned onto the second of the four trails: the Economy Mountain Trail.
This trail was rather broad and took us through the woods. The incline was a bit more noticeable, but certainly wasn’t a challenging climb. By this time, the sun was directly overhead, and we benefitted from some shade.
Though the trails are very distinct, there are still markers to help us find our way.
Of course, the views from this trail were lacklustre compared to those of the Red Head. Nonetheless, the trail was an enjoyable hike through the forest!
At the end of the Economy Mountain trail, we crossed the Bently Branch Road (the same road we drove on to get to the park) and entered the Estuary Trail. This trail would have the most front-country (bridges and such), which is always fun.
Unfortunately, two of the bridges had fallen. So we decided it would be best to turn around and take the road to the unmarked “fifth” trail: the Day Use Trail.
Though the road was certainly not as exciting as a hiking trail would have been, there were several points where we could take a short walk through the woods to view the East River and the land on the other side.
We eventually made our way to the Day Use Trail. The steepest incline was on the road to get there.
The Day Use Trail wasn’t really a hiking trail. Instead, it’s a shortcut to get from the campgrounds to the beach near the mouth of the East River. Nonetheless, we were trying to complete the entire park (minus the Estuary Trail), so we climbed the day trail.
We actually got back to the campsite much earlier than we had anticipated. Fortunately, we brought outdoor activities to enjoy and some food to cook over the fire pit!
Checklists And Recommended Gear
The following is our recommended gear list for both hiking and camping at Five Islands Provincial Park.
HIKING GEAR
- Hiking Shoes – Women’s // Men’s
- Cascade Hiking Poles
- Water Bottle
- Atlantick Tick Removal Tool Kit
- Atlantick Spray
- Ponchos or rain jackets
- Lamp/Headlight
- Sunscreen
- Sun hat
- Camera
- Insect repellent
SLEEP AND SHELTER
- Tent
- Tarp
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Pillow
- Rope
SAFETY GEAR
- Emergency first aid kit
- Whistle
- Watch
- Knife or multi-tool
- Bear spray in a holster
- Repair kit for the tent
- A trip plan left with a friend or family member in case of emergency
KITCHEN ESSENTIALS
- Single-burner camping stove
- Fuel for stove
- Pot
- Aeropress Go Travel
- Food
- Cutlery
- Lighter, matches, fire starters
- Water filter or purification tablets
- Dry bag for hanging food at night
PERSONAL ITEMS
- Socks (extra in case of rain)
- Hiking clothes
- Warmer attire for the evenings
- Ecofriendly hygiene products
- Wilderness wipes
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Phone or emergency communication device
- Feminine hygiene items
- Quick-dry towel
- Hand sanitizer
- Ecofriendly body soap
