Hiking Dollar Lake Provincial Park In Nova Scotia

The Dollar Lake Provincial Park is one of many superb hiking destinations in the Halifax Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada. The park’s trails offer peaceful walks through the beautiful Acadian forest, passing Dollar Lake Brook and, of course, reaching Dollar Lake itself.

During the on-season, Dollar Lake Provincial Park is also a great spot for camping, kayaking, canoeing, and enjoying Dollar Lake beach. Although the park is closed in the winter months, the trails are still open for recreational use and make for a fantastic spot for snowshoers and cross-country skiing.

Difficulty: Easy
Length: 2.1 to 6.4 km of trails
Suggested Duration: 30 minutes to 2 hours
Signage: Markers throughout
Facilities: Parking, Washrooms, Showers, Campsites, Canteen

trail map

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Dollar Lake Provincial Park Trails

Trail to Field (1.8km one-way)
Brook Trail (700m one-way)
Beach Trail (230m one-way)
Shoreline Trail (700m one-way)
Snowshoe Trail (1.3 km one-way)
Dollar Lake Loop (3.5 km)
Dollar Lake XC Ski Loop (6.4 km)

Official Dollar Lake Provincial Park PDF

Key Features Of Dollar Lake Provincial Park

Various hiking and snowshoeing trails through the park
Offers a sandy beach with swimming and water activities
Features picnic areas, a boat launch, and a playground
Ideal for outdoor recreation, including picnicking and fishing
Various access points to Dollar Lake
Kayaks, canoes, and paddleboard rentals at Dollar Beach
Cross-country skiing trail (seasonal)
Limited camping facilities for overnight stays
Dog-friendly (on-leash)

Facilities And Services

Parking
Camping
Washrooms (some with showers)
Drinking water taps
Canteen
Picnic tables
Paddling Rentals
Canteen
Supervised Swimming (July/August)

Before You Start Hiking Dollar Lake Provincial Park

Dollar Lake Provincial Park is a great place to escape from the city while still within Halifax Regional Municipality.

This is a perfect location for all outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, boating, canoeing, water skiing and fishing. During the winter months, the trails are commonly used for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Since Dollar Lake is a provincial park, it has both on- and off-seasons. During the off-season, outdoor enthusiasts are still welcome to visit that park during the daytime but cannot stay overnight in the campground.

There are various facilities in Dollar Lake Provincial Park that are open in their on-season.

At the canteen (located by Dollar Lake Beach), folks can rent out water equipment such as kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and canoes. These all include life jackets, boat safety kits, and paddles.

It’s important to note that during the off-season, the main gate is closed, and you will have to park at the park entrance and walk down the main road into the provincial park.

All the trails are well-marked and easy to follow. You can find yellow and/or orange markers throughout (photo below for reference).

There are also trail signs at the beginning of most of the trails.

While the trails are marked as separate trails on the official park map, it is easy to make a full day of hiking as most of the trails interlink, taking you through both the woods and the main campground road.

We recommend bringing both insect repellent and a tick removal tool kit. Whenever you are outdoors (and especially on bushy trails), there is a chance of ticks. We did brush off a tick when we were out hiking these trails.

Some tips for tick prevention are to brush yourself off frequently, check your body for ticks once you are done hiking, keep a removal tool with you, and know how to use it.

Folks using the area should also keep an eye out for poison ivy. There are a few signs throughout the trails to indicate if you are about to approach a patch of ivy. It is important to stay on the trails and/or boardwalks to avoid potential exposure.

Lastly, as always, please leave no trace behind. If you pack it in, pack it out.

Our Experience Hiking Dollar Lake Provincial Park

We hiked through the Dollar Lake Provincial Park on a beautiful day before the park was opened for the season. Though no facilities were open at the time and the entrance gate was closed, the trails were still open to hikers like us looking for a great day hike near Halifax.

We parked at the gate and proceeded to the almost immediate snowshoe trail to get into the trails as soon as possible. Of course, we could have continued on the main road to reach the first trail (which we wound up doing on the way back). There was no snow on the ground, but the trail was certainly worth it to get us started.

Along with all the others, the first trail was relatively flat, making it easy to keep a fast pace throughout the hike. Before long, we came to another road and crossed it to begin the Trail To Field section of the park.

The Trail To Field is nice and wide, so we walked side-by-side, making our way through the park. The terrain is, for the most part, grassy and easy to walk on. Though uneventful, it was a good changeup from the more challenging terrain we’re used to.

We quickly came upon a split in the trail. The right would continue on the Trail To Field, while the left would begin the Brook Trail. We decided to take a left and go clockwise through the loop route we had planned.

The Brook Trail offers a nice hiking path through a denser forest. Hiking through at midday, the trees offered intermittent periods of sun and shade.

As its name would suggest, the Brook Trail took us to the beautiful, deep-blue Dollar Lake Brook. With a section of the trail running adjacent to the water and a well-built bridge, the scenery was the best up to that point in our hike.

The wooden portion of the trail isn’t too long, and before we knew it, we were hiking on the main road, passing campsites as we travelled to the lake. This would be called Trail To Loop “D” on the signage of the park.

Passing by the campsites, we remarked how great a camping location this park would be and how we would plan to come back during the on-season. This was even before we got to the main attraction (Dollar Lake itself).

The Loop “D” would eventually bring us to the Dollar Lake Boat Launch. Here, we took in the view of the lake for a few minutes before venturing onto the Shoreline Trail.

Facing the lake, we took a left onto Shoreline Trail. This portion of the hike was the most challenging, though still easily travelled. Not surprisingly, it took us along the lake’s shoreline and up to another location for camping.

Having turned away from the main loop, we decided to turn back and hike the Shoreline Trail back to the Boat Launch (rather than walking on the main roads to reach the same spot).

Once back to the Boat Launch, we took the pathway on the right down Beach Trail. This would take us to the main beach and, ultimately, the main parking lot and facilities. This part of the hike is very well maintained and offers several great views of the natural environment.

Here are a few pictures from this portion of the hike:

There’s a mini island with a picnic table along the trail. Of course, we had to check that out!

Here is a picture of Dollar Lake Beach, which is not far away from the main parking lot and facilities. This would be the turning point of our hike. After spending some time admiring the views of the lake, we began back toward the main gate.

On our way back, we got back onto the Trail To Field portion of the park.

However, there were fallen trees close to the main road, and what we could see of the trail was rather muddy. We bushwalked for a minute or so before deciding to take the easy way out, getting to the main road (Dollar Lake, Lake XC Ski Loop) to get back to our car.

It was at this point that we noticed a tick had gotten on Arthur. Fortunately, it hadn’t latched and was easily removed. This was the first time we had experienced ticks in Nova Scotia, and it prompted us to research tick prevention and safety.

Hiking the road back was largely uneventful, though we did pass by park staff cleaning debris and preparing the park for on-season. We look forward to coming back during this time!

Checklists And Recommended Gear

The following is our recommended gear list for both hiking and camping at Dollar Lake 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
Cut l ery
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