Hiking Gaff Point Trail In Nova Scotia
Gaff Point is one of the many beautiful trails on the eastern coastline of Nova Scotia. Located in Upper Kingsburg near Lunenburg, the Gaff Point hiking trail offers incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean from beach terrain and the Acadian Forest. It is a 6.5km loop beginning at Hirtle’s Beach that extends around the southern peninsula.
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 6.5km total (3km of beach, 3.5km of trail)
Suggested Duration:Â 1 to 2 hours
Signage:Â maps throughout and yellow markers on the trail
Facilities: Large parking lot and vault toilets at the beach entrance
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Key Features Of Gaff Point
- A scenic coastal hiking trail in Hirtle’s Beach area
- Offers breathtaking coastal views of the Atlantic Ocean
- Passes through a mix of forested sections and rugged coastal terrain
- Opportunities for birdwatching and wildlife sightings
Facilities And Services
- Parking lot
- Public washrooms
Before You Start Hiking Gaff Point
Before you head out for your own experience hiking Gaff Point, there are a few things we think you should know.
Suppose you’re like us and use Google Maps to find your way to your hikes. Enter at “Hirtle’s Beach” rather than “Gaff Point” to get to the proper car park and trail entrance. “Gaff Point” will lead you to a dead-end road across a pond from the trailhead, and you’ll have to backtrack to the actual entrance at the Hirtle’s Beach parking lot.
The hiking trail begins at the Hirtle Beach parking lot and starts with a kilometre and a half along the beach. Be prepared to walk along sandy terrain that turns into smaller rocks before reaching the main trailhead to Gaff Point.
The rock stones on the beach can be quite awkward to walk on, especially if you have bad ankles. It’s much easier to walk along the sandy part of the beach on the way to the trail. Low tide allows visitors to walk on the sand easily, while high tide means you’ll likely be forced to walk on the stones (if you want to stay dry, that is).
Here are a few rules to follow when hiking Gaff Point:
- The trail is meant for foot traffic only. Bikes and motorized vehicles are not permitted.
- All dogs should remain on a leash.
- No fires.
- No camping.
- No hunting.
As is the case with any Nova Scotian hike, it’s important to be aware of ticks as some may carry lyme disease. We highly recommend bringing a tick removal tool kit. For more information about tick prevention, check out our article How To Avoid Ticks When Hiking.
Other than that, prepare for awe-inspiring scenery and a short and enjoyable along the beautiful coastline of Nova Scotia.
Our Experience Hiking Gaff Point
We made our way out to Gaff Point from our home in Halifax on a cloudy July morning. After about an hour and a half of driving, we arrived at the Hirtle’s Beach parking lot.
Remember that the hike begins at the Hirtle’e Beach parking lot and that typing “Gaff Point” into Google Maps might bring you to the wrong location.
After parking the car and having a quick stretch, we were off to the beach portion of the hike.
The parking lot had a large sign welcoming visitors to the Gaff Point Hiking Trail, complete with a map, trail rules, and other information.
The trail starts with a picturesque boardwalk and quickly reaches the rocky beach. Once at the beach, we turned right and made our way toward the actual trailhead of Gaff Point.
We got there when the tide was relatively low, so we got to walk on the sand rather than the stones. This makes for a much more enjoyable walk for the ankles and knees!
As you can see from the picture below, the stones can be rather awkward to hike over for an extended period of time.
The beach took us between Romkey Pond and Moshers Pond (inland) and the Atlantic Ocean. There is also farmland right beside the beach that we passed on our way to the trail.
After a quick 1.5 km on the beach, we reached the entrance to the hiking trail.
Once again, there was signage to let us know the rules and safety measures. The signs also point out the various terrains, look-off points, and the Swartz Memorial Point.
The Swartz Memorial Point is dedicated to William F. Schwartz. He was the former Chair of the National Board of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, which overlooks the preservation of nature at places like Gaff Point.
Now for the fun part: hiking through the coastal woods!
The hiking trail throughout Gaff Point is very well-maintained and rather wide. It makes for an enjoyable hike along the Nova Scotian coastal line.
As always, we recommend staying out of the bush to avoid ticks. The width of the trail made this easy.
Here are a few pictures of the trail showing the variation in terrain and environment in such a small peninsula. We were blown away by the diversity of what we saw in such a short hike through Gaff Point!
The trail is well-defined and easy to navigate. The look-off points offer several views of the Atlantic Ocean and the cliffs of the coastal line.
Since it was overcast on this day, we took our time to feel the breeze at the look-off points without having the sun beaming directly down on us. It’s peaceful to look out at the horizon, and we make sure to take in the views any chance we get.
Here are a few shots from several look-off points, showing off the coastal line:
At the Y of the hike, we decided we would go clockwise around the loops. Just before the Y, there is another cutaway trail that we heard led to a “secret beach”. We knew it couldn’t be that much of a secret if a trail led to it and decided we would keep that adventure for the way back.
About halfway through the hike, we reach the Schwartz Memorial Point. It’s also around this point that fellow hikers have built rock formations and small Inuksuit.
It’s fun to see these kinds of things on a hike from fellow hikers before us.
After passing the outermost point of the peninsula, it was back toward the car park. The rest of the trail took place within the woods, away from the immediate coastal line.
This section of the hike is home to the wooden walking boards that are so popular in pictures from Gaff Point.
It was fun to walk on a flat surface for a moment, knowing that the beach stones would soon be under our feet.
On our way out, we had to stop at the “secret beach”. The cutaway trail was certainly less groomed but still maneuverable. A bit of time through the thick bush wasn’t so bad.
The beach at Grabble Cove is rocky and offers views of islands and the mainland. Certainly, it is nothing to write home about, but it is worth checking out nonetheless.
We wouldn’t say this alternate route is a “must-do” for hiking Gaff Point. There is plenty of beauty to be experienced on the main trail.
We did, however, see an otter scurrying around the beach. So, for us, there was something different!
To our surprise, there was an easy track out of the secret beach that brought us back to the trail entrance—no need to backtrack through the bush.
Upon returning to Hirtle’s Beach, we walked across the stones, dipping down onto the sand when possible. Making our way back to the car, we were happy to have hiked yet another awesome Nova Scotian trail.
Checklists And Recommended Gear
The following is our recommended gear for Gaff Point.
- Water Bottle
- Hiking shoes – Women’s // Men’s
- Camera/Phone
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Cascade Hiking Poles (optional)
- Atlantick Tick Removal Tool Kit
