Admiral Lake Loop Hike, Nova Scotia
The Admiral Lake Loop Trail offers hikers a fairly challenging yet relatively short trek with incredible look-off points and varied terrain. It’s a fantastic hike for experienced hikers and beginners looking to push themselves. The trail features the popular Skull Rock look-off point, Jessie’s Diner look-off, and several other vantage points, giving visitors an excellent view of the surrounding area, including Bayer Lake, Eunice Lake, Admiral Lake, Faulkner Lake, Little Lake, and Musquodoboit Harbour.
The loop is one of many hiking trails to stem off from the well-groomed Musquodoboit Trailway and is a must-do if you’re in the area and looking for an amazing half-day of hiking!
Difficulty: Difficult
Length: 10.3km (out & back from the parking lot), including 0.6km to and from Skull Rock
Suggested Duration: 3-5 hours
Signage: maps, signs and yellow markers throughout the trail
Facilities: Large parking lot and vault toilets in the parking lot
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!
Key Features Of The Admiral Lake Loop
- Offers views of Bayer Lake, Eunice Lake, Admiral Lake, Faulkner Lake, Little Lake and Musquodoboit Harbour
- Located in Musquodoboit Harbour
- Part of the larger Trans Canada Trail network
- Offers opportunities for birdwatching and wildlife sightings
- Dog-friendly (on-leash)
Facilities And Services
- Parking lot
- Benches throughout Musquodoboit Trailway
- Restrooms at the entrance/parking lot
Before You Start Hiking The Admiral Lake Loop
Before you embark on your hiking excursion on the Admiral Lake Loop, there are a few things we think you should know.
The first thing to note is that the trailhead of the Admiral Lake Loop trail is only accessible by foot.
The designated parking lot is the main parking lot for the Musquodoboit Trailway on Park Road. Park there and walk 1.7 km to the “start” of the Admiral Lake Loop or a bit longer to the “end” of the loop. The Admiral Lake Loop has two entrances, and they’re both on the main Musquodoboit Trailway.
Here’s a picture from the main parking lot:
Note that the main trail will cross Bayers Mill Road closer to the Loop entrance than the main parking lot. However, there are No Parking signs all along the end of the road to discourage parking there. We suggest parking at the main lot.
The main trail is nicely groomed with little difference in elevation. It provides a great warm-up (and cool-down) for the more rugged inclines of the Admiral Lake Loop!
Here’s a picture from the first entrance of the Admiral Lake Loop:
Note that the first entrance/beginning of the Admiral Lake Loop is the same as the shorter Bayer Lake Loop. There is a split point a short distance into the trail.
The Bayer Lake Loop markers are red, while the Admiral Lake Loop markers are yellow (as pictured below). Both trails are well-marked, making it easy for hikers to keep to the trail.
Note, as well, that the popular Skull Rock Look-off is considered as part of the Admiral Lake Loop. It’s a bit of a detour from the main trail, but absolutely worth it. Hike it as part of the main loop or as its own short hike. The view from the look-off is great!
Next, let’s discuss a few rules and practices to follow:
The trail is dog-friendly, though it’s asked that dogs remain on a leash. It’s also important to practice pack-in/pack-out principles to keep the trail clean and free of litter. It helps the environment and makes it a more beautiful hike for everyone. In addition, no fires or camping is permitted along the trail.
There’s quite a bit of rugged terrain on the trail. We recommend proper hiking footwear and hiking poles if you benefit from them.
Here’s just one photo from a rougher incline:
Lastly, we suggest bringing a tick removal tool kit and keeping an eye out for ticks. Other than that, prepare for awe-inspiring scenery and a wonderfully energizing trail!
Our Experience Hiking The Admiral Lake Loop
Our first time hiking the Admiral Lake Loop was in late October. It was the first day in the season that the outside temperature dropped below 0ºC. We dressed appropriately and made our way to what would be a great hike.
The trail actually blew us away and exceeded all expectations. Earlier in the week, we had come later in the day to hike to Skull Rock and the shorter Bayer Lake Loop. Unfortunately, we were too close to sundown for comfort and decided to come back to hike the Admiral Lake Loop. We’re glad we did!
As we had done previously, we parked at the main Musquodoboit Trailway parking lot on Park Road. The first 1.7 km was on the well-maintained main trail and acted as our warm-up (in more ways than one)!
By the time we had gotten to the entrance, the shivers had worn off, and we were ready to hike. It’s only cold if you’re not moving! We didn’t bother bringing extra layers this time.
This time of year, the leaves had pretty well all turned colour, and many of them had freshly fallen to the ground. This made the trail a bit more slippery than usual in some spots.
Coincidentally, this was the first hike we had done with genuine hiking boots rather than our typical waterproof shoes. The extra grip and ankle support made trekking more enjoyable, even with the adjustment and breaking-in of the boots.
The beginning of the loop (going counterclockwise, as we were) is the most challenging. It’s the rockiest terrain with the steepest incline. The sign for the loop states a 5.5 km hike and recommends 4 to 5 hours to complete. We were totally expecting the terrain to be this rugged the entire way.
This roughness continues past the Bayer Lake Loop turn-off up to the Skull Rock turn-off. We had done this portion of the hike a few days earlier and decided to skip it this time around.
The uphill climb continues up until the next look-off, called Rolling Stone. This look-off point is the first of 4 that is immediately off the trail. Rolling Stone offers a great view of Little Lake, the Musquodoboit Harbour, and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance.
Past Rolling Stone, the terrain gets quite a bit easier. Of course, there are still rocks and roots on the trail, but the steps are much less intense. The elevation differences are less intense than the initial climb.
We hiked through the woods, making a great time, before coming across the second look-off of the day: the Harbour Lookoff.
As the name suggests, the Harbour Lookoff gives visitors a marvellous view of the Musquodoboit Harbour.
This is a great spot to take in the scenery and have a break. It’s about a quarter way through the Loop.
Of course, we had to take a picture of our new hiking boots. Unfortunately, there were no tradesmen around to tease us about having new boots on the job!
We were now in the thick of it, but the terrain had become much gentler. The inclines and declines came with less intensity.
The next remarkable part of the hike came at what the main map labels “The Cave”. It’s always fun to hike through rocky corridors, though hikers can also hike around if necessary.
Here are a few pictures from the Cave:
Continuing along the trail, we approached a second decent incline. This was less pronounced than the initial climb but still got our heart rates up. We kept a good pace and pushed through to the Admiral Lake Look-Off, where we stopped for a while to take in the view and cool off (even in the cold weather).
From there, we began a descent down to and beside Eunice Lake before going back up to Jessie’s Diner Lookoff.
Like the Skull Rock look-off, this look-off is considered to be its own standalone hike though it is part of the Admiral Lake Loop. It offers a great view of Bayer Lake.
Here are a few shots from Jessie’s Diner:
Beyond this look-off, we crossed by a connecting point to the South Granite Ridge Trail of the White Lake Wilderness Trails.
Before long, we had descended back to the main Musquodoboit Trailway and made our way back to the parking lot. Another successful hike was completed in beautiful Nova Scotia!
Checklists And Recommended Gear
The following is our recommended gear list for Admiral Lake Loop.
- Water Bottle
- Hiking Shoes – Women’s // Men’s
- Camera/Phone to take photos
- Snacks and/or lunch
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Insect Repellent
- Water Filter
- Cascade Hiking Poles
- Atlantick Tick Removal Tool Kit
