Hiking Balancing Rock Tral In Digby, Nova Scotia
The Balancing Rock Trail is a 2.5 km trail and 235-step staircase that takes visitors to Nova Scotia’s own natural wonder, Balancing Rock. This column of basalt rock overlooks St. Mary’s Bay and is nearly 200 million years in the making. Balancing only on the tip, it is a sight to see and well worth a visit if you are in the Digby area!
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 2.3 km (out and back)
Suggested Duration: 35 minutes to an hour
Signage: Great signage throughout, map at the trailhead
Facilities: Parking lot and toilets at the trailhead
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Key Features Of Balancing Rock Trail
- 200 million years in the making
- A relatively short and easy hiking trail featuring a 235-step staircase
- Leads to the iconic Balancing Rock natural feature
- Offers breathtaking coastal views and geological wonders
- Accessible for hikers of various skill levels
- Interpretive signs along the trail provide geological information
- Popular for its unique and gravity-defying rock formation
- View of St. Mary’s Bay
- Dog-friendly (on a leash)
- Short drive-on ferry ride to reach Long Island
Facilities And Services
- Parking lot
- Portable toilets at the trailhead
- Benches throughout
- Interpretive panels
Before You Start Hiking Balancing Rock Trail
Before you begin hiking Balancing Rock Trail, there are a few things to note to make the most of your experience.
To reach Balancing Rock, you will need to take a short ride on a drive-on ferry to Long Island. The ferry is free to ride. When we visited in August of 2022, the ferries ran every hour both ways. From East Ferry to Tiverton (Long Island), the ferry left every hour on the half hour. While the return ferry back to East Ferry left on the hour.
As for the trail itself, it is incredibly maintained, with interpretive panels throughout (photo below for reference).
If it is raining, be careful when going down the 235 stairs, as they can get a bit slippery. We were lucky, and despite the rain, there was little fog, though we have heard that at times the fog can become so thick that the visibility of Balancing Rock can be limited.
While we did not find any ticks on us, whenever hiking in Nova Scotia, we recommend bringing a tick removal tool such as the Atlantick Tick Removal Kit. We also use the Atlantick Spray, which is made in Nova Scotia.
Our Experience Hiking Balancing Rock Trail
We have been talking about exploring Digby for quite some time now, and on our Digby to-do list was, of course, seeing Balancing Rock. Being that it is a few hours away from where we live, we decided to plan a trip after we finished hiking the Channel Lake Loop at Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site. From Kejimkujik, it was just under two hours to get to Balancing Rock and under an hour to get to Digby.
When we arrived at East Ferry, we were unsure what to expect as this was our first time taking a drive-on ferry. But it was quite an easy and short trip, lasting only a few minutes.
Once we arrived on Long Island, it was a quick drive to Balancing Rock. It was raining when we arrived, so we were not surprised to find that we were the only two hikers on the trail.
Here are a few photos of the entrance and the trail.
The trail was not overly slippery, even in the rain, until we reached the stairs. Luckily, there are railings along the side to help with balance. The view is well worth the 235-steps!
We ended up hiking the trail pretty quickly since it was raining. Though had it not been raining, we would have spent more time reading all the interpretive panels along the trail and spent more time enjoying the views of Balancing Rock and the cliff views on the other side (pictured below).
Nonetheless, it was a fantastic way to start our Digby trip, and we highly recommend taking the time to see Balancing Rock if you are ever in the area!
Checklists And Recommended Gear
- Water Bottle
- Insect repellent
- Hiking shoes – Women’s // Men’s
- Sunscreen
- Sun hat
- Camera
- Cascade Hiking Poles
- Atlantick Tick Removal Tool Kit
- Atlantick Spray
