Hiking Hemlocks And Hardwoods Trail In Kejimkujik National Park
The Hemlocks And Hardwoods Trail is a popular 5-kilometre interactive trail in Canada’s wonderful Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia. This loop brings hikers through diverse flora, exploring new and old forests in a relatively short distance. The easy terrain includes groomed ground and boardwalks.
Whether you choose the Hemlocks And Hardwoods Trail as a day trip in the park or as part of a longer stay at Kejimkujik, you’ll surely learn some new information about the local forest. The hike itself is a fantastic yet short journey through the woods. All in all, it’s a great experience, which we’ll discuss in more detail in this article!
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 5 km (loop)
Suggested Duration: 1.5 hours
Signage: Various trail markers and signs throughout
Facilities: Parking lot, camping
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Key Features Of Hemlocks And Hardwoods Trail
- Located in Kejimkujik National Park
- Passes through a mix of forested areas and boardwalks
- Offers opportunities for birdwatching and wildlife sightings
- Interpretive signs provide insights into the park’s natural history
- Backcountry campsites nearby
- Canoe and kayaking nearby
- Old-growth Hemlocks, white pines and Aspens
- Dog friendly (on a leash)
Facilities And Services
- Parking lot
- Camping
- Visitor Centre
- Garbage
- Washrooms (Visitor Centre, Jeremy’s Bay Campground, Jake’s Landing)
- Water Station (Visitor Centre, Jeremy’s Bay Campground, Jake’s Landing)
Before You Start Hiking Hemlocks And Hardwoods Trail
The Hemlocks and Hardwoods Trail is located within the Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site. To hike this trail, visitors will need to purchase either a day pass or an overnight pass.
If you choose to stay overnight at Keji, there are a few accommodation options. Hikers can choose from the following: campsites, RV sites, roofed accommodations including oTENTik, Ôasis, rustic cabins and a yurt. In addition, there are a few walk-in backcountry campsites located near the Hemlocks and Hardwoods trailhead.
Although the park is open year-round, camping, fishing, and Whynot Adventure rentals are only open based on the season.
The Hemlocks and Hardwoods Trail features old-growth hemlock forests (which are quite rare). This trail receives high protection, and in order to help protect fragile vegetation, it is important for hikers to stay on the designated paths and boardwalks. Please note this is not a bike-friendly trail.
The hike begins at the parking lot and is 5 km. If you are already camping in one of the nearby backcountry campsites, then distances may vary. Follow the trail for around 0.9 km until you reach the Hemlocks and Hardwoods trailhead. The loop will only take 3.2 km.
Although the trail is rated moderate, it is fairly easy. The terrain is well-maintained and does not feature any notable challenges. Located throughout the trail, hikers can find information signs that share the history and importance of the forest and a beautifully constructed boardwalk surrounded by hemlocks, aspens and white pines.
Be sure to keep an eye out for wildlife as well as ticks. While we did not have any encounters with either, ticks are prevalent within Kejimkujik National Park. Therefore, we always suggest having a tick removal tool kit handy.
Our Experience Hiking Hemlocks And Hardwoods Trail
Our experience hiking the Hemlocks And Hardwoods Trail was on the morning of our second day in the Kejimkujik National Park. We were staying in the Yurt accommodation, which was a delightful experience in and of itself.
During our stay, Nova Scotia was experiencing a heatwave. We would start the day with the Hemlocks And Hardwoods Trail before it got too hot and spend the rest of the day completing shorter hikes and taking swimming and/or air conditioning breaks in between.
Nevertheless, we started our day with a fire and coffee. This was also a great excuse to try out our new Aeropress and isothermal camping mugs from Decathlon.
Once we got caffeinated and hydrated, we drove from the Yurt to the Big Dam Lake parking lot.
While most people were there for a day at the beach, we trekked ahead to the hiking trail.
The terrain, like all of the front country trails in Keji, was well-groomed. This made it easy to move quickly and take in the beautiful scenery of the forest.
Before long, we were at the split of the Hemlocks And Hardwoods loop. We decided to go counterclockwise, which is the more popular way of completing the trail (we only passed people going in the same direction as us).
The Hemlocks And Hardwoods Trail offers a great number of interactive signs. There’s so much to learn by reading the signs and taking a moment to observe the surroundings. We won’t go into much detail about what the signs say, but if you go, be sure to read up!
As you can probably guess from the pictures below, there’s also quite a stretch of the boardwalk on this trail. The vegetation in the area is sensitive. So, to help reduce impact while still getting people out in nature, the Park has put in a significant amount of boardwalks.
Once again, we’re happy with a boardwalk on these types of hikes as it makes it possible to walk and observe the entire environment simultaneously.
Through old forest and new, we made our way around the loop and back to the parking lot in what seemed like no time at all. With the sun shining bright and the temperature rising quickly, we were happy to have finished the longest hike of the day.
From here, it was on to the Flowing Waters Trail!
Checklists And Recommended Gear
Click the highlighted items to view the prices of our recommended gear while staying in Kejimkujik National 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
