Hiking High Head Trail In Nova Scotia
The High Head Trail is a wonderful 8-kilometre coastal hike located within the Dr. Bill Freedman Nature Reserve on the eastern coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. The trail takes visitors through a small portion of Acadian Forest and along the beautiful coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It connects Hages Lane at one and Indian Point Road at the other within the community of Prospect.
The trail is relatively easy to follow and offers hikers various terrains, including wooded paths through the forest, boardwalks, grassy passages, and, of course, rocky sections along the coast. Visitors can enjoy the ocean breeze along with the views of ocean waves, boats and the distant horizon, all whilst completing an enjoyable hike.
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 8 km (out and back)
Suggested Duration: 2-3 hours
Signage: Little to no signage
Facilities: Street parking, bench
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Key Features Of High Head Trail
- Offers panoramic coastal views of the Atlantic Ocean
- Passes through forested sections and rocky shorelines
- Ideal for hikers of various skill levels
- Opportunities for birdwatching and wildlife sightings
- A serene and scenic outdoor experience along the Nova Scotia coastline
- Part of the Dr. Bill Freedman Nature Reserve
- Dog friendly (on a leash)
Facilities And Services
- Street parking
- Bench
Before You Start Hiking High Head Trail
There are a few things to note before you begin hiking the High Head Trail to make the most of your adventures.
First, there is a small area for parking at the end of the cul-de-sac on Hages Lanes. Be sure not to block off or park in any of the resident’s driveways.
The trail is located within the Dr. Bill Freedman Nature Reserve. The trailhead is easy to locate as it is marked with a sign (picture below for reference).
While the trail is dog-friendly, dogs are to remain on a leash, and owners should clean up after their pets.
As for the trail, it takes hikers through various terrains, including thick forests, bushes, beach rocks and crushed gravel. The first 1km of the hike is on a well-defined path. However, further into the hike, the trail is overgrown in areas with thick bushes. There is the option to walk along the rocky beach to avoid the bush areas.
Being close to the ocean, there is little shade once you pass through the forest portion of this trail. Therefore, we recommend bringing sunscreen and a sunhat. As well as, supportive and waterproof hiking boots will come in handy. There were various portions of the trail that were swampy and muddy. Thankfully, a few pieces of wood and large rocks help you navigate through these sections (picture below for reference).
As always, being in Nova Scotia, bringing a tick removal tool kit and insect repellent is important. To learn more about tick prevention, check out our article How To Avoid Ticks When Hiking.
Our Experience Hiking High Head Trail
It was a hot and sunny August day when we hiked the High Head trail. We parked at the proper entrance (Hages Lane), laced up our hiking boots, and were on our way. We knew that being exposed to the sun along with the coast would be tiring, so we planned to keep a good pace throughout the hike.
The first 400 metres or so took us through the forest, which was enough time to warm up and make any adjustments before stepping out into the direct sun. There was a notable split in the trail in this short section, though both ways ultimately lead to the same place.
This segment of the hike features a bit of technical terrain with exposed roots and a boardwalk over a muddy area. The trail was dry in sunny spots and wet in shaded areas.
Before long, we were out of the woods and beside the coast. As we emerged, we quickly took in the view of the ocean, knowing we would get multiple superb views as we trekked forward. There’s also a bench in this area for those who want to sit and take in the view.
Continuing on, the trail twins the coastline. The trail is far enough uphill from the ocean to avoid getting washed by the incoming waves. Thus, throughout the hike, we were never exposed to the ocean water (though the waves were awe-inspiring to watch from afar).
As you can see from the two pictures below, there’s quite a bit of mixed terrain. The trail would regularly switch from rocky to muddy. Though these are the two extremes, most of the terrain is enjoyable to walk on.
Just over a kilometre in, the trail hits a rocky beach and turns into an overgrown bush. With the recent surge in Nova Scotia’s tick population, many people opt to turn around at this point.
We decided to investigate a little further. Without long pants, we chose to walk over the rocks, following the path along the beach, knowing the trail stayed along the coastline.
The rock stones on the beach are quite awkward to walk on, especially if you’ve got bad ankles. While this certainly isn’t ideal hiking, we decided we would walk a fair distance to see if the trail would continue through the bush or open up for a better day of hiking.
Of course, you can follow the real trail if you please. Bushwalking is fine, but it is better done with long pants to help protect from ticks.
Anyhow, we’re glad we decided to investigate further since the trail does open up nearby. After about 500 metres on the rocks, we were back on a good hiking ground!
The rest of the trail is what we’d expect. There were plenty of great ocean views, but the hot sun was now high in the sky. After slowly trekking over the rocky beach, we picked up the pace to the end of the trail.
The trail ends with a great view of Prospect and ultimately connects to Indian Point Road. Having made it to the end, we turned around and returned the way we came from.
As we made our way back along the coast, across the rocks, and through the woods, we were glad to have come out to experience another superb coastal hike in Nova Scotia!
Checklists And Recommended Gear
- Water Bottle
- Insect repellent
- Hiking shoes – Women’s // Men’s
- Sunscreen
- Sun hat
- Camera
- Cascade Hiking Poles (optional)
- Atlantick Tick Removal Tool Kit
Related Hikes
Other Coastal Hikes In Nova Scotia
- Polly’s Cove (Peggys Cove Preservation Area)
- The Ovens (Riverport)
- Pennant Point (Sambro Creek)
- Duncan’s Cove (Duncan Cove)
- Cape Split (Scots Bay)
- Skyline Trail (Cape Breton Highlands National Park)
- Cape Chignecto (Advocate Harbour)
- Gaff Point Trail (Upper Kingsburg)
- Taylor Head Provincial Park (Spry Bay)
