Nine Mile River Hiking Trails, Nova Scotia
The Nine Mile River Hiking Trails are a 10 km series of trails through the beautiful Nova Scotian Acadian Forest. The trailhead is located just off the Old Enfield Road in Nine Mile River, and the three interconnected trails lead hikers into the picturesque wilderness.
A volunteer group has developed the trail system in partnership with the Municipality of East Hants and the Province of Nova Scotia. It offers a variety of terrain and boardwalks and is truly a pleasure to hike through. With multiple trails, there are various lengths to choose from. The shortest loop (Pitcher Plant Trail) is 1.3 km, while the entire system measures 10 km.
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Length: Up to 10 km of trails
Suggested Duration:Â 2 – 4 hours
Signage:Â Signs, maps and markers throughout
Facilities: Parking lot, garbage and benches
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!
Nine Mile River Hiking Trails
Key Features Of The Nine Mile River Trails
- A scenic trail along the Shubenacadie River
- Offers picturesque views of the river and surrounding landscapes
- Passes through a mix of forested areas and open riverbanks
- Opportunities for birdwatching and wildlife sightings
- Dog-friendly
- Great trail for snowshoeing in the winter months
Facilities And Services
- Parking lot
- Garbage at entrance
- Benches throughout
Before You Start Hiking The Nine Mile River Trails
There are a few things to note before you begin hiking the Nine Mile River Trails to prepare yourself for your wilderness adventures better.
The Nine Mile River Trails currently feature three different trails: Pitcher Plant Trail, Comeau Lake Trail, and Hemlock Cathedral Trail. The trail system is currently expanding by adding a few additional trails off of Comeau Lake and Hemlock Cathedral Trail. While the additional trails are not complete (March 2021), the picture below shows the current trail system and the plans for future trail add-ons.
Despite the name, the Nine Mile River Trails do not actually intersect with the Nine Mile River. However, the new proposed trail, Witches Cauldron, will take hikers close to the Nine Mile River once completed.
While some multi-loop trail systems can be a little hard to follow and easy to stray away from the main trail, the Nine Mile River Trails are exceptionally well-marked, making them easy to follow. Each trail is marked by colour-coordinated markers, signs, and maps throughout (picture for reference located below).
There are even exit signs with arrows to direct hikers back to the trailhead located at the parking lot. This is one of the best-marked trails we have been on in a while.
The trails are also wide and well-maintained. They feature various boardwalks and footbridges along the trails that the Nine Mile River Trails Association put in.
As you begin to get further into the trails, you will notice it begins to feel more backcountry than front-country, especially once you reach the Hemlock Cathedral Trail. This trail is the only trail that is not maintained and poses a risk of flooding. Hikers should use it at their own risk.
Although the trails are groomed, the trails can become a sheet of ice during the winter months. It is important to wear shoes with good traction, or you could even put on crampons, also known as ice cleats, over your boots. When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with a good pair of hiking poles with snow baskets.
Below is a picture of our cascade hiking poles that we brought with us while exploring the Nine Mile River Trails in March. They came in handy on the ice patches, especially up and down hills. While the inclines and declines are small and fairly easy, they can become a bit of a challenge when the trail is covered in ice.
This would make for a fun snowshoeing trail after a snowfall (before the ice forms)!
When in the wilderness, it is important to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. While it is uncommon, there is a chance to run into wildlife such as coyotes, porcupines, and bobcats. For this reason, we recommend keeping dogs on leashes and making noise when hiking to alert wildlife of your presence. For more information on wildlife safety, check out our post “Wildlife Safety While Hiking In Atlantic Canada”.
Another important practice is to leave no trace behind. This goes for all trails and outdoor recreation. Not only does this help reduce our impact on the environment, but it also helps deter wildlife away from main trails.
Our Experience Hiking The Nine Mile River Trails
Looking at the pictures we’ve shared in the above paragraphs, you could probably guess that we hiked the Nine Mile River Trails in the Wintertime.
Our experience hiking the Nine Miles River Trails happened in early March on a mild sunny day. There was still snow on the ground, and the trails were rather icy. Though there aren’t any steep inclines or declines, we decided to take our hiking poles to help us balance on the slippery terrain.
We parked at the Old Enfield Road parking lot to access the main trailhead. There’s an informational bulletin board near the entrance with a superb map of the trails. Here’s a photo we took of that map:
After a quick assessment of the trails, we grabbed our hiking poles and were off to explore the entirety of the Nine Mile River Hiking Trails. Note that, at the time of our visit in 2021, there were three distinct trails and plans for additional trails in the future.
Pitcher Plant Trail
The Pitcher Plant Trail is the first loop with a complete distance of 1.3 km. The snow was well-packed on this popular portion of the trail. The snow would eventually thaw, revealing the crusher dust path. Though the path was largely covered, many of the boardwalks and footbridges were exposed.
This part of the province is pretty quiet, to begin with. It wasn’t long until we felt completely immersed in nature without any auditory remnants of traffic noise.
It also didn’t take long before we reached the first split of the trail. We continued onto the Comeau Lake Trail and would return to complete the other half of the Pitcher Plant Trail on our return.
Comeau Lake Trail
The Comeau Lake Trail is the one-way connector between the two loop trails and is 3.1 km.
This trail was less travelled and seemed slightly narrower. However, in the Winter, the forest seemed wide open. The trail was easy to follow, considering we were following footprints but would also be easy to follow in warmer months.
There is ample signage to keep hikers on the right path. Footbridges and boardwalks are also strategically placed on this portion of the trail system.
It was in this section of the trail that things started getting remarkably slippery. The hiking poles certainly came in handy for this segment.
Hemlock Cathedral Trail
The Hemlock Cathedral Trail is the furthest loop and is also 3.1 km.
Technically speaking, we split onto the Hemlock Cathedral Trail before reaching the end of the Comeau Lake Trail. We hiked the Hemlock Cathedral Trail in a clockwise direction, reaching Comeau Lake at the other junction with the Comeau Lake Trail.
This portion of the trail was the most remote, offering a more rugged path. That, by default, made it our favourite!
Still, there was ample signage and even front-country boardwalks when necessary. The Nine Mile River Trails Association volunteers really do a great job with these trails!
Here is a shot of Comeau Lake as we transferred back to the Comeau Lake Trail for our return hike.
All in all, this was a fantastic winter hike. We didn’t bother taking our snowshoes for this one, though it would be a superb snowshoe trek after a fresh snowfall. We made it back to the entrance, having completed the entirety of the three trails, and were happy to have taken the opportunity to check out this awesome hike in the wintertime.
Checklists And Recommended Gear
Depending on the individual trails you decide to complete, the length of the Nine Mile River Trails ranges from 1.3 km to over 10 km of trails. Whether you choose a short or a long hike, we still recommend bringing some gear with you.
- Water Bottle
- Comfortable Hiking Shoes or Boots– Women’s // Men’s
- Camera/Phone
- Sunscreen
- Insect Repellent
- Snowshoes (optional)
- Cascade Hiking Poles (optional)
- Atlantick Tick Removal Tool Kit
