Dawson Brook Falls Hike, Nova Scotia)
The hike to Dawson Brook Falls is an easy 1-kilometre in-out-hike in Ellershouse, Nova Scotia, just off Highway 101 (Exit 4). A large portion of the hike is along a wide ATV/logging road, and the second half of the hike is through relatively easy terrain in the forest.
Though only a short distance from the parking area, Dawson Brook Falls is well worth the travel. The gorgeous 35-foot waterfall is steep, and following the brook will lead to another noteworthy, smaller waterfall.
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 1.1 km (out and back)
Suggested Duration: 30 minutes to an hour
Signage: Signs throughout
Facilities: Small parking area
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Key Features Of Dawson Brook Falls
- Passes through a mix of forested sections and streams
- Leads to the scenic waterfall known as Dawson Brook Falls
- The waterfall is a popular spot for picnicking and relaxation
- Dog-friendly
Facilities And Services
- Small Parking Lot
Before You Start Hiking Dawson Brook Falls
While Dawson Brook Falls is a short hike, there are a few things to note before you begin. First is that the trailhead for Dawson Brook Falls is on a dirt road adjacent to Highway 101. There is a small area at the beginning for parking.
The hike begins on a groomed gravel road. Once you reach a fork in the road, take a right (opposite of where the arrow is pointing) to reach the main trail. The red arrow will still take you to the falls just through an alternative route.
This trail does eventually turn into a groomed backcountry trail. There are some muddy areas to be aware of, but not much.
There are little to no trail markers throughout this hike, although the trail itself is easy to follow and well-travelled. When in doubt, it is never a bad idea to download a map or print one off if you are not familiar with the area.
Spence Managed Forest manages the trail. Please respect and follow the rules they have set in place for the area.
- Pack out what you pack in. In addition, pick up any items that you find that do not belong in the woods.
- No open fires
- No tenting or overnight camping
- No cutting trees to make temporary structures (e.g., benches)
- Stay on the trails
- Obey signs (they have ongoing forestry operations in the area and enforce this to keep hikers safe)
- No motorized vehicles on the falls trails
While Dawson Brook Falls is known for its beautiful double waterfall, if you continue past these falls and follow the trail along the river, you will find a few additional smaller waterfalls. This additional hiking is not included in the trail length of 1.1 kilometres noted above.
Our Experience Hiking Dawson Brook Falls
Waterfalls are always best in the springtime, so we made our way to Dawson Brook Falls in early April. The weather was a bit chilly, and there was overcast, though the thaw in this part of the province had already come to pass.
Getting to the trail was easy, following our GPS. A few photographers were already at the parking area as we arrived, so we knew this hike would be picturesque.
We parked our car and began our walk to the falls on the old logging/ATV road. We quickly came to a split, where, as we mentioned, we took a right. This would lead us to the beginning of the forest trail toward the waterfall.
Part of hiking in the springtime is dealing with the additional muddiness of the trails. This trail, however, was remarkably dry given the time of year and proximity to the water of Dawson Brook.
As fans of hiking, we wished the trail was longer. It’s noticeably trafficked, making it easy to follow, and it was a joy to hike through. From the beginning of the wooded area trail to the waterfall is only about 200 meters.
Before long, we arrived at Dawson Brook Falls. We took in the view for quite some time, appreciating the powerful flow of the water. As the other visitors left, we moved over to snap some photos for the blog. Here is one of the waterfalls, taken from a popular angle (the same angle that sparked our interest in this hike in the first place).
Having driven out to Ellershouse, we had other hikes planned for the day. However, we decided to make this short hike a bit longer as well. The best part about waterfalls and rivers/brooks/etc. Is that they’re easy to follow and often offer more than one waterfall.
And so we followed Dawson Brook downstream, partly making our own path and partly following what seemed to be previously trekked through. Of course, we couldn’t be the only ones with the idea of chasing more waterfalls downstream.
Looking back at the AllTrails app, we turned this 1 km hike into 2 km by following the Brook. We didn’t have to trek too far along the brook to find a second waterfall. This second waterfall wasn’t as tall but was certainly worth the additional hiking.
Making our way back to the parking area took little time at all. Even with our admiration of the falls and the additional adventure, we were still well under an hour on this hike.
We would recommend this hike to anyone interested in seeing a beautiful waterfall. However, as a hike itself, it leaves something (distance/difficulty) to be desired. All around, it was a great excursion, though we would travel from this hike to Falmouth for more hiking on the day.
Checklists And Recommended Gear
While Dawson Brook Falls is a short hike, we still recommend bringing some gear with you.
Click on the highlighted items to view the prices of our recommended gear.
- Water Bottle
- Hiking shoes – Women’s // Men’s
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Sun hat
- Camera
- Trail map (optional)
- Cascade Hiking Poles (optional)
- Atlantick Tick Removal Tool Kit
Related Hikes
WATERFALLS IN NOVA SCOTIA
- Baxters Harbour Falls & Black Hole Falls (Baxters Harbour, Nova Scotia)
- Liscomb River Trail (Liscomb Mills, Nova Scotia)
- Victoria Park (Truro, Nova Scotia)
- Phantom Falls (Fantum Falls) (Nova Scotia, Canada)
- Uisge Ban Falls (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia)
- Horse Pasture Brook Falls (Wentworth, Nova Scotia)
- Fairy Hole (Cape Dauphin, Nova Scotia)
