Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Hike in One of Nova Scotia's Hidden Gems


Photo by Dave the Haligonian

Terance Bay is one of the hidden gems of Nova Scotia.

To find it you take route 333 on the northeast side of the Chebucto peninsula and turn left on the road to Terance Bay. It is signed. When you come to the end you are there.

Start your hike with a visit to the HMS Atlantic Interpretation Centre to learn the history of the wreck of that ship and the village's involvement it the rescue of its passengers on April 1 1873.

Then follow the path down to the boardwalk along the ocean's edge. Along the way you will see grave markers covered by brush - take the time to explore this area a bit - you will learn a lot about local history by reading the grave markers.

When you arrive at the boardwalk you will see stone cliffs across the bay. A lot of the older buildings in Halifax were built using stone from these cliffs. Ships were moored at the water's edge and the stone was cut and lowered directly onto the ship for transport to the city.

The gazebo that is part of the boardwalk makes a great picnic site.

After your picnic follow the boardwalk around to the end and then spend some time exploring the village and the coastline. While there are no formal hiking trails the coastline is part of the Terance Bay Wilderness Area and offers outstanding hiking opportunities. Just wander and enjoy yourself. You could call it "free-form hiking".

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