Cape Chignecto

Cape Chignecto covers about forty-two square kilometres of undeveloped coast on the Bay of Fundy, with cliffs reaching one hundred and eighty-five metres and a fifty-one kilometre loop trail that takes three to four days. The Three Sisters are sea stacks off the cape, and the tides here are among the highest in the world, so several sections of the coastal route are passable only at low water; tide tables are mandatory equipment. The rock holds semi-precious stones, and the shore below Cape d'Or has yielded agate and amethyst. Backcountry sites are basic with no facilities beyond a privy.

What you actually see

• The Three Sisters - sea stacks standing off the cape.
• The 51-kilometre loop - a three to four day coastal wilderness route.
• The tidal sections - beach stretches passable only at low water.
• The 185-metre cliffs - the highest on the Nova Scotia mainland.

When to go

June to September; the trail is closed or unmaintained in winter. Tide tables govern several sections and misjudging them has stranded hikers against cliffs.

Honest expectations

The loop is genuinely demanding with steep climbs and tidal timing, not a casual walk. There is no cell coverage and rescue is slow. Registration is required and enforced.

Nearby

Joggins lies northeast; Five Islands is east.