Meat Cove

Meat Cove is the last settlement on Cape Breton, a few dozen people at the end of about eight kilometres of gravel road cut into the slope above the water, with no services beyond a campground and a small chowder hut. The campground sits on a headland with the Gulf of St. Lawrence on one side and cliffs falling away below the tents, which is why photographs of it circulate widely. Whales pass close inshore, and the coastal hiking includes routes to Cape St. Lawrence and up Meat Cove Mountain. The road is narrow with drops and no barrier for much of its length.

What you actually see

• The clifftop campground - tents on a headland above the gulf.
• The gravel approach - eight kilometres of unpaved road cut into the slope.
• The whales - pilot whales and minkes passing close to shore.
• The hiking - routes to Cape St. Lawrence and the mountain above.

When to go

June to September; the road and campground close for winter and the hamlet is largely cut off. Fog is common. The chowder hut and campground are seasonal.

Honest expectations

The access road is narrow gravel with unguarded drops and frightens some drivers; it is not suitable for large RVs. There are no shops, fuel or cell coverage. Everything closes in winter.

Nearby

The Cabot Trail lies south; Bay St. Lawrence is on the way in.