Biking and hiking are our favorite outdoor activities. We aren't really avid bikers or hikers, but if the weather is nice, we always look for a good trail to bike or hike on. Nova Scotia is a great place for outdoor lovers. The weather is pretty mild in all seasons, and the province provides many well-kept trails for its residents. Nathan and I brought our fold-able bikes with us when moving to Canada, so we often took the opportunity in the summer and fall to explore the beautiful province on our two wheels. Check out this great website for a list of trails in and around Halifax:
http://www.halifaxtrails.ca/index_files/TrailList.htm
Atlantic View Trail
The Atlantic View Trail is the first trail we ever biked on in NS. It's relatively flat the whole 9.1 km. Nathan and I always parked our car at Lawrencetown Beach's parking lot and started our trail there. Toward the east, the trail goes along the coast a bit before it turns inland and ends at the start of Blueberry Run Trail (10 km). Toward the west, the trail goes flat through some beautiful lakes, and it ends at the beginning of Salt Marsh Trail (7.5 km), which is my favorite.
Salt Marsh Trail
Salt Marsh Trail runs only 7.5 km and is super flat the entire way. Nathan and I love this trail the most because it has breathtaking scenery along the entire trail. It was a former railway transformed into a hiking/biking trail, and it is very well-marked, well-maintained by a volunteer trail patrol. The easiest way to get to this trail is to park at Lawrencetown Beach and start biking on Atlantic View Trail which then takes you to Salt Marsh Trail.
http://www.halifaxtrails.ca/index_files/SaltMarsh.htm
Long Lake Trail
In the fall, Nathan and I wanted to bike in a park and see some fall foliage, so I googled a possible trail to bike on. I found Long Lake Trail and mistook it as a biking trail. It turned out that it wasn't for biking at all since the trail is quite rocky and uneven. A mountain bike might do better, but we didn't have mountain bikes. Anyway, the trail was very beautiful with a clear lake and colorful leaves on the ground. There were many locals walking their dogs in the park and some were hiking and doing photography. I think Long Lake Park is definitely the place to go for the fall foliage.
Later Nathan and I went back on this trail in the spring to do some hiking. It was very muddy and we didn't really know what to expect to find on the trail. There were many unmarked trails leading to the deeper woods, and we just randomly picked a trail along the lake. We met a friendly hiker who told us about a waterfall located about half an hour from the trail-head and we went for it. It has a nice little pool and a great flow of water. I think it's better to go in the summer when the trails aren't too muddy, but the downside is that the waterfall might not have any water either.
http://www.halifaxtrails.ca/index_files/LongLake.htm
Point Pleasant Park
Point Pleasant Park is conveniently located not too far from Halifax's Downtown. It's another park worth going to during the fall to see some colorful leaves. Generally you aren't allowed to bike in the park, but there are certain days/hours when biking is allowed. So read the sign at the entrance for information. Free parking is also available at the entrance.
http://www.halifaxtrails.ca/index_files/PPP.htm
BLT and Chain of Lakes Trails
BLT Trail is about 13 km and Chain of Lakes Trail is 7.3 km. There is a small parking lot where the two trails connect, so you can park there and decided which trail you like to go on first. BLT Trail is generally flat with lose gravel, while Chain of Lakes Trail is bigger and paved with concrete. I personally like both trails and I wish I had found them earlier in the fall so that I could see more colors on the trees along the trails.
http://www.halifaxtrails.ca/index_files/BLT.htm
http://www.halifaxtrails.ca/index_files/ChainOfLakes.htm
Crystal Crescent Trail
This is the only hiking Nathan and I did around Halifax. The trail starts at Crystal Crescent Beach, so you can park at the parking lot there and walk on the boardwalk till you get to the trail head. There wasn't clear signage anywhere on the trail, but you will see a lot of people walking, so just follow the crowd. This trail is actually a loop; the bigger loop is 13 km, and the smaller loop is 8.4 km. Since you have to navigate the trail on your own, you had better plan a full day there. Nathan and I picked the smaller loop and started hiking along the coast first, but once it came to where we needed to turn inland for the loop back, we couldn't find the trail. There were some blue spots marked on the rocks along the trail, but that didn't help either. So we decided to just walk back to where we came from.
Beware of some secluded beaches with nude sun-bathers. You don't want to point your camera randomly at them. Respect their privacy and keep walking on.
Crystal Crescent Beach is the most beautiful beach I have seen around Halifax. The trail is also very well worth the hike. The vegetation is very diverse and the view of the ocean is amazing. We didn't see much wildlife though...just a tiny frog and a green snake.
http://www.halifaxtrails.ca/index_files/CrystalCrescentTrail.htm
Duncans Cove Trail
Duncans Cove Trail is one of the must-hike trails around Halifax. Nathan and I went hiking on this trail one day in April when nothing was green yet, but the weather was unusually warm. We parked along the Duncans Cove Road and walked on Gannet Ln, a private road, toward the trail-head. This trail is about 8 km round-trip, and we took about 2.5 hours slowly walking on the rocky, muddy trails. The scenery of the ocean and the rocky coast was stunning! We found the WWII era lookout station on top of a hill and that was our turning point to head back to the trail head. If I lived in Halifax longer, I would definitely go back there in the summer and fall. :-)
http://www.halifaxtrails.ca/index_files/DuncansCove.htm
