With the current travel restrictions still in place we are seeing people wanting to explore and travel around our province this winter. For those of you looking to visit the Cabot Trail, here are some suggestions of some great, budget friendly day trips.
North Highlands Nordic
North Highlands Nordic Ski Club (NHN) was founded in 1977 by a small group of enthusiastic cross-country skiers, who shared a love of winter and of the incredible scenery in the Northeast Highlands Area of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.
Last winter I had the opportunity to meet the lovely crew at NHN during the winter Creatives Weekend. I hadn’t been on a set of skis since around 10 years old, so it took a fair bit or time to knock off the rust. The staff were super easy going, helped us get kitted out and gave us an easy tutorial to get started. Luckily, they were patient... very patient.
NHN has a large network of trails with varying difficulties that are all groomed so you shouldn’t get lost. Well, let’s hope not. If you have your own gear it’s only $15 for the day and if you don’t have gear, rentals are only $15 as well. $30 for a full day on the trails? Not bad! They also have a wood stove heated lodge for you to grab lunch and warm up with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
If you’d like to check out more info just check out their website.
Extra note: NHN is located right beside North Highlands Hostel so it is a great place to stay during your trip.
2. Ski Tuonela
“Ski Tuonela is the Maritimes only serviced Telemark ski area. The Ski Village is a 4 km ski-in from the Cabot Trail. Ski Tuonela offers awesome backcountry/outback skiing with a gladed Telemark hill with a 1400′ run over a 400′ vertical, 18 km of cross country trails, equipment rentals, chalet accommodations, and sauna.”
This was another one of the locations we explored for our winter creatives weekend last year. I mean, how could we not?! Ski Tuonela is one of the more unique winter destinations on the island. They’ve got a pretty cool set up with tons of trails and some pretty cool accommodations.
Day passes are $15 per person or $20 per couple. Rentals are only $20 for the day, so yet another budget-friendly day trip to make on Cape Breton Island. Check out their website for more information and how to book.
3. Hike Franey Mountain
The park might be closed for winter but that doesn’t mean you can explore some of the trails in all of their winter glory. Now, hiking Franey can be a little challenging depending on the weather conditions, but it is always worth the climb. If you want an added challenge, do it for sunrise. This does mean waking up when you rather be sleeping, but there’s something to be said about getting in a solid 8km snowshoe hike before most have even had a chance to get their morning coffee in.
Please note: To hike Franey in the winter, you won’t be able to drive up to the trailhead because it won’t be plowed. Park down on the road and hike to the trailhead. It adds some extra time and work but, as we said, Franey is always worth it.
4. Hike Tenerife
Tenerife is another one of Cape Breton’s hidden gems that have made it onto people’s radars during the last year. This summer Tenerife saw dozens of people hike their way to her top to take in the gorgeous view. With mountains sloping down to your right and the ocean to your left, Tenerife isn’t something to miss out on. If you’ve done this hike before, you know that it is a pretty steep, steady climb up. Definitely wear your snowshoes and be cautious at the top. It can be difficult to see the edge of the peak so be extremely careful once you’re up there but brave it in the winter to experience some unforgettable sights.
Note: Some winters the parking lot may be plowed out to park, other winters it may not. If it’s not, you’ll have to park in the nearest parking lot or plowed road for safety. Try to make sure all four tires are off the road and then walk your way to the trailhead which is marked by orange flagging tape.
You can find directions, pictures, and more information about Tenerife here.
5. Ski Cape Smokey
Hit the hills at our local ski Cape Smokey. It was recently bought by new owners and opened to the public. Although part of the hill is currently under construction, the lodge and park of the hill is open to the public. They have great prices, a lodge to eat and stay warm and stunning views of Ingonish harbour. With day passes being only $7.99 and gear rentals at $15.99, it’s a great, low cost, trip to take! You can also purchase everything and fill out your forms online to make the trip quicker and easier.
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