0.2km – 10-15mins – all skill levels
A charming, short loop suitable for families to explore this little wetland by the river. There are eight interpretive signs which tell you about some of the predators who live here. A raised platform provides a viewing scope to look for beavers and ducks.
2km return – 45mins – hiking – some gentle hills
Start at the back door of the Visitor Centre and walk downstream along the bank of the Mersey River. Observe the sheer power of Mill Falls in the spring from the viewing area by the picnic shelter or stop in the summer for a cool spot to picnic. Continue to the end of the trail to enjoy the quieter places in the river. For a self-guided experience on this trail try Explora, a hand held GPS device that provides you with location based information as you hike.
2.2km loop – 50-60mins – hiking – hill
This trail starts with a floating bridge across the Mersey River and makes a wide circle up and over a drumlin hill. Drumlins are steep on one side and gently sloping on the other. The top of this drumlin is clothed in beeches, bright green and full of warblers in the spring, soft brown and loaded with beechnuts in the fall. For a self-guided experience on this trail try Explora, a hand held GPS device that provides you with location based information as you hike.
1km – 30mins – hiking – easy
Follow the lazy Mersey River and stop to rest where it meets gnarled tree roots. Cross the bog on the boardwalk, returning to the rippling river and then on to an old sweet-fern lined logging road.
5km loop – 1.5-2hours – hiking – level trail
Among Nova Scotia’s oldest trees are the 300-year old hemlocks featured on this trail. As you move into the stand of tall, stately conifers, notice how different it feels under the thick-leafed canopy: cool and dark and moist. A hemlock boardwalk will take you over the very sensitive roots of these giants.
1.1km loop – 30mins – hiking
Travel back into Keji’s past with a walk to an old drumlin farm. Drumlins, eliptical hills, were formed many thousands of years ago during glacial periods. In the 19th Century they attracted settlers who built their farms on the top. Walk through the forest in the trail of ancient glaciers and search for evidence of the old farm.
1km loop – 30mins – hiking
The trail may be short, but there’s so much to see as you explore the Rogers Brook trail. You will cross Rogers Brook and follow the Mersey River along a red maple floodplain. Vibrant in autumn, the floodplain is teeming with life all year. Watch for turtles and amphibians and nesting waterfowl.
two 1.6km loops – 45-60mins each – hiking
Gnarled beeches provide colour in all seasons on this gentle trail. In the early spring last year’s pale leaves catch the sun and rustle in the breeze. Soon they give way to spring green, and then darken to provide pleasant summer shade. Look carefully and you can spot an ancient hemlock amongst them. In some places Grafton Lake can be glimpsed through the trees. A short boardwalk lets you cross the wetland where bog plants grow and small birds forage.
0.4km return – 15mins – hiking
Take a few minutes to stroll across the brook and stand where the lakeshore used to be. Once, there was a dam on Grafton Brook to allow for a fish hatchery. When the dam was removed and the lake shrank to its old shores, the forest began to march back in, reclaiming the space. Interpretive panels here help to explain what you are seeing.
3km return – 45-60mins – hiking
Variety is the name of the game at Snake Lake. You can walk this figure eight trail a different way each time, and hardwoods, softwoods, wetlands and the lakeshore are each home to different birds and animals.
3km return – 45-60mins – hiking
The signs and exhibits on this trail tell the story of gold mining long before there was a park here. Relics demonstrate where and how the gold was mined, and local miners’ stories bring it all to life. The promise of gold is in the air!
3km return – 45-60mins – hiking/biking – gentle hills
This is a multi-use trail so watch for bikers. Birds love this area for its variety of habitats: red and sugar maple and hemlock. People love this area for its secluded sandy point. As the trail opens onto the lake, close your eyes and imagine the cottage that once stood there. Wonderful swimming spot (no lifeguards on duty).
3.5km one way – 1-1.25 hours one way – hiking/biking – hills
This is a multi-use trail so watch for bikers. Follow the river’s edge to see the Mersey in all its different moods. From the trail’s parking and picnic area, head along the river, up into the darker woods, and back to quiet, still Mersey pools. Listen to the swish of the lush grasses as you pass through. The trail forks as you near the campground; you can continue around Slapfoot trail or walk your bike over the floating bridge and the canoeists at Jakes Landing and continue to Merrymakedge Beach.
3.2km one way – 1-1.25hours one way – hiking/biking – some hilly spots
This is a busy multi-use trail so watch for bikers. You can start from Meadow Beach, various points in Jeremys Bay campground, or Jim Charles Point. Join the Mersey trail or the trail to Merrymakedge. The views of the lakeshore change with the season and the weather. Every turn brings something new.
3km one way – 60mins – hiking/biking – some steep hills
This is a multi-use trail so watch for bikers. The trail begins at the far end of the Jakes Landing parking lot, and climbs steeply through scattered granite boulders. This is a good place to watch for pileated woodpeckers. Enveloped in trees, you will pass by the viewing tower exhibit and continue to Merrymakedge playground. From here the trail follows the lakeshore, flat and easy, to the canteen and the beach at Merrymakedge.
