Hiking the Skyline Trail on the Cabot Trail

Baddeck, Canada

Today, the weather was great, so I headed back up the Cabot Trail to one of the premier hikes in the National Park, Skyline Trail.

The hike goes out to the headland at the north end of one of the most iconic views along the Cabot Trail. It’s an easy hike, since it’s mostly flat (except the last bit) and is well maintained and marked. There are even boardwalks along some swampy areas and to keep hikers off the fragile vegetation. It’s 7.5 km and took 2 and a half hours including my lunch break at the headlands.

There were benches all along the path at the headland and I took advantage of one to both rest my weary bones and enjoy a sandwich. Best picnic spot ever! Take a look at the video of my view.

There were lots of people on the trail and at the headland and one nice couple fell for my offer to have me take a picture of the two of them and they of course offered to take mine.

The moose on Cape Breton Island number almost higher than the people, and along this trail there is evidence of them all over although I didn’t see one today nor did any of the hikers I spoke to along the way. Hoof prints, droppings and the destruction of the forest along the trail but no moose. They have eaten the new tree growth along the trail and elsewhere in the park so that it’s turned to grasslands. The Parks folks have taken on a project to try to regenerate the forests along the pathway by building a compound along the trail with gates through which hikers can go but not moose unless they can do the limbo.

See the rest of the pics below. You don’t get a good idea of the magnificence of the views.

Great final day on Cape Breton. Tomorrow on to province number 3 – Prince Edward Island.