Ingonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
“I have traveled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes, the Alps, and the Highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty Cape Breton outrivals them all.” – Alexander Graham Bell
Well, I’ve traveled the globe and seen all those places too. Cape Breton is definitely beautiful, but I wouldn’t go quite as far as Bell. After all, the highest point in the province, White Hill in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, is actually only 1,750 feet (535 meters), not even as high as the highest point in New Jersey. Still, though, along with Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, Cape Breton is one of the scenic highlights of the Canadian Maritime provinces.
I initially incorrectly dated my family’s road trip to eastern Canada to 1981, but my brother corrected me that it was actually in 1984, something of which he was certain because he recalls watching the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics on TV in some of our hotel rooms along the way. I trust his superior memory. What I do recall, though, was driving the Cabot Trail, or at least sitting in the back seat of the car on the Cabot Trail through Cape Breton Highlands.
The Cabot Trail is the 185-mile loop drive through the most scenic northwestern part of Cape Breton Island focusing on the national park and is considered one of the most scenic road trips in North America and the world. While not as spectacular as higher mountain drives, the Cabot Trail’s draw is its unique mix of mountain, forest, and seaside views.
The rain cleared out Tuesday morning and gave way to a bright blustery day, stunning for exploring the coastal area around Ingonish on the eastern side of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The park has extensive trails through the interior and to some peak viewpoints, but the vegetation is such that I’m sure most of these are walks in the woods. I decided to hit a coastal walk instead on the Middle Head Trail, a three-mile walk out to the end of a narrow point of land that separates North and South Ingonish Bays.
The Keltic Lodge is located on the Middle Head Peninsula and is one of those grand old turn-of-the-twentieth century hotels similar to the great national park lodges or the Mount Washington Hotel in New Hampshire. Places like that are interesting to poke around a little even though I could never justify the cost of staying at one. Well, sort of. I identified a far corner of the lodge’s parking lot as an ideal place to car camp, still within range of the lodge’s WiFi, its lounge with live entertainment a great place to have beer before bedtime, and the huge breakfast buffet a great way to start off the next day.
2025-05-23