Kejimkujik National Park

About this place

Kejimkujik National Park covers about 404 square kilometres in the south-west of the Nova Scotia peninsula, and its large inland section lies about 42 km in a straight line south-east of Annapolis Royal. It consists of two separate areas: a large inland portion and a coastal section on the Atlantic called Kejimkujik Seaside. Kejimkujik is the only heritage site in Canada designated as both a national park and a national historic site across its whole landscape, since 1994. It is a Mi'kmaq cultural landscape of forested uplands, with petroglyph sites, old habitation sites, hunting grounds and ancient travel routes, especially canoe routes, some dating back millennia. It is also the core of UNESCO's Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve and a dark sky preserve. Kejimkujik Lake and many other lakes linked by quiet rivers stretch between dense forests of pine, hemlock and maple that turn red and orange in autumn. Floating bridges and boardwalks cross the water, clouds mirror on the lakes on still days, and on the coast the Harbour Rocks trail leads to rocky shores draped in seaweed, where seals bask. A park entry fee applies, and canoeing on the lakes is the best-known activity. The nights here are very dark, ideal for stargazing, and autumn is one of the loveliest seasons for colour.