Backcountry Hiking right in Halifax's Backyard: Bluff Wilderness

I have been anxious to check out Bluff Wilderness Trails for some time now but have not been sure how challenging it might be with a wee one coming along! So what better way to find out than to go check it out? Well, today my husband and I magically both had the day off while H was at daycare, so we went hiking! (We chose to go just the two of us to evaluate how we would want to plan a trip with our wee one and to enjoy some time just the two of us!) We hiked 2 of the 4 loops: Pot Lake Loop and Indian Hill Loop, totaling 18 km. At the end of the day our legs were sore but our minds were rejuvenated with beautiful landscapes!

To get to the trailhead, I do not recommend following Michael Hayne's guide nor using Google maps for "Bluff Wilderness Trail". Basically, coming from Halifax, it will take 15 to 20 minutes. You want to:

-Take the Highway 102

-Take Exit 1A (Peggy's Cove-South Shore)

-Take Exit 4 (Hubley-Timberlea)

-Turn RIGHT onto St Margaret's Bay Rd.

-Drive 2 km

-Trailhead parking on the right beside Bay Self Storage

Okay, so onto the real question: how accessible is this hike for wee ones? Well, it is a difficult hiking terrain (lots of boulders, roots, rocks, some log crossings). So most obviously this is NOT a stroller hike. For babies, you would want to wear them securely. For toddlers, you should consider a mix of a kid carrier and your toddler walking. For older kids, this will be a fun challenge for them to walk themselves. Your hiking speed will be considerably slower with kids along, so I would recommend trying only the first loop (Pot Lake Loop) to begin.

Orienteering on this trail however is quite simple. The trails are colour-coded with markers throughout. There are many barren areas where you cross over boulders, and black arrows on the rock point you in the needed direction. There are also maps where each loop meets (at any intersection of trail) and a detailed downloadable map here. No worries about getting lost in the backcountry here, but bring your map & compass just in case!

Blue trail marker (on the right) showing the way through some boulderous terrain.

Arrows denoting the direction to hike.

We were so amazed that this escape to nature has been so close by and we have not taken advantage in the past. It is astonishing, and if you don't believe me, see for yourself!

Frog Pond Trail (Dingle Park, NS)

Here you can tell why it's called Frog Pond. So many lily pads!!

This hike is beautiful, close for city folk, and easy enough for beginner hikers! It is about 10-15 minutes from downtown Halifax. We go in all seasons. If you are using a stroller, the trail is very accessible. If you are using a child carrier you can go off trail more and check out some of the really neat side paths and boulders. 

Our wee one is 28 months old, so what we found to be perfect was pushing her in the jogging stroller. While she napped, my partner and I sat by the water and enjoyed reading our books. When she was awake, we were wondering off the trail exploring!

We loved seeing all the colourful plants and animals! H loved seeing the squirrel up close!

But most of all, she loved the ducks! It is like a toddler's paradise, getting up close to SO MANY duckies!

Awesome Day Hike for Babywearing Mamas & Papas (Hopewell Rocks, NB)

An awesome family hike (and also a visit to a famous tourist destination) is the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick. It is a fairly easy hike, but not one that allows for strollers as you will be walking on the ocean floor! It is perfect for those using front or back child carriers. We used our Deuter Kid ComfortIII. It was fantastic! The hike in is on a very wide, very well maintained trail. It was beautiful! There were a few steep areas off the main trail that allowed you to look out at various rock formations. At the end of the trail is a very large staircase down to the ocean floor.

What we found ideal was to hike in at high-ish tide and take in the view of the rocks semi-submersed, have a picnic lunch, then when the tide was low head down to walk on the ocean floor! It was perfect! Our wee one was 15 months when we did it, and even at that age, she loved seeing the rocks and water. After hiking from the stairs past Diamond Rock, H was asleep on my back so it was a nice time to take it in and chat with my partner.

All in all, I would say plan a whole day for it; take your time. Have a picnic, play in the play area, enjoy the mystical scenery of the Fundy tides! Not just anywhere can you walk past rocks as tall as buildings with seaweed taller than yourself! 

This Hike Rocks! (Polly’s Cove, NS)

This past weekend we did a really great day hike! I had been meaning to go for some time now, and we finally got out there: Polly’s Cove. For those of you who aren’t familiar, I would love to fill you in on the secret! This hike is located 4 minutes from the famous Nova Scotia tourist destination Peggy’s Cove. There is a description of it in the Trails of Halifax Regional Municipality book, which, if you don’t have, I highly recommend picking up if you live in or near the HRM! The information for Polly’s Cove is very accurate. However, there are directions coming from Halifax, but not from Peggy’s Cove which we decided to check out first (our wee one—from here on out known as H—had not yet been and LOVED it! She has not stopped talking about “giant rocks and water” all week.). So if you are like us and are coming from Peggy’s Cove, it is simply 3-4 minutes’ drive after leaving Peggy’s. As Michael Hayne’s book describes, there is a parking lot that will barely hold three cars and the trail in unmarked. Easy to miss, so be on the lookout!

We parked and loaded our 30lbs 2-year-old in our backpack carrier. This is definitely not a stroller hike; to make the most of it, you will want to wear wee ones in a secure frontpack or—ideally—backpack. We have a Deuter Kid Comfort III carrier, which is fantastic! Sadly they cost a small fortune, but we purchased ours for cheap one year at an MEC gear swap. Older kiddos (toddlers/preschoolers and up) could walk a lot of it with help from an adult and some carrying when they've tired.

Off we went! The trail inwards is pretty linear and not too challenging but the terrain is uneven in places. At this point we let H out of the backpack. There are several short offshoots to the trail, which are great for kids to explore. We found Northern pitcher plants and explored them in awe for some time—I am totally fascinated by carnivorous plants! For the rest of the hike H looked at various things on the ground (dirt, rocks, grass, whatever!) and imitated Mama's excitement over the pitcher plants. It is so cool to see how easy it is to teach them to be fascinated by nature.

When you reach the end of the established trail (there will be a foundation to an unfinished building), the fun begins! BOULDERS EVERYWHERE! And a beautiful view of the ocean. Here you can hike around the barrens for quite some time. It is really beautiful! And feels like an epic hike while still being totally do-able with a wee one! Bring a picnic! Enjoy the beauty!