Nova Scotia is not only the Fundy shore. On the Bay of Fundy side, the tides take the beach away and give it back every day, and red cliffs stand in the tide line — that is Cape Chignecto and Cape Split country. Cross to the Atlantic side and the same province turns to white sand, like Crystal Crescent Beach. North again, and the coast rises toward Cape Breton. One province, several different seas; it rewards slow travel.
136 parks are designated under the Provincial Parks Act. This guide is adding the province’s 20 camping parks and key day-use parks first, beginning with the two parks below; each park’s own page carries its trails, camping, alerts, and land acknowledgement, verified park by park.
Symbols of the province
- Provincial flower: Mayflower.
- Provincial bird: Osprey.
- Provincial tree: Red Spruce.
- Provincial fish: Brook Trout.
- Gemstone: Agate.
- Mineral: Stilbite.
- Motto: Munit haec et altera vincit (“One defends and the other conquers”).
Start with these parks
Cape Chignecto
A 52 km loop rated Difficult in the province’s own words, along red cliffs above the world’s highest tides.
Cape Split
A headland walk out into the Bay of Fundy, where the tide runs hard past the tip.
Both starting parks are Fundy parks. This guide is growing park by park: Atlantic white-sand parks such as Crystal Crescent Beach, and Blomidon, Five Islands, and the Cape Breton parks, will be added as their pages are verified.
Good to know
During wildfire season (March 15 to October 15), burn rules are set daily — campfires are banned from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and always in day-use parks and on beaches. Always check the official daily burn map and park advisories before you go. Cliff edges along the Fundy coast are eroding; stay behind fences and railings.
Data and sources
Park information is compiled from Nova Scotia Provincial Parks and Government of Nova Scotia sources. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Nova Scotia. NStrails is an independent guide, not a government website.