Wallace Bay Wildlife Area Trail

Wallace Bay Wildlife Area Trail is a 4 k loop  off the Aboiteau Road in Wallace Bay. It is close to Pugwash. There is a small parking area near this sign on the left hand side of the road.

We did this trail last fall and it was gorgeous! This would be my third favorite trail that I've done in NS thus far, just behind the Skyline Trail in Cape Breton and the loop at Taylor Head Beach. Fall is the time to see this trail but remember to wear hunter orange during hunting season because it is popular with duck hunters.

Here is a picture of the road coming up to the trail (there isn't even a power line to mar the view),

and the water you see on either side of you just past the trail.

Here is what you can expect on the trail. 

The first part of the trail looks like this, very easy going. And this is what you can see on either side of you,

This is the first section of the trail, you can turn around at this point and go back or follow a much less followed trail that hasn't been maintained in quite a while. We decided to do the entire loop and didn't find it too difficult to follow. At some points you can glimpse the water but for the most part it is a forest trail.

As you can see I was a little bit obsessed with how gorgeous the colored leaves were. 

In some places you could see this blue bird marking the trail but I think they must have been from an old marking system, as we only saw a few.

There was also this little bridge over a stream. I was surprised to see it since this part of the trail wasn't being maintained. 

There were plenty of berry trees, which were humming with birds. We even came across an apple tree and each ate one, which seemed even more delicious for having picked them ourselves.

I really enjoyed the sun shining through the trees, the sounds of the birds, the multitude of dragon flies and the leaves crunching underfoot. 

I know I've showed an abundance of photos so far but here are a few more.

I can't express how much I enjoyed this trail. If you go check it out for yourself, here are a few more pictures of what you will see on the drive there.

Taylor Head Beach

This is a lovely beach and picnic park that friends showed us last summer. 

Here is what you can expect to see on the drive in,

This summer we decided to go back to do one of the walking trails.

 We choose the figure eight trail that ran along the ocean. Spry Bay Trail and Headland Trail which is a total of 8 K. There had been a storm the day before so the ground was a bit wet in places and the waves were putting on a show. This is one of the trails we liked best of all the ones we have done in NS.

Here is the view just  a bit into the trail.

The terrain can be quite rough in spots.

And then you get into a bit of forest,

The trail starts off as a forest trail with glimpses of waterfront around every turn, 

then there is this strange little spot,

before it opens up on an open hill with the water far below, 

goes into a rock covered beach 

which is very difficult to walk on 

and then returns back through the forest.

This is the wildlife that I saw that day:

There are a couple of parking lots in the area with picnic tables. It is a great place to BBQ for lunch after a hike.

Afterwards you can take a dip in the gorgeous beach,