GLENORA FALLS
Glenora Falls, Inverness County
45N06.723  61W21.891
20T E626356 N5107796

photo Robert Pierrynowski

RIVER: McLellans Brook
CLASS: cascade (steep)
SIZE: 60'
RATING: excellent (***1 /2)

TRAIL: none
DISTANCE: 200m
HIKING TIME: 15 minutes
CONDITIONS: challenging

GEOCACHE: none

NS Atlas Page: 12/W3
NS topo map: 011K03 (Lake Ainslie)

photo Ian MacDougall

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Port Hawkesbury, travel north on the TransCanada Highway #105 47.3km to Whycocomagh. Turn left onto HWY252 towards Mabou and follow this highway 3.7km, then turn left to remain on HWY252 (signed for Mabou). Drive 23.1km to the conclusion of this road and turn right onto HWY19 (towards Inverness/Cheticamp). Drive up this road 4.6km and turn left on Glenora Falls Road. Drive about 500, to the bridge over McLellans Brook and park off the road.

photo Benoit Lalonde 

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: hike downstream along the brook 200m to the top of the falls. There is a faint trail that descends to the base of the gorge but is very dangerous. Best bet is to continue downstream along the edge of the gorge until you find a suitable descent to the brook below and make your way back upstream to the base of the falls.

The community of Glenora Falls is home to the Glenora Distillery, which began making North America's first single malt whisky in 1990. Since that time, this award winning distillery has added an inn and chalets for tourists, a pub and restaraunt, and features guided tours of the distillery hourly from May thru October from 9AM to 5pm daily.

photo Robert Pierrynowski

BAILEYS FALLS

Ashdale, Hants County

45N00.379  63W54.454

20T E428477 N4984052

photo by Andrew Paul (2014)

RIVER:  Meander River

CLASS: steep cascade

SIZE: 25'

RATING: average (***)

TRAIL: old logging road

DISTANCE: 400m

HIKING TIME: 30 minutes

CONDITIONS: moderate

Geocache: GC3FQB7

NS Atlas Page: 48/V5

NS topo map: 11E04 (Kennetcook)

photo Benoit Lalonde

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Windsor, take EXIT5 off HWY101, eastbound, onto HWY14. Drive 8.6km to the village of Brooklyn and turn left at the war memorial in the middle of the road to remain on this highway. Drive 1km up over the hill and trend right at the intersection across from the Petro Canada gas station to remain on HWY14. Follow this highway 3.8km and turn right onto Ashdale Road (watch for signs for Smiley's Provincial Park) and keep left at the Y-intersection. Drive 4.1km to a dirt road on your right. (WPT: 45N00' 38.5" 63W54' 32.6")  Pull onto this road and park.

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: follow this dirt road to its conclusion, just past a wooden bridge. Continue straight along the trail to the stream and turn left (downstream) Follow the brook about 100m to the top of the falls. The incline of the slope to the base of the falls is fairly steep, but if you follow the animal trails as they switchback down the slope, its a fairly easy descent.

HILLSVALE FALLS
Hillsvale, Hants County
44N57.596  63W51.871
20T E431815 N4978863

RIVER: Meander River

CLASS: chute
SIZE: 10'
RATING: average (***)

TRAIL: none
DISTANCE: 1.2km
HIKING TIME: 1 hour
CONDITIONS: upstream

Geocache: none

NS Atlas Page: 58/V1
NS topo map: 11D13 (Mount Uniacke)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Windsor, take EXIT4 eastbound off HWY101 onto HWY1. Drive 12.7km along this road and turn left onto HWY202 (South Rawdon Road). Follow this road 5.5km and park in the pulloff on the right hand side of the road just past the bridge over the Meander River.

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: hike upstream 1.2km to these small falls. They feature twin chutes carved thru the bedrock of about a 10 foot total vertical drop. During periods of high water, the water overtops the large outcropping next to the falls forming a beautiful cascade over the stone.

ARDOISE FALLS
Ardoise, Hants County
45N57.465  63W56.537
20T E431815 N4978863

RIVER: Weir Brook
CLASS: steep cascades
SIZE: 8', 12'
RATING: average (***)

TRAIL: none
DISTANCE: 500m
HIKING TIME: 45 minutes
CONDITIONS: upstream

Geocache: none

NS Atlas Page: 58/V1
NS topo map: 11D13 (Mount Uniacke)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from WIndsor, take Exit4, eastbound, off HWY101 onto HWY1. Drive down this road 5.9km to Fletcher Road on your right. Turn down this road and follow it 230m to its end. Park here.

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: bushwhack down to the streambed below. The easiest approach is on the left side of the parking area, avoiding the tangle of alders. Once at the brook, pick your way upstream to the first tributary you come across on Weir Brook, where the lower falls are visible. Climb over these small six foot falls and continue upstream to Ardoise Falls about 150m along.

FANTUM FALLS
Dean, Halifax County
45N09.460  62W53.261
20T E508827 N5000471

photo Sylvia Fisher

RIVER: South Branch Musquobodoit River
CLASS: steep cascade
SIZE: 40'
RATING: average (***)

TRAIL: marked trail
DISTANCE: 400m
HIKING TIME: 45 min
CONDITIONS: moderate

GEOCACHE: GC1R558

NS Atlas Page: 50/W2
NS topo map: 011E02 (Upper Musquodoboit)

photo Phil Wilkinson

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Truro, follow HWY102 south 11.5km to EXIT12. Take this exit, eastbound towards Brookfield/Upper Stewiacke on HWY289. Follow this road 27.9km then turn right onto Southside Road at Upper Stewiacke. Follow it 500m and take the first left to remain on this road. Drive 5.8km and turn right onto HWY336. Drive down this highway approximately 10.5km to 45N09.460 62W52.375 and turn right onto a dirt road there. Follow this high-clearance vehicle road about 300m to the marked trailhead. You can alternately park at the gypsum quarry and walk in from there.

PHOTO benoit lalonde

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: follow the trail marked by the "Fantum Falls" sign approximately 400m to the top of the falls and descend the slope into the gorge to the base of the falls. A second set of falls, about 10 feet in height, pushes thru the narrow gorge about 50m upstream from Fantum Falls. Steve Meredith's site shows a total of four falls along this brook, the main falls and three smaller falls of about 5-10 feet in total drop.

photo Benoit Lalonde

photo geoscotians

photo by Andrew Paul (2014)

WENTWORTH FALLS
Wentworth Valley, Cumberland County
45N35.271  63W33.943
20T E455871 N5048412

RIVER: Higgins Brook

CLASS: plunge
SIZE: 55
RATING: excellent (****)
`
TRAIL: old road
DISTANCE: 400m
HIKING TIME: 30 minutes
CONDITIONS: moderate

Geocache: GCVEC8

NS Atlas Page: 28/Z4
NS topo map: 011E12 (Oxford)

photo Benoit Lalonde

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Oxford, travel east on HWY104 8.5km to EXIT7. Take this exit and follow HWY4 southeast 26.6km to Wentworth Valley Hostel on your right. Park here.

photo Sylvia Fisher

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: walk down the highway a few hundred meters further and watch for a wide, clear logging path on your right. Hike up this trail about 400m to the falls. They are also called Higgins Falls or Sylvia Falls.

photo:Catherine Shand (2013)

A beautiful steep cascade that tumbles in many directions across the bedrock, this is an interesting fall in that at the top of the plunge there is a high, clear tunnel that was blasted thru the mountain as a river diversion when they were puttin gin the railroad tracks above. Easily traversed, this tunnel offers a unique viewpoint over the Wentworth Valley.

photo Dennis Rycroft

photo by Tammy Aucoin (2014)

Nearby you will find Ski Wentworth, with over 20 runs of varying difficulty, a half-pipe, moguls and terrain areas. There are also over 10km of groomed cross-country ski trails on top of the mountain. During the summer camping is available at Wentworth Provincial Park nearby.

 photo geoscotians

 photo Robert Pierrynowski

photo Phil Wilkinson

photo:Catherine Shand (2013)

 photo by Tammy Aucoin (2014)

UPPER BURNSIDE FALLS
Burnside, Colchester County
45N18.003  62W58.346
20T E502161 N5016283

RIVER: Pembroke River
CLASS: cascades
SIZE: 20'
RATING: excellent (***1 /2)

TRAIL: improved trail
DISTANCE: 100m
HIKING TIME: 5 min
CONDITIONS: moderate

Geocache: GCG1F8

NS Atlas Page: 40/V4
NS topo map: 011E07 (Hopewell)

photo by geoscotians

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Truro, downtown, travel west on Queen St. and follow this road as it first becomes Salmon River Rd and then becomes Greenfield Rd a total of 8km, then turn left to remain on Greenfield Rd. Continue 5.8km and remain on the same road as it becomes Lilyvale Road another 1.9km. Turn left onto 7216 Road, following it 9.3km, making a left onto MacKay Road. Drive down MacKay Road 2.5km and then turn right onto Pembroke Road. Drive 2.3km watching for the signs for "Burnside Community Park" on your right. Park in the parking lot.

photo by Robert Pierrynowski

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: walk down the stairs to the base of the falls.

Located in an improved picnic park, these powerful falls sit below high cliffs but are highly accessible thanks to the efforts of the local community in improving this park. Picnic tables and outhouses are on-site. The climb back UP the stairs is a calf-burner, though.

 looking up the stairs

photo by geoscotians

looking down the stairs

photo by Robert Pierrynowski

CALLENDER BROOK FALLS

Canaan, Lunenburg County

44N40.334  64W14.485

20T E402779 N4947256

RIVER: Callender Brook

CLASS: cascades

SIZE: 25+4 feet

RATING: average (***)

TRAIL: old road/downstream

DISTANCE: 800m

HIKING TIME: 45 minutes

CONDITIONS: moderate

GEOCACHE: none

NS Atlas Page: 66/X2

NS topo map: 021A09 (Chester)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Chester, drive north on HWY3 1.9km, then turn right onto HWY14 and drive 11.2km to Canaan Road on your right. Turn onto this road and proceed 3.4km and turn right again onto David Collicutt Road. Follow this dirt road to its conclusion, and park off the right side of the road where space is available.

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: follow the old road down the hill and into the woods. The owner of the surrounding property has signs posted so please remain on the road. When you come to a fork in the road, continue along the right hand side and hike down to where the brook flows under the road. The road follows this brook for a hundred or so meters, so you can head down to it any time you feel like it. When you get down to the brook, head downstream to the falls. The woods here are fairly easy to hike thru with moderate deadfall and only a few spots where outcroppings abut the brook that one must navigate along the side of.

Downstream from the main falls are several smaller cascades that are picturesque as well. About 100m from the main falls is another 5 foot cascade (just beyond the crashed car hanging over the edge of the ravine)

NORTH RIVER FALLS
Lower Five Islands, Colchester County
45N26.073 64W04.887
20T E415412 N5031794

RIVER: North River

CLASS:  plunge
SIZE: 60 '
RATING: excellent (****1 /2)

TRAIL: dirt road/trails
DISTANCE: 600m
HIKING TIME: 45 minutes
CONDITIONS: moderate

Geocache: GCV2WX

NS Atlas Page: 37/Z2
NS topo map: 021H08 (Parrsboro)

photo Phil Wilkinson (2007)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: take HWY102 north to its conclusion as it meets HWY104, and take the left lane west towards Amherst/New Brunswick. Drive 16.4km and take the exit towards Glenholme. Turn right at the end of the exit on HWY4 and drive 1.6km. Turn right onto HWY2 (towards Parrsboro) and drive 6.5km to Great Village, turning right at the fork in the road to remain on HWY2 and continue 41.2km to the village of Five Islands. Turn right onto Little York Rd and drive 2.5km watching for an overgrown road on your left. Park here (WPT: 45N25' 52.1" 64W04'16.3")

photo Jeremie Landry

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: follow the old road down the hill, about 900m. Just after you cross a small wooden bridge, watch for a short trail on your left that leads to the ropes that are in place to assist one down into the ravine at the base of the falls. Remember the caveat about using ropes that you have not personally placed when descending. These ropes are exposed to the elements so use caution.

photo Sylvia Fisher

At sixty feet, these are spectacular falls with a deep plunge pool. Breathtaking in scope, this beautiful plunge is one of the prettiest and most impressive waterfalls on mainland Nova Scotia. Nearby, in Five Islands, a tiny hamlet with a population of 300, you can also spend the day at Five Islands Provincial Park. The park features a 90 site campground that is open from June 15-October 8 for the 2012 season. There are also two picnic parks, a rock beach on the Bay of Fundy dominated by 300 foot cliffs, as well as ongoing hosting activities including clam digging, rock hounding and historic walks. 

photo Tammy Aucoin

view over the precipice
photo Phil Wilkinson