WATERFALLS OF NOVA SCOTIA

OLD SANDFORDS BROOK FALLS
West Gore, Hants County
45 N 04.994 63 W 47.893
20T N437180 E4992507

RIVER: Old Sandfords Brook
CLASS: steep cascades
SIZE: 15', 30'
RATING: nice (***)

TRAIL: ATV trail, upstream
DISTANCE: 2.2km
HIKING TIME: 1 hour
CONDITIONS: moderate to difficult

Geocache: none

NS Atlas Page: 48/X4
NS topo map: 011E04 (Kennetcook)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: take Exit 5 off HWY101, east, onto HWY14. Follow this road 8.6km to the village of Brooklyn, and turn left (up the hill) at the war memorial in the middle of the road to remain on HWY14, for 750m. Continue straight at the next intersection (next to the Petro Canada service station, onto HWY215 for 1km and turn right onto HWY236 (towards Kennetcook) and follow this road 19.8km to the community of Clarksville. Turn right towards HWY202/Gore, and fo202llow this road 1.7km. Turn right again onto McInnis Rd/Hwy202. Park off the shoulder of the road in the available space next to the first bridge, about 100m along.

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: Pass thru the gate in the fence onto the old road crossing the field headed upstream. Follow this road 330m to a fork in the tral below an old hunters cabin. Follow the left hand fork, along McInnis Brook. Follow this ATV trail to the confluence with Old Sandford Brook, a tributary coming in from the right. Follow this stream along a more rugged ATV track, making several stream crossings, to the mouth of the ravine and continue hiking upstream, hopping back and forth when the shale walls of the canyon abut the brook.

The larger falls along this brook flow in from a tributary over the steep ravine slope on the right at 45N05.029 63W47.983 and the main falls along this brook are upstream along the ravine at the posted coordinates.

The main falls are about 15' high with a small pool and elbow about halfway down on its left hand side. Ascent of these falls is difficult. There are a set of nice cascades about 150m upstream of the main falls, and are most easily reached by climbing in switchbacks up the ravine on the left side and following the mature woods with a fairly clear understorey upstream to where the upper cascades can be seen. An easier scramble down to the stream here is possible to get closeer to the base of these to take photos.