WATERFALLS OF NOVA SCOTIA

SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN FALLS
Big Intervale, Inverness County
46° N 25.522 060° W 56.324
UTM:  20T  E 658380 N 5143375

RIVER: Allan Brook
WATERSHED: Sugarloaf Mountain (NE Margaree)
CLASS:  fan, steep cascades
SIZE: 60'
RATING: excellent (****)

TRAIL: roadside views, river crossing, upstream hike
DISTANCE: 400m
HIKING TIME: 60 minutes
CONDITIONS: challenging

GEOCACHE: none

NS Atlas Page: 
NS topo map: 011K07 (Kingross)

(long view from West Big Intervale Road)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Baddeck, at the Tim Hortons on the highway, head southwest (towards Port Hawkesbury) along HWY105 (TCH) for 7.6km, turning right onto HWY19 (Cabot Trail) at The Red Barn. Follow HWY19 for 31.8km and turn right onto East Big Intervale Road (just before theDancing Goat Cafe and Bakery). Drive along this road 4.9km, then keep right at the Crowdis Crossing Rd intersection to remain on E Big Intervale. Continue 11.6km, with the high flank of Sugarloaf Mountain dominating your lefthand side, to Kingross Crossing Road. Turn left, and follow this road 700m to its end, just past a bridge over the Northeast Margaree River. Turn left again, onto West Big Intervale Rd, and drive 3.4km to its end, at Big Intervale Fishing Lodge.

(Where the falls meet NE Margaree River, approx 6 feet high. You can see the cascades from the brook through the trees in the foreground, where they are fed from the main falls above. This brook meets the river near Old Bridge Pool)

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: during low water in the river, generally high summer to autumn, one can wade across the Northeast Margaree River, and climb up alongside the brook to the main falls. I cannot say how the condition of this trail might be, as I arrived here on a fairly high water day in the Margaree River. 

I spoke with the owner of the Big Intervale Fishing Lodge (website), who was really helpful. The lodge has accommodations (cabins) available from May to October, and the restraunt features licenses dining for breakfast, lunch and supper. I most definitely plan another trip (or three) into the Margaree River valley in search of many of the waterfalls that surround it. I desperately want to get to the base of these falls to photograph them this year.