BLACK HOLE BROOK FALLS
Baxters Harbour, Kings County
45 N 13.965 64W 29.291
20T N383224 E5009883

RIVER: Black Hole Brook
CLASS: steep cascades
SIZE: 15'
RATING: average (***)

TRAIL: old road, upstream
DISTANCE: 500m
HIKING TIME: 1 hour
CONDITIONS: rugged

Geocache:n none

NS Atlas Page: 46/Z1
NS topo map: 021H02 (Berwick)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: take Exit11, North onto HWY258. Follow this highway 11km to the village of canning, turning left onto HWY221. Continue another 3.9km and follow to the right onto Black Hole Rd. Drive 10.4km to a sharp left had turn and park off the road here.

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: foloow the well defined tril to the left into the woods. Hike down this trail to the stream crossing. Downstream (to the left) is found Haunted Falls, a spectacular 60 plunge into Black Hole Harbour. Turning upstream (to the right) and hiking up the brook itself will take you to these pleasant falls. The upper fall was not accessed beyond, owing to the huge, sheer cliffs that surround it. The road that continues along from where you crossed the brook goes up the hill, and a short but steep bushwhack at the top of the hill into the ravine will reward with these falls as well

SLEEPY HOLLOW FALLS
Glenmont, Kings County
45N10.926 64W29.876
20T E382314 E5004271

RIVER: Sleepy Hollow Brook
CLASS: steep cascade
SIZE: 35`
RATING: excellent (****)

TRAIL: old road, bushwhacking
DISTANCE: 500m
HIKING TIME: 45 minutes
CONDITIONS: moderate

Geocache: GC1A9M3

NS Atlas Page: 47/V2
NS topo map: 021H01 (Wolfville)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Kentville, travel west on HWY101 to EXIT11, exiting north onto HWY358 (towards Greenwich). Follow this highway 11.1km to Canning and turn left onto HWY221. Drive east on this road 3.9km to Sheffield Mills and continue straight as the road becomes Black Hole Rd. for 4.9km to Glenmont on top of the ridge of North Mountain. At the top of the hill, trend left onto Gospel Woods Road and continue another 750m. Turn left onto Baxters Harbour Rd (also called Brow of Mountain Road) and drive a further 500m to an old logging road on your left. Pull in here and park. 

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: follow the old logging road as far as you can, climbing over one ridge of gravel. When you reach the edge of the ravine, keep to the left side and make your way to the bottom of the slope. Avoid the right hand side as there are high cliffs from gravel operations there. When you get to the base of the slope, head upstream, keeping to the left at the fork in the stream. Follow the brook to the falls, and make your way up the left side of the ravine at the falls to make your way out again. If you hike along the edge of the woods, you will have to navigate thru a particularily thick second growth forest to the logging road and back to your vehicle.

SALMON HOLE FALLS
Three Mile Plains, Hants County
44N55.632 64W02.149
20T E418258 N4975385

RIVER: unnamed tributary of St.Croix River
CLASS: steep cascade
SIZE: 15'
RATING: average (***1 /2)

TRAIL: old road, bushwhacking
DISTANCE: 350m
HIKING TIME: 30 minutes
CONDITIONS: moderate

Geocache: none

NS Atlas Page: 57/Z2
NS topo map: 021A16 (Windsor)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Windsor, take Exit4 off HWY101, westbound towards Newport Station. Drive 2.1km along HWY1 to Salmon Hole Road, and turn left onto this road. Follow this road 3.8km, watching for a dirt road leading downhill on your left hand side, turn in here and travel about 150m to a parking area on your right. High clearance vehicles can continue on to the end of this road.

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: follow the road to its conclusion, below the hydroelectric dam. Heres the tricky part, these falls are generally only available when the dam is closed and you can cross the river. If the water level is low enough, or you are a strong swimmer, cross the watercourse, and head downstream about 100m. This brook falls off the hill above and drains into the St.Croix River. Make your way upstream approximately 150m, passing a few smaller cascades to the main falls, about 15 feet high.

The camping area on the side of the river you first approached from is a popular spot in the summer, see if you can find the painted tree. Fishing here is also great!

VAMEYS BROOK FALLS
Ardness, Pictou County
45N40.643 62W13.174
20T E560784 N5058499

photo Benoit Lalonde

RIVER: Vameys Brook
CLASS: plunge/cascade/plunge
SIZE: 30', 20', 30'
RATING: average (***1 /2)

TRAIL: bushwhacking/upstream
DISTANCE: 2km
HIKING TIME: 1.5 hours
CONDITIONS: moderate

Geocache: GC16GBW

NS Atlas Page: 31/X2
NS topo map: 011E09

photo Benoit Lalonde

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Antigonish,  follow HWY245 north from town 35.7km to Knoydart. Turn left on New Road and drive 2.3km to its conclusion and turn right onto Baileys Brook Ardness Road. Continue on this road approximately 1.7km to a dirt road on your left just before the bridge over Vameys Brook. Follow this road to 45N40.933 62W14.257 and park just before the turn in the road.

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: head into the woods on your right and remain along the same contour line as long as you can. The trail here is mostly overgrown and nearly nonexistent, but clears up about 150m along. Follow this trail to where it begins to disappear again and head down the slope to the brook below. When you reach the brook, head upstream to the first falls, a beautiful two-tiered plunge with high cliffs along the right hand side of the ravine. Use the rope here to ascend next to the falls and continue upstream another 200m to a boulder cascades and the main falls (referrenced by the coordinates above) which are slightly taller than the first ones, with another large cliff alongside them.

photo Benoit Lalonde

DICKS MEADOW FALLS
Wentworth Valley, Cumberland County
45N32.874 63W33.540
20T E456364 N5043970

photo Sylvia Fisher

RIVER: Dicks Meadow Brook
CLASS: multiple falls
SIZE: 10', 20', 20', 25', 25'
RATING: excellent (***1 /2)

TRAIL: none
DISTANCE: 750m
HIKING TIME: 45 minutes
CONDITIONS: moderate

Geocache: none

NS Atlas Page: 28/Z4-5
NS topo map: 11E12 (Oxford)

photo Benoit Lalonde

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Oxford, follow HWY104 (TCH) east 8km to exit7. Take this exit onto HWY4 towards Wentworth and continue 31.5km and turn left onto Lafage Lane. Follow this road approximately 250m and park off to the side by the underpass.

photo Sylvia Fisher

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: follow the railway tracks until you cross the first stream. Head upstream along Dicks Meadow Brook. Almost immediately you will encounter a 20' boulder cascade. The next set of falls, the largest along this brook is further upstream, approximately 225m. The third set of falls is another 225m along, the fourth another 80m beyond them. The final set of falls along this brook, which are represented by the coordinates above, is approximately 125m beyond the fourth set of falls.

photo Benoit Lalonde 

photo Benoit Lalonde 

photo Sylvia Fisher

WOODVILLE FALLS
Kinsmans Corner, Kings County
45N07.732 64W40.319
20T E368517 N4998625

photo jbtech

RIVER: Killam Brook
CLASS: plunge/steep cascade
SIZE: 35'
RATING: excellent (***1 /2)

TRAIL: improved trails
DISTANCE: 700m
HIKING TIME: 45 min
CONDITIONS: moderate

Geocache: GCWDAE

NS Atlas Page: 46/Y3
NS topo map: 021H02 (Berwick)

photo Benoit Lalonde

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Kentville, follow Cornwallis St (HWY359) north from town 6.9km to Centreville and turn left (west) onto HWY221. Continue 11km to Kinsmans Corner and turn right (north) onto Bligh Road. Follow this road 2.1km and turn right just after a 90-degree left turn in the road to remain on Bligh Road and follow it another 700m to its end and a Woodville Trail sign. Park here. 

photo by Melanie Haverstock (2014)

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: located along the Woodville Hiking Trail, this tiered fall is on a short side trail off Rhodes Trail. The hike is in the more rugged region of the trails, terrain wise, but other trails here feature panoramic views along the Look-Off Trail south over the Annapolis Valley dotted with farms and apple orchards, and the Lower Trail follows the base of the North Mountain through fields and old apple orchards. 

The Woodville Hiking Trails area a maintained set of recreational trails that cover some 10km of interconnecting trails. Maintained by the Annapolis Valley Mountain Bike Assosciation these trails also feature protected trails where use of ATVs and dirtbikes is not permitted, the Indian Trail which climbs the North Mountain as well as the Look-Off Trail. More information on the Woodville Trails and other maintained hiking trails in Kings County can be found at:

http://www.annapolis-valley-vacation.com/walking-hiking.html

cascades along Indian Trail

cascades along Indian Trail

cascades along the Indian Trail

AUCOIN BROOK FALLS
Belle Marche, Inverness County
46N36.306 60W58.646
20T E654894 N5163268

photo Robert Pierrynowski

RIVER: Aucoin Brook
CLASS: cascade
SIZE: 30'
RATING: average (***)

TRAIL: ATV trail
DISTANCE: 400m
HIKING TIME: 30min
CONDITIONS: moderate

Geocache: GC136R4K

NS Atlas Page: 6?V3
NS topo map: 011K10 (Cheticamp River)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Cheticamp, drive inland along Plateau Rd 1.5km and turn left onto the hairpin turn onto Cheticamp Back Rd. Follow this road 170m and turn right onto Deveaux Rd. Drive 750m and continue to the right onto Platin Road. Follow this road to its conclusion approximately 1.5km along and park. (46N36.327 60W58.925)

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: continue along the old road, up the hill and then take the center ATV trail to the stream. Hike a short distance upstream to the falls.

photo Robert Pierrynowski

Watch for the old colonial Acadian building foundations along the route as well as the remains of an old timber dam at the top of the falls.

BREICHER FALLS
Three Mile Plains, Hants County
44N57.328  64W05.510
20T E413880 N4978583

RIVER: Maple Brook

CLASS: stepped
SIZE: 6'
RATING: average (**1/2)

TRAIL: dirt road/bushwhacking
DISTANCE: 1.2km
HIKING TIME: 45 minutes
CONDITIONS: moderate

GEOCACHE: none

NS Atlas Page: 57/Z1
NS topo map: 021A16 (Windsor)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Windsor, take EXIT5 off HWY101 west towards Three Mile Plains. Proceed along HWY14 approximately 1km and turn left at the Irving gas station to remain on HWY1. Continue 1.7km to the Three Mile Plains Elementary. Park here.

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: turn back up HWY1 approximately 100m to the former Windsor/Hantsport railbed. Cross the road at the tracks and turn left onto them. Follow the tracks approximately 600m to a bridge over Maple Brook. Walk just past the bridge and cross over to the field on your left. Turn to the right and hike down on the old grass covered road to its conclusion about 500m along. Turn left on the dirt road and keep to the left at the fork in the road about 100m on. Follow this road below the quarry another 150m and follow the stream into the ravine. Hike upstream 400m to the falls.

These small falls drop over six steps of varynig height over a 5m run of the brook. Nestled in a quiet, undisturbed ravine, surrounded by moss draped deadfall and exposed bedrock, these small falls are quite picturesque. Ive given them the name Breicher Falls for the original grantee of the lands they are on, as Maple Brook has another set of falls, a ten foot plunge, much further upstream.

SHINGLEMILL FALLS

SHINGLEMILL FALLS
Morristown, Kings County
44N55.873 64W46.189
20T E360344 N4976833

photo Benoit Lalonde

RIVER: South River
CLASS: cascade
SIZE: 20'
RATING: excellent (***1 /2)

TRAIL: woods road
DISTANCE: 1km (summer)
                     4.5km (winter)
HIKING TIME: 45 min-2.5hours
CONDITIONS: moderate

Geocache: GC10MJ8

NS Atlas Page: 56/X2
NS topo map: 021A15 (Gaspereau Lake)

photo jbtech

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from Kentville, follow HWY101 west 17km to EXIT15, and turn left onto HWY360. Drive south 2.7km and turn right onto HWY1 and continue 6.3km. Turn left on Aylesford Rd and drive 11km to a service road on your right. During the winter, park here, just off road, out of the way of snowmobilers. In the summer, proceed down this road 4km to a dirt road towards Burnt Dam Flowage on your left and park there.

photo Dennis Rycroft

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: follow the service road to the falls. Easy hiking, you will hear the falls long before you approach them. Elevation change is minimal, and a trail from the top of the falls to the base is easily navigated. During winter, this is an excellent snowshoe or cross country ski trail.

photo falach fead