Anne-Charlotte PasseraCheticamp is a small Acadian town located on the Northwestern coast of Cape Breton Island. Many people use it as a base camp to take day trips to explore the region.
The name derived from a Mi’kmaq expression means rarely full. Apparently, it refers to the fact that the harbour is rarely filled with sand, allowing small boats to enter the harbour (source: Cheticamp website).
It’s the last town before the western entrance to the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. You’ll need the Discovery Pass to access it. If you’re staying a few days in the area, you might want to get the annual pass as it will be more cost effective.
Personally, I did not like Cheticamp, nor the road leading up to it. There are a lot of electrical trees that destroy the beauty of the landscape. I thought it lacked character, but that’s just my opinion.
If you’re heading to the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and staying overnight, Cheticamp is the place to load up on groceries, gas and alcohol (read our article on beer tasting in Nova Scotia). You won’t find many options once you pass the gate and the next gas station won’t be until you arrive in Cape North.
If you only have a few days, here are a couple day trip ideas you can take from Cheticamp.
A day at Cheticamp island beach
Cheticamp island beach is located off the Cabot Trail and a few minutes away from the town baring the same name.
The beach is very long and crowded, particularly where there is sand. You can easily park on the side of the road.
The rest of the beach has oversized pebbles making it hard to walk on and the water is rough. We were there with our dogs and even they had a hard time on this beach.
We didn’t venture further down the crowded road, but there is another beach called Saint-Pierre which also has a campground.
On a side note, we didn’t particularly find that the beaches on the Western side of Cape Breton Island were nice. However, the ones near Ingonish or Cape North did meet our picky criteria.
Pleasant Bay
Pleasant Bay is a small community located 40 minutes away from Cheticamp.
To get there, you’ll have to enter the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and continue on the Cabot Trail. This will take you on the most scenic part of the famous road. You’ll feel like being on a rollercoaster skimming the coastline.
At the Mackenzie Mountain lookout you’ll get a 180 view of Pleasant Bay. Sometimes, you can even spot some whales. We didn’t.
Most people stop in Pleasant Bay to go on a whale watching tour from the harbour. There is also a Whale Interpretive Centre but it was closed when we stopped there.
At the Pleasant Bay harbour you’ll also find a pebble beach. We don’t recommend it, neither do our dogs. I know, we already said that about Cheticamp Beach. But what can I say? We’ve got standards. We tried to walk by the water, but our dogs were having a hard time and the water was rough. They didn’t even want to go and play in it.
Red River Road scenic route
The red river road starts in Pleasant Bay and is an off the beaten path scenic route. You won’t come across a lot of tourists there.
All the way at the end of the road lies the Gampo Abbey which is a Buddhist retreat. You can freely walk around it, dogs are allowed on site. It’s a pleasant little walk with vistas on the ocean and a small golden Buddha statue to top it off.
The lone shielding
There isn’t much going on at the lone shielding but it is a halfway stop from Pleasant Bay to Cape North.
Aside from the round stone building there isn’t anything to see. You can go for a walk in the woods which takes about 15-20 minutes. There is however a little stream which is perfect for dogs to quench their thirst and cool off on a hot day.
Warning: there are coyotes in the area
Skyline trail
The Skyline trail is probably the most popular hike to partake in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. At least, a lot of pictures of the park come from that trail. It’s conveniently located about 20 minutes from Cheticamp and you don’t want to miss it.
Unfortunately, this is one of few trails that dogs aren’t allowed on. This is due to the fact that there are bears and moose in the area. Fair warning, I did not see any, but it was late morning.
The hike is easy and flat but the loop is 9.2 km long. Wear comfortable shoes, a hat and bring water, you’re gonna need it. The only “difficult” part will be the stairs that take you down to a breathtaking view of the ocean. It gets pretty windy and there are a lot of stairs.
The only bathrooms are located in the parking lot. I don’t remember seeing any on the trail.
Gypsum mine
We heard of the gypsum mine hike through our Airbnb host. Sadly, we didn’t get a chance to get to it as our dogs were too busy having fun on the beaches up North.
It is located on Cheticamp Back Road and you can park at trailhead. If you go behind the cliffs, you’ll find turquoise waters to swim in. More information HERE.
Inverness Beach
This beach is best visited on your way back home as it is located south of Cheticamp, 45 minutes away. But if you want to try a different beach for the day, away from Cheticamp, go for it.
It is a beautiful, long, white sandy beach. The water is warm. Oddly enough, there is a golf course adjacent to it. If you don’t feel like walking on the beach, you can take the boardwalk that follows the sand dunes the whole stretch of the beach.
Dogs are allowed on the beach.
Inverness used to be a coal mining town and I found it to be a lot more charming than Cheticamp. There is the Church of Stella Maris built in 1904 that overlooks on the town. I spotted it from the road and made my husband turn around so that I could go and look at it. It is quite attractive from the outside in a style that you don’t really come across in the region.
So where to next?
[…] North, as the name indicates, is located on the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, midway between Cheticamp and Ingonish. We used it as our base camp to explore the […]