DOG-FRIENDLY DAY TRIP IDEAS FROM SHELBURNE NOVA SCOTIA

The town of Shelburne lies on the Southwest coast of Nova Scotia and is the perfect place to lay low and explore the area on a day trip or more. It was founded in 1783 by United Empire Loyalists.

This area is more prone to beach activities than hiking.  If your dog likes water, Shelburne will be like heaven on water for him.

We stayed at Sapphire House (AirBnb) in Sandy Point, just 20 minutes south of Shelburne. It is a centennial home with ample outdoor space for dogs to run around.  Also, a short walk from the house, you’ll see a lighthouse.  You can walk up to it when it is low tide.  On the way there, there are tiny spaces of beach. They were perfect for us to lay low and let the dogs just play or dig holes, on my towel!

We didn’t walk around the town of Shelburne because of the dogs.  Instead, we took a day trip almost every day and explored the region around Shelburne.  

Here are some of the places we stopped by at and enjoyed with our dogs.

Kemjikujik Park and Seaside

The Kemjikujik park is a national park and you’ll need the Discovery Pass to enter. It has two sectors, one inland and one by the ocean.  We briefly stopped by the inland one on our way to Shelburne from the Bay of Fundy.  It was lovely.

Inland Park (1h30 from Shelburne)

If you are just passing through from coast to coast but still want to make a quick stop, check out Mills Falls.  It’s easy, as it is on the 1^st right once you enter the park.  The trail is 1km long. The trail passes through a hemlock forest along the river between Mills Falls and the Visitor Centre.   The falls are the largest in the park.  Apparently, during the Spring you can see fish there. It’s a great place to cool off and splash around. The falls are small but located in an absolutely gorgeous setting. With ferns lining the riverbanks.

To get there, you’ll need to take 8 North and pass through the towns of Caledonia and Pleasantville.  Both of them seemed to be nice places to make a pit stop.

Seaside (40 minutes from Shelburne)

The seaside portion of the park is located on the wild coast of Nova Scotia.

There are two trails you can hike on that are fairly long.  Wear comfortable shoes, a hat and bring a swimsuit and suntan lotion, just in case you feel like taking a dip into the ocean. There isn’t much shade on the trail.

To beat the crowds, arrive before 9:30 a.m.  People tend to arrive around 10:30 a.m.  By arriving early, you’ll have the coast all to yourself.

There are no trash cans along the trail, so make sure your dog poops before heading onto the trail. You don’t want to have to carry a poop bag throughout your walk.

You’ll find toilets at the entrance and one outhouse at the junction of both trails by seaside.

• Harbour Rocks trail

This is the shorter trail that leads you to a beach. It is 6.4 km roundtrip.

It is an easy walk on a well defined, stable walking surface.  As you get closer to the coast, you’ll feel the full force of the ocean.

Listen to the echos of piping plovers, seals, and seabirds floating over turquoise waters, sand dunes, and lagoons.

PARKS CANADA

You can observe seals lounging on boulders in the sea in a secluded Atlantic cove, and seabirds and other wildlife along the way.  The beach is of white soft sand and the water is warm.

• Port Joli head trail 

This is the longer trail. It is 8.7km roundtrip. This trail is supposedly more challenging with cobble sections, uneven terrain and wet surfaces.

Hike trails that ramble through coastal barrens, bogs, and along beaches.  This land will reveal the abundance of plants and animals that have adapted to life on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

PARKS CANADA

Liverpool (45 minutes from Shelburne)

We stopped by the town of Liverpool for lunch after visiting Kemjikujik Park.  The town centre is fairly small with some colourful facades.

You can easily find parking by Privateer Park which also has picnic tables.

We grabbed some seafood takeout from Dixie Lee on main street and ate it on the terrace of Hell Bay Brewing Company where we did some beer tasting.  They allow dogs on their terrace and don’t serve food.  Another option for lunch would have been at the food truck in the park, but it was cash only.

There was another park we wanted to stop at but didn’t have time: Fort Point Lighthouse.

Now, if you want to splash around some more with dogs, you’ll find Cherry Hill Beach, 30 minutes North of Liverpool.

The beach is secluded, long with white sand.  There are no facilities on site.  However, when we were there, the beach was covered with jelly fish.  Needless to say, none of us went into the water.

Yarmouth (1h from Shelburne)

There areplenty of things to do in Yarmouth with a dog in tow. From visiting a lighthouse,  admiring historical homes, and playing on the beach.  Therefore, Yarmouth deserves its own article. Discover Yarmouth with your dog HERE.

Shelburne 

Located 20 minutes outside Shelburne, you’ll find Roseway beach.  It has a very small parking lot.

We got there early in the morning and the beach was covered with a cloud of mist.  The beach is huge and wide and protected with small dunes.  Your dog will love running around that beach.  It is amazing how far out the sea goes  during the tide.

In Shelburne, you can walk around town and admire the Victorian homes.  Grab some fresh seafood from Mr. Fish on King Street and some delicious garlic Texas toast at Sobeys.  You can’t find this bread in Quebec!

There is the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre you can visit, but I don’t know if dogs are allowed on site. We did not stop there to find out.

Looking for more dog-friendly spots in Nova Scotia? Check out:

• Ingonish
• Halifax
• Yarmouth