Kejimkujik National Park

About 45km (28 miles) southeast of Annapolis Royal is a popular national park that's a world apart from coastal Nova Scotia. Kejimkujik National Park, founded in 1968, is commonly known as Keji. It's located in the heart of south-central Nova Scotia, and is to lakes and bogs what the South Coast is to fishing villages and fog. Bear and deer, porcupine and raccoon are the full-time residents here; park visitors are the transients. The park, which was largely scooped and shaped during the last glacial epoch, is about 20% water, which makes it especially popular with canoeists. A few trails also weave through the park, but hiking is limited; the longest hike in the park can be done in 2 hours. Bird-watchers are also drawn to the park in search of the 205 species that have been seen both here and at the Kejimkujik Seaside Adjunct, a 22-sq.-km (8 1/2-sq.-mile) coastal holding west of Liverpool. Among the more commonly seen species are pileated woodpeckers and loons, and at night you can listen for the raspy call of the barred owl.

Kejimkujik was designated Nova Scotia’s first Dark Sky Preserve in 2010 by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Guided programs and experiences, some of which are free with park admission, range from birch bark canoe-building to campfire storytelling. Most enjoyable, and informative, is the guided walk to view the petroglyphs that portray the astronomical observations of Mi’kmaq people in the 18th and 19th centuries. The park also includes the Keimikujik Seaside Adjunct in Port Joli near Liverpool.

Getting There -- Kejimkujik National Park is approximately midway on Kejimkujik Scenic Drive (Rte. 8), which extends 115km (71 miles) between Annapolis Royal and Liverpool. The village of Maitland Bridge (pop. 130) is near the park's entrance. Plan on about a 2-hour drive from Halifax.

Visitor Information -- The park's visitor center (tel. 902/682-2772) is open daily and features slide programs and exhibits about the park's natural history. It sometimes closes on late-fall weekends.

Fees -- The park opens daily at 8:30am year-round, closing at 8pm in peak season (late-June through Labour Day), earlier on weekends in spring and fall. Entrance fees are C$6.50 for adults, C$5.50 for seniors, children under 17 free, and C$13.50 for families. Seasonal Parks Canada Discovery passes also cover some historic sites; they cost C$75.25 for adults, C$64.50 for seniors and C$151.25 for families. The campground kiosk stays open an hour later in peak season, until 9pm, to receive campers. The park is open all year; camping is available mid-May through the end of October.

Exploring Kejimkujik National Park

The park's nearly 150 square miles of forest, lakes, and bogs are peaceful and quiet. Part of what makes the park so appealing is its lack of access by car: one short park road off of Route 8 gets you partway into the park -- but from there, you're forced to continue either on foot or by canoe.

A stop at the visitor center is worthwhile both for its exhibits on the region's natural history and a stroll on one of three short trails, including the Beech Grove loop (2km/1.2 miles), which takes you around a glacial hill called a drumlin. The park has an audio-taped walking tour available for borrowing, too; ask for it at the information center.

Canoeing is your best means of traversing the park, if you're into that. Rentals are available at Jakes Landing from Keji Outfitters (tel. 902/682-2282), 3km (2 miles) along the park access road. (It also rents paddleboats, kayaks, rowboats, cycles and complete camping packages for those who want to tent, but don’t have the equipment.) Route maps are provided at the visitor center, and rangers also lead short, guided canoe trips for novices. Multiday trips from backcountry campsite to campsite are a good way to get to know the park intimately (those routes that involve portaging a canoe over dry land between bodies of water are relatively easy, as trails kept even and open).

The park also has 15 walking trails, ranging from short and easy strolls to, well, longer easy strolls. In other words, there's no elevation gain here to speak of. The 6km (3 1/2-mile) Hemlocks and Hardwoods Trail loops through stately groves of 300-year-old hemlocks; the 3km (2-mile) Merrymakedge Beach Trail skirts a lakeshore to end at a beach. Snake Lake and Peter Point begin on the same trail and are both 3km (2 miles) return. Each leads through shaded forest to scenic lakeside ends. A free map that describes the trails is available at the visitor center or can be found online at pc.gc.ca. Several of the trails are multi-use so bikers and hikers should be aware of each other.

Mountain bikers can explore the old Fire Tower Road, a round-trip of about 19km (12 miles); the road becomes increasingly rugged until it ends at a fire tower near an old-growth forest of birch and maple. There are four other trails in the park where bikes are allowed, as well, including the 16km (10-mile) New Grafton Distance loop. The other three trails are somewhat shorter, and are shared with hikers.

Camping at Kejimkujik National Park

Backcountry camping is this park's chief draw for locals. The more than 40 backcountry sites here are in such demand that they actually cost as much as the drive-in campsites. Overnighting on a distant lakeshore is the best way to get to know the park, so even if you're planning to car-camp, it's worth the extra time and expense of renting a canoe and paddling off for a night to one of these campsites just for the experience.

The canoe-in and hike-in sites are assigned individually, which means you needn't worry about noisy neighbors playing loud music on their car stereo. Backcountry rangers keep the sites in top shape, and each is stocked with firewood for the night (the wood is included in the campsite fee). Most sites can handle a maximum of six campers. Naturally, the best sites are snapped up on weekends by urbanites from Halifax; midweek, you've got a much better shot. You can also reserve backcountry sites (C$25 per site) up to 60 days in advance; call the visitor center (tel. 902/682-2772) to do so, though your deposit it nonrefundable even if you have to cancel.

The park’s drive-in campground at Jeremy’s Bay offers some 360 sites, as well as yurts, cabins, and the hybrid oTENTiks, and this campground is open mid-May to mid-October. Most sites are forested, though they’re not very private. Accommodation rates are C$28.50 to C$133.25 per night, depending on what type of lodging you pick. The campground has a playground, beaches, hot showers and limited Wi-Fi.