Blomidon Provincial Park Provides Rugged Beauty
NATURAL RESOURCES--Blomidon Provincial Park Provides Rugged Beauty
From relaxing camping to spectacular scenery, Nova Scotia's provincial parks provide a wealth of outdoor recreational experiences.
One of nature's greatest experiences is the Bay of Fundy and the Minas Basin, home to the world's highest tides. Blomidon Provincial Park, in Kings County, is situated on the rugged shoreline of Cape Blomidon overlooking the basin. From the park it is possible to see the great tides in motion.
A highlight of the park is the hiking and walking trails. These trails cover a variety of terrain and are designed with a user- friendly layout for the casual hiker. A short interpretive trail also provides information on the hardwood and softwood forests of Nova Scotia.
Elizabeth Balser is a hiking enthusiast and former campground host who has spent many hours hiking the trails at the park. She says hiking at Blomidon is for everyone. "Most of the hiking trails at Blomidon are middle of the road in terms of difficulty. They are so scenic and very pretty that I never get tired of doing them."
The campground host program adds another dimension to the Blomidon camping experience. Campground hosts are volunteers, like Ms. Balser, who greet visitors and provide information about the campground and surrounding community. They help make provincial park stays more enjoyable for visitors, while supplementing the services of park attendants and other staff.
"Being a campground host was an all-around good experience," says Ms. Balser of her five seasons as a host at Blomidon. "I loved helping other people from all over the world."
Ms. Balser and her fellow campground hosts would be sure to tell visitors to the Blomidon area about the region's rich history. While French settlers in the early 17th century were drawn to the fertile Annapolis Valley, the rugged coastline and steep slopes of the North Mountain deterred settlement of the Cape Blomidon region for a time. It was not until the 1770s that settlers from New England occupied the present park site.
In nearby Windsor, campers can learn more about the region's history at Fort Edward National Historic site, Haliburton House Museum or Shand House Museum.
At Blomidon, there is so much to see of nature that you can forget civilization is close by. The town of Wolfville is found within 20 kilometres, while Halifax is about 100 kilometres away. Also within driving distance is the Grand Pré National Historic Park, where visitors can experience the life of Acadian settlers and learn more about the Acadian Expulsion of 1755.
Blomidon Provincial Park is located on Nova Scotia's Fundy Coast, 25 kilometres north of Exit 11 on Highway 101. From Exit 11, travellers follow Route 358 to Canning, then proceed through Pereau to the park. For reservations contact the park at 902-582- 7319 during the camping season which runs from May 16 to Sept. 1.