Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area protects close to 8,600 hectares of near-urban Crown lands between Highways 103 and 333, in Halifax Regional Municipality (map
(PDF:3.1mb)).
This is a rugged landscape of forest, barrens, wetlands, rivers and lakes, ringed by communities.
This wilderness area protects nature in the city, contributes to air quality and watershed protection, and much more. It is almost five times the size of Halifax Peninsula, and is only minutes away.
With its scenic views, natural setting, cultural history and location, the wilderness area offers superb opportunities for outdoor recreation, like hiking, trail running, canoeing, trout fishing, hunting, and nature appreciation. It is also ideally suited for education and research.
The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail provides more than 30 km of backcountry trail for hiking, trail running and other uses. Bicycles or motorized vehicles are not permitted on The Bluff Trail. This trail is managed by Woodens River Watershed Environmental Organization (WRWEO) under an agreement with Nova Scotia Environment. Additional information on the trail is available on WRWEO’s website.
The Old Coach Road and Fire Road, within Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, are managed by the All-terrain Vehicle Association of Nova Scotia (ATVANS) under an agreement with Nova Scotia Environment. Bicycle use is also permitted on these routes.
The designation of Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area in 2011 followed two years of public consultation, socio-economic study and consultation with the Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq. A public consultation summary (PDF:3mb) is available, as is the socio-economic study (PDF:1.5mb). Additional information, including final boundary decisions and management considerations, is available in this PDF (PDF:3.5mb).
More Information
Designation Documents
- Read the government's news release
- Download: Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area map (PDF:3.1mb)
- Download: Designation information (PDF:3.5mb)
Consultation Documents
Socio-economic Study
- Download: Summary: Socio-economic Analysis (PDF:116k)
- Download: Socio-Economic Analysis of Five Bridge Lakes Candidate Wilderness Area (PDF:1.5mb)
- Read the government release (June 2011)
Public Consultation
- Download: Public Consultation Summary (PDF:3mb)
- Read the government news release (August 2010)
- Download: Consultation Information - Five Bridge Lakes Candidate Wilderness Area (PDF:2.2mb) (Winter 2010)
- Download: Five Bridge Lakes Candidate Wilderness Area map (PDF:1.6mb)
- Read the prior government news releases: October 2009 | February 2010