Skyline Trail — Local services in Cape Breton Highlands National Park

The day before we reached Skyline was a full day of rain and my guess is a lot people could not go to this trail. Upon reaching there we felt as if all the visitors to the park had decided to visit that day. Parking was tough to find, but as we had reached there afternoon, some of the families were leaving and we found a spot.

The entire trail does take 2-3 hours to walk, but I would factor in at least an hour plus for the end (little later why). Word of caution do take enough water and/or snacks. The day we did this it was warm and we finished both our big refillable water bottles. Also there were only portables there so be warned.

We took the right side first and then came back as a full circle. We did not find the right side as fun and worthy. The walk there is just flat and with just two lookout points which offer not significant views, we felt it was a waste.

The real fun stuff is when reach the stairs towards the end of the hike. The stairs many so if you are not fit, you will feel it while coming back up. The views are just mind boggling to me. The view just took my breath away. I could have sat there all day just looking at the sea and mountains. People who have height fears beware. Some of the benches may cause some anxious moments. Do take a a good camera as the you will want to re-live those moments again and again.

The walk back is again a flat ground and nothing exciting. We were hoping to see some moose, but were unlucky. However as the say was perfectly clear with little clouds and cool breeze on the steps - we were more than happy.

The best hiking trail I have...

AMAZING sunset. No wonder it is one of the worlds best attraction. Pictures here do not do any justice to the humongous beauty of nature. It is a must to experience. Trail is easy to walk, running shoes are just fine. There are two trail routes, longer and shorter and both are easy. The scenic route to get here is also simply breath taking. You might think thats the the best nature has to offer, but wait until you see the sunset at skyline trail. Boardwalk closer to the sunset is like walking on the path of heaven. Sit there and soak in the beauty.

You would need atleast 3 hours to explore the place to enjoy the whole journey to Skyline trail.

Trail itself had beautiful fall coloured shrubs.

When you reach half way, there is a viewing station. You might want to skip that if you reach late and it will soon be time for sunset. Best is saved for last on this trail.

Surprisingly, after the sunset- while returning back we could still walk back all the way without any lights, such is the magic that nature entails. Definitely carry a torch or flashlight if you need to, but we wanted to see how far we can go after sunset without torch light.

I would definitely go again here!!

In general, Nova scotia is in very beautiful....

The Skyline Trail is undoubtedly a must-see on Cape Breton Island, at least in my opinion.

Most of the negative reviews seem to focus on the physical demands of the hike, with some saying that while the view is spectacular, the roughly 5-kilometer walk is too challenging. However, I believe it’s well worth the effort.

When you reach the end of the trail, the sea and sky unfold before you, illuminated in the glow of heaven.

One unusual thing I experienced was encountering a ticket checker, but he was still in the process of constructing something at the time. His sudden seriousness and raised hand made it seem like he was stopping a car rather than checking tickets. Despite wearing a park uniform, his demeanor gave me the impression that he was more like a road worker checking for drunk drivers. I’ve never encountered anything like this in my travels, especially not in Canada. I didn’t engage with him much, and when he saw my valid ticket, his disappointment was almost palpable.

The trail is also a great spot for sunset watching, but knowing we had 190 kilometers ahead of us and didn’t want to face the discomfort of a night bus, we left before the sun fully set and headed back to the...