Cape Breton Highlands National Park, National park in Nova Scotia, Canada
Cape Breton Highlands is a protected area in Inverness County and Victoria County, Nova Scotia, stretching across mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and rocky coastlines at the northern tip of Cape Breton Island. The landscape shifts between dense inland forests and open sea cliffs where wind and waves have shaped the rocks.
Parks Canada created this protected area in 1936 as the first national park in the Atlantic provinces of the country. The establishment followed decades of local efforts to preserve the wilderness from intensive logging.
The western entrance sits near Chéticamp, an Acadian village where residents have preserved French-Canadian traditions across generations. Daily life here often unfolds in French, and local craft shops display wool work and hooked rug making.
The Cabot Trail runs through roughly one-third of the territory and provides access to 26 marked hiking trails and several camping areas. Trails remain mostly accessible in summer, while fog can limit visibility along coastal sections during autumn.
The territory contains White Hill, which reaches 533.5 meters (1750 feet) above sea level and marks the highest point in Nova Scotia. From the summit, views extend across much of the island and the surrounding ocean.
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