Cape Chignecto Provincial Park
Cape Chignecto Provincial Park | |
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Location | Nova Scotia, Canada |
Nearest city | Amherst, Nova Scotia, Truro, Nova Scotia |
Coordinates | 45°21′01″N 64°49′30.5″W / 45.35028°N 64.825139°W |
Area | 42 km2 (16 sq mi), 4,200 ha (10,000 acres) |
Established | 1989 |
Governing body | Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources |
Cape Chignecto Provincial Park is a Canadian provincial park located in Nova Scotia. A wilderness park, it derives its name from Cape Chignecto, a prominent headland which divides the Bay of Fundy with Chignecto Bay to the north and the Minas Channel leading to the Minas Basin to the east. The park, which opened in 1998, is the largest provincial park in Nova Scotia. It also anchors one end of the UNESCO Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark.[1]
Landscape
The park's landscape is renowned for spectacular shoreline with extensive backpacking trails and scenic day hikes. The highest cliffs in
The mixing of warm summer temperatures with the cold tidal waters of the Bay of Fundy create frequent fogs resulting in moist
Tides rise and fall 12 metres along the park's coastline, producing rip currents and rapid flooding at certain points. Several hikers have been trapped and had to be rescued when rising tides trapped them against sheer cliffs, including a couple and a dog who had to be rescued from rising waters at Eatonville by a helicopter from CFB Greenwood in July 2014.[3]
Facilities
The park maintains over 50 kilometres of trails, both for day use hikers and overnight backpackers. An interpretation centre, picnic area, washrooms and giftshop are based at the trailhead at Red Rocks near the community of
History of the park
The Government of Nova Scotia purchased the land currently comprising the park in 1989 and added it to the Crown land reserve, administered by the Department of Natural Resources. This land was redesignated for a provincial park in the mid-1990s and Cape Chignecto Provincial Park opened to the public in 1998 after several years of planning and trail and campsite development. By area, Cape Chignecto is the largest provincial park in Nova Scotia.
Although Cape Chignecto is Nova Scotia's largest provincial park and is owned administered by Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources, it was created, and until 2012, run by a local community development organization, the Cumberland Regional Economic Development Association. The park was operated by a very small seasonal staff based in Advocate and Amherst, Nova Scotia. However, in the spring of 2012 the Department of Natural Resources took over management of the park and brought its fees in line with other provincial parks. In 2020, the Park was designated as part of the UNESCO "Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark with the Three Sisters Day Use trails at Eatonville marking the beginning of the Geopark which stretches all around Cape Chignecto and down the coast to Debert.[8][9]
Pictures
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Eatonville Interpretation Centre
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The park as viewed from atop the Eatonville Interpretation Centre
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Eatonville Harbour saltmarsh and site of former mill and shipyard
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The "Three Sisters" sea stacks at Eatonville
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The abandoned upland farm fields ofNew Yarmouth
References
- ^ Francis Campbell, "Nova Scotia's Cliffs of Fundy designated UNESCO Global Geopark site", Halifax Chronicle Herald, July 10, 2020.
- ^ "Cape Chignecto: Incredible Coastline", Interpretive Guide and Map, (2005) Nova Scotia Dept. of Natural Resources
- ^ "Darrell Cole, "Couple, dog plucked from beach at Eatonville", Amherst News-Parrsboro Citizen Record, July 11, 2014". Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
- ^ "Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources Fire Towers", Maritimes Scanning Site
- ^ Tom McCoag, "Cash for Cape Chignecto", Halifax Chronicle Herald, July 16, 2088, p. B4
- ^ Cape to Cape Trail website Archived September 11, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Cape Chignecto", Nova Scotia Provincial Parks, Nova Scotia Dept. of Lands and Forestry
- ^ "Cape Chignecto Provincial Park Day Fees Eliminated" NS Department of Natural Resources, July 12, 2013
- ^ Francis Campbell, "Nova Scotia's Cliffs of Fundy designated UNESCO Global Geopark site", Halifax Chronicle Herald, July 10, 2020. and "Three Sisters", Cliffs of Fundy Geopark
- Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, map and visitor guide, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, 2004.
- Halifax Chronicle Herald, Monday April 16, 2007, p. B7.
External links
- Cape Chignecto Provincial Park website
- "Cape Chignecto: Cliffs, Currents and the Highest Tides on Earth" Article and Photographs by Scott Cunningham Archived 2007-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
- "A Crown Jewell" 'Outdoor Nova Scotia' by Ron Robinson
- "A Photographic Journey Through Cape Chignecto Park" Text & photos by Stu Curtis