Trails of Halifax Regional Municipality: An Ambler's Guide to 25 City and Country Trails

Richard Wilbur is the author of The Rise of French New Brunswick and
co-author of Silver Harvest: The Fundy Weirmen’s Story.

If there’s ever a guide to get you out hiking in Nova Scotia, this
pocket-sized book is it. Features include detailed trail maps, basic
information about each trail, descriptions of some of the physical
features likely to be encountered, and descriptions of the most common
birds and fauna.

Michael Haynes, executive director of the Nova Scotia Trails
Federation, examines 25 trails found in the recently created Halifax
Regional Municipality. Each entry begins with such basic information as
length and type of trail, hiking time, and facilities; next comes access
information (i.e., how to get there), followed by a general outline and
a brief description of the trail. Twenty-five excellent maps accompany
the walks, which are divided into three geographic areas (nine either in
or near Halifax-Dartmouth, eight in the more remote area of the Eastern
Shore, and the remainder in the Central-South Shore).

A Trails-at-a-Glance section at the start of the book neatly summarizes
the length, suitability for running (high, medium, low), and wheelchair
accessibility (poor, good). At the back of the book is a four-page
index, a list of Web pages, a selected bibliography, and a page listing
relevant addresses of (e.g., park offices and outdoor clubs).

Haynes has thought of just about everything, right down to the
viability of cell phones in one or two of the most remote parks. Every
other province and territory would be fortunate to have walking guides
that match the high standards set by Trails of Halifax Regional
Municipality.