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Cole Harbour Heritage Park

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Record #: NST0013
Last Modified: 30 Oct 2023
Last Full Update: 07 Mar 2019

Location

Located In Cole Harbour (HRM)
Where To Find Us
Trailhead:
256 Bissett Rd
Cole Harbour (HRM), NS
Canada B2V 2T2
Areas Served Cole Harbour (HRM)

Contact

Social Media Facebook Twitter
Website www.chpta.org
E-Mail coleharbourparksandtrails@gmail.com
Contact Janice Bishop, Chair, CHPTA; Phone: (Cell); Email: chairchpta@gmail.com
Mailing Address c/o Cole Harbour Parks & Trails Association 
51 Forest Hills Parkway, # 13 
Dartmouth, NS 
Canada B2W 6C6
Volunteers Wanted (Email) chairchpta@gmail.com
Volunteer Opportunity Trail Patrol, Park Steward (clean up and maintenance work), Project team (for larger more complex work), Director on the CHPTA Board

Description & Services

Nearest Community With Services Cole Harbour, Eastern Passage/Cow Bay, Dartmouth
Trail Surface crusher dust on main trails, rough surface on "front country" trails
Trail Activities Hiking ; Trail Running ; Walking ; Cross Country Skiing ; Snowshoeing ; Road Biking ; Geocaching ; Bird Watching ; Nature Viewing ; Dog Walking (on leash)
Trail Attributes Loop Trail ; Coastal Trail ; Woodland Trail ; Wilderness/Backcountry Trail ; Rural Trail ; Suburban Trail ; All Year ; No Winter Maintenance (Use Caution) ; Uneven Terrain ; Wheelchair Access (Partial) ; Scenic View ; Interpretive Signage ; Good Cellphone Reception
Facilities At Start/End/Along Trail Bicycle Rack ; Benches ; Picnic Areas ; Trail Map Signage ; Parking Available ; Washroom (Accessible)
Facilities Near Trail Parking Available ; Public Transportation ; Picnic Area ; Restaurant/Take Out ; Convenience/Grocery Store ; Drinking Water ; Auto Repair Service ; Fuel ; Swimming Location ; Washrooms (Accessible)
Trail Cautions Only the Heritage Trail allows bikes, picnic areas in fields no tables
Information This 174 hectare (429 acre) provincial day park was built and is maintained by the Cole Harbour Parks and Trails Association. A hike at the Heritage Park will have you meandering through the fields of two old farms, following babbling brooks, and sweeping past the shoreline of Cole Harbour.  
 
Difficulty: 
1: wheelchair/bike 
2: easy 
3: medium 
 
Trails: 
 
Heritage Trail - 2.5 km - difficulty 1 
Running the length of the park, this trail is accessible from many points. It is the only trail within the park where bikes are permitted. Because it is relatively flat, it is a good choice for wheelchairs or strollers. 
 
Panorama Trail - 0.9 km - difficulty 2 
The gentle hills in the park are typical of numerous drumlins that dot the coast, providing magnificent views. Drumlins are whale-shaped hills of clay and stones formed by retreating glaciers 15,000 years ago. (In Gaelic druim means the crest of a hill.). These natural barriers protect large shallow estuaries, allowing salt marshes to develop. 
 
Poor’s Farm Road - 0.9 km - difficulty 1 
This follows the abandoned access road to the Poor’s Farm, crossing brooks and skirting fields. 
 
Brook Trail 0.3 km - difficulty 2 
A short loop off the Panorama Trail along a rushing stream. 
 
Jerry Lonecloud Trail - 1.0 km - difficulty 2 
Jerry Lonecloud (1854-1930) was a familiar sight to Cole Harbour residents in the early part of the last century. He was a member of the Millbrook Mi’kmaq band, which summered in the Cole Harbour area, traveling along the Shubenacadie River and through the present-day Dartmouth lakes. He gathered sweet grass in the area which he used to make coiled baskets for sale in the Halifax market. 
 
Jersey Jack Trail - 1.0 km - difficulty 3 
Jaques Levesconte from the Isle of Jersey jumped ship from a grounded vessel in the 1870s , married a Cole Harbour girl, and was a notable and colourful character in the area for 75 years. 
 
Costley Farm Trail - 1.3 km - difficulty 3 
In 1865, John Costley was the fisheries inspector in Cole Harbour. The open fields are the only remaining evidence of his farm. This trail transects a large block of more or less undisturbed terrain.
Trail or Water Route Map
Hours Dawn til dusk.
Dates Year round.
Accessibility Moderate due to crusher dust surface and some steep sections.

Special Information

Tags NS Trail Guide ; Recreation Categories
Categories - General Bicycle Paths/Trails ; Hiking Trails ; Snowshoe Trails