Kejimkujik National Park
NOVA SCOTIA GUIDE
Kejimkujik, or “Keji” as the local Nova Scotians call it, is a national park in the southwest of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
With miles of scenic trails through lush woodlands, island-dotted lakes and gently rolling landscapes, it’s the perfect place for outdoor lovers. Learn about the Mi’kmaq culture, immerse yourself in the flora and fauna and camp under the stars in Nova Scotia’s only Dark Sky Preserve. It’s here in Keji that you can connect with not only nature but also culture and be drawn into the beauty the park has to offer.
With the only noise pollution being the sound of the birds and the squirrels rustling in the leaves, relax, take a deep breath of fresh air and admire the vistas around you. With over 380 square kilometres of the national park, there is a hike, an activity and a big red chair for everybody to experience.
WHAT MAKES KEJI SPECIAL?
Keji National park is the only national park in Canada that is also a designated historical site. Designated in 1995, the park commemorates thousands of years of aboriginal occupation. Rock engravings, known as petroglyphs and traditional encampment areas, corroborate the presence of the Mi’kmaw people and their lives. This evidence and history creates the environment to connect to the rich cultural landscape Keji National Park provides.
The park itself is named after the Kejimkujik lake, which is the largest in the park, and the second largest freshwater lake in the province. With miles of shoreline, the lake is a hub for outdoor activities (more about these below.)
Read our article: “A 7 DAY NOVA SCOTIA ROAD TRIP” for more ideas of how to spend your time in the province!
Mi’kmaw Activities
Along the lakeshores you’ll find highly protected Mi'kmaw petroglyph sites with over 500-plus petroglyphs. These can be discovered on slate beds on the eastern side of Kejimikujik Lake and can only be visited via a Parks Canada Guide in the summertime. Your friendly guide will teach you how these large collections of stone-carved depictions have become vital clues for reconstructing regional history.
These special petroglyphs depict aspects of the Mi'kmaw life after European contact and are dated to the 1700s and 1800s. Motifs include modes of transport like canoes and boats, wigwams, traditional garb and decorative designs. To see these you can choose between a drop-in experience or a walking tour (both free) or you can experience a canoe tour which visits the site.
During the tour of these petroglyphs you remove your shoes and jewellery to protect the delicate slate surface from any scratches or damage. You can feel the smooth slate on the soles of your feet as you walk around the historical depictions.
Other experiences include a Mi’kmaq Birch Bark Canoe-Building class where you can learn from a master craftsman on how to build a traditional canoe. The canoe (which is depicted by petroglyphs) is an iconic symbol of the Mi’kmaw culture and it’s a special experience to be taught by a seventh-generation Mi’kmaq from the Keji region.
HIKING TRAILS
Hiking is one of the most popular activities at the park. There are over a dozen trails at Keji ranging from easy to difficult and varying in length. These trails have a variety of habitats and scenery, with the chance to see rare wildlife.
A few of our favourite trails are Mill Falls, Peter Point and Hemlocks and Hardwoods.
Mill falls brings you to the biggest waterfalls in the park, Peter point comes to a secluded sandy bay and Hemlocks and Hardwoods has some of the oldest trees in Nova Scotia!
Here is a list of all of the trails in the park:
Mill Falls: Easy, Linear, 2 kilometres return
Beech Grove: Moderate, Loop, 2.2 kilometres
Flowing Waters: Easy, Loop 1 kilometre
Hemlocks & Hardwoods: Easy, Loop, 5 kilometres
Farmlands: Easy, Loop, 1.1 kilometres
Rogers Brook: Easy, Loop, 1 kilometre
Grafton Woods: Easy, Loop, 1.6 kilometres
Snake Lake: Easy, Loop, 3 kilometres
Peter Point: Easy, Linear, 1.9 kilometres one way
Mersey River: Easy, Linear, 3.5 kilometres one way
Slapfoot: Moderate, Linear, 6.8 kilometres one way
Jake's Landing to Merrymakedge Beach: Moderate, Linear, 3 kilometres one way
Ukem'k: Moderate, Linear, 6.3 kilometres one way
Eel Weir to Fire Tower: Moderate, Linear, 19.5 kilometres return
Channel Lake: Difficult, Loop, 24 kilometres
Liberty Lake: Difficult, Linear, 56 kilometres
While on these hikes try and find the famous big red chairs. These wooden chairs (which are surprisingly comfy) are placed in special locations in National Parks and National Historic Sites. They offer a place to rest, relax and reflect on the place you’re discovering and the journey it took you to get there. They give you time to connect with nature and each other, depending on if there’s a companion siting in the chair next to you!
WATER ACTIVITIES
Kejimkujik is known to offer some of the best paddling in Atlantic Canada.
The large Kejimkujik Lake covers around 10.04 square miles (26 km2) and forms the centre of the park making it a paddler’s paradise. Canoe, kayak or paddle board in the traditional waterways and follow the same routes the natives travelled many years ago.
You can rent equipment and safety gear when you get to the park or you can bring your own to use. Book online in advance at WhyNot Adventures or you can head to Jakes Landing at the park for more information and all of the rentals.
When renting equipment the prices vary depending on the type of water vessel and the duration of use. If you want to venture onto the water independently then you can rent a canoe for as little as $26 and a kayak for $23 for 2 hours.
If you want to join a guide, WhyNot Adventures also provides guided trips that last from 1 hour to 5 whole days! Depending on the length of your visit you can do a “Quickie Adventure” or a “Multi-day tour” with varying activities, locations and difficulty.
Self-guided canoe day trips:
From Jake's Landing (1-2 hours)
From lower Mersey River at the Eel Weir Bridge (2-4 hours)
From Big Dam Lake (2-3 hours)
From Mersey River at the Visitor Centre (90 minutes)
WILDLIFE
There is much wildlife to see while in Keji with over 30 species of mammals to be found. These include shrews, moles, bats, squirrels and deer. Keji’s shallow lakes and marshes support more species of reptiles and amphibians than anywhere else in Atlantic Canada.
The park is also the habitat of many endangered and threatened species. These include the Blanding’s turtle, the Eastern ribbon snake, the piping plover and American marten.
You’ll see many warning signs along the road telling you to be aware of the endangered Blandings turtle. We unfortunately saw a dead turtle in the middle of the road, as a casualty from a car. So be very careful when driving and keep an eye on the roads.
Black bears and coyotes can also be found in the park. On our first visit to Keji, the helpful staff at the visitor’s centre told us when the most recent bear sightings were and on what trail they were seen! You can find wildlife safety tips for the park here.
DARK SKIES
Keji is home to Nova Scotia’s darkest sky and brightest stars!
You can rent a “Dark-Sky Kit” for $5 a day from June to October. This kit includes binoculars, a star finder, a red light, activities for kids and a stargazing reference, all to heighten your stargazing experience!
You can join an outdoor show, night hikes and campfire programmes which all teach you about the stars, galaxies, and constellations as well as the value of the Dark-Sky Preserves!
FACILITIES & PARKING
The park is open all year round but certain facilities have different times depending on the season or close completely during the winter period.
We would recommend starting your day in Keji by popping into the visitor’s centre. Here you can chat to staff and get all the information you need about what to see and do along with any activities and guides happening that day.
Entrance kiosk:
9:00am 5:00pm Daily
Visitor Reception Centre:
May 20th – Oct 31st: 8.30 am - 4.30 pm (Sunday to Thursday), 8:30 am – 6:30 pm (Friday and Saturday)
Check here for the dates and times for all facilities.
June 1 to October 31: most facilities are open
May and June: limited services available
July and August: full services available
September and October: limited services available
November to April: select services available
There is one main road that winds through the park. The first half (Kejimakujilk Main Parkway) is paved and the second half (Eel Weir Road) is gravel. From this long road, there are shorter roads leading to car parks with information signs for each route. Six of these car parks have toilet facilities and there are pit privies (outhouses) at the beginning of other trails.
Parking is available at the following locations:
Visitor Centre
Mill Falls
Mersey River Trail
Farmlands Trail
Rogers Brook Trail
Jake’s Landing / Snake Lake
Merrymakedge
Grafton Woods Trail
PRICES
These are the current prices for a day's admission to the national park. Entrance is free for children under 17.
Adult: $6.25
Senior: $5.25
Family/group: $12.75
WHEN TO VISIT
Kejimkujik National Park is open all year round and has activities for every month of the year. From snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in winter to picnicking and geocaching in the summer.
We’ve visited in both late spring and early autumn. Autumn time for us was absolutely stunning because of the vast variety of colours. The reds, oranges and yellow-leaved trees lined the roads and a scatter of autumn colours filled the pathways as we hiked.
As stated above, most facilities are open from June to October and all are open in June and August. Whereas in winter there are limited services available.
When it comes to staying at the park, camping and overnight stays are not permitted until the springtime, usually being May to October to camp.
Our trip to Nova Scotia was in partnership with the Nova Scotia Tourism Board. We explored Nova Scotia for 5 days, capturing the most beautiful sites, exploring the outdoor adventures and hunting for as many red chairs as we could find!
