Cabin Lake trail, 2.5km walk, 3 July 2015

This was my (Heather’s) second day exploring some short trails located right in Halifax. Today my goal was to check out the Cabin Lake trail. Like the Old Coach Road trail that I visited the day before, Cabin Lake trail is managed by the Halifax Northwest Trails Association. It is a 2.5km crusher dust trail tucked in close to houses on one side. The trail is wide and flat and quite easy underfoot, with some rolling hills and a few benches located at scenic viewpoints.

I parked on Starboard Drive. From here the trail is mainly linear, though there is a short loop after the trail passes along the side of Cabin Lake. I walked as far as Cabin Lake and the parking lot and interpretive panels located near Transom Drive before turning around. Despite being located in a residential area (on two bus routes!) and at times passing right along the edge of landscaped backyards, there are quite a few spots where you can forget that you are in the city and just enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. In places the trail passes by large boulders under a mature tree canopy and feels like deep forest.

There is also a small boggy/wetland area.

Cabin Lake is fairly small but absolutely beautiful. Its name comes from an old log cabin which used to stand in the area.

The interpretive panel located near the parking lot outlines the geology, history and natural history of the area, and also pays tribute to the conservation work of Colin Stewart.

On this day I heard lots of birds and frogs, and must have caught the absolute peak of wildflowers! There were also quite a few bees buzzing around, which was nice to see.

Cabin Lake Trail was a second unexpected treat!