Canada’s east coast offers a little something for everyone from the beachcomber to the naturalist, from the history buff to the sunset watcher. You’ll find dramatic cliff settings, old fortresses, terrestrial and ocean wildlife, and some of the world’s most interesting natural formations. Whether you’re seeking the solitude of remote camping, the relative ease of tent site camping, or the comfort of RV sites, you’ll find a wealth of places to pitch your tent (or crank out your awning). Here are a few to get you started.
Five Island Provincial Park Campground
Located in Nova Scotia above the Bay of Fundy’s sea cliffs, where the tides rise and fall dramatically (roughly 40 feet), this area should be a bucket list item for campers of all stripes. Here you can visit the “flower pot rocks,” which are large rocky formations undercut by current so that they balance on narrow stems of earth. You can take a trip out to Old Sow, the western hemisphere’s largest tidal whirlpool at 200-250 feet across.You can also find nearby the Carleton Martello Tower National Historic Site where you can view a fort constructed in the War of 1812.
The campground offers pull-through sites with water and electrical hook-ups, tent sites with access to shower and toilet facilities, and remote hike in sites for those who want a little tranquility.
Murphy’s Camping on the Ocean
Just east of Halifax, Murphy’s is a true delight for the RV camper. You’ll find numerous secluded ocean front sites that range from complete RV hook-up areas to tent camping sites. This is a wonderful area for the outdoorsy type where hiking, kayaking, beach combing, and swimming opportunities abound. The more social can go to one of the nightly communal campfires and mussel boil or take a trip into Halifax to visit the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site or the Public Gardens. You should also be sure to book a whale watching trip where you might sight porposies, puffins, Beluga and pilot whales, and much more.
Murphy’s also offers boat tours and trips out to the 100 Wild Islands Coastal Wilderness. There you can spend time on relatively untouched white sand beaches and can even camp there should you choose to do so.
Cavendish Campground
Cavendish is nestled on Prince Edward Island and is ideal for the family camp trip where you need a little something for everyone. The campgrounds are equipped with tent sites, full-service RV sites, and even camp cabins.
Once you’re settled, you can wander through sand dunes or stroll the floating bridge to spot bird life; you can immerse yourself in the history of the formation of the Confederation of Canada, where actors in period costume will entertain you with their knowledge; or you can visit sites made famous by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. And everyone is bound to enjoy one of the many local restaurants that cook authentic recipes from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
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Ivan Young is a writer in partnership with steel piping distributors, Fed Steel.
