We rolled out of bed in time to hit the road by eight-ish this morning in hopes of spending a quiet morning in the wilderness of Duncan's Cove, a coastal hike out past the Herring Cove region. It's only a short drive, it's not even remotely busy, and it's off-the-grid enough to feel the relaxation benefits!
I'll get to all the reasons why it's easily one of my new favourite places around the city in a minute, but I do have to point out that it lost some serious points with me before we even got there. Duncan's Cove isn't easy to find without someone who knows where they're headed, there are few (if any) directional signs pointing you in the right direction and even when you're on the right track, there are 'Private Property' signs making you doubt yourself the entire time.
Without noticing the path naturally paved with smooth, white rocks for easy passage, we ended up plowing through a trail reminiscent of the raptor fields in Jurassic Park 2 (Anyone? Just me?) with foliage up to our shoulders, rough and dangerous terrain, and plenty of opportunities for injury including ankle-high stone walls, foot-deep sinkholes, and roots ready for the tripping.
Nonetheless, we still managed to make it down but much happier with the more user-friendly route on the way back. Even with the safer trail, there are some dangerous spots so pay attention, watch your kids, and give it some serious thought if arriving with a mobility challenge.
Once you reach the rocky shore, you can hike for hours without really reaching anything. All the while, you get an unobstructed view of the Atlantic complete with fishing and sailboats, coastguard patrols, schools of herring visible at water level, families of seals on the hunt, incredible diving birds that nab fish right out of the water, and yes - we even saw a school of pilot whales diving off the coast. This was some National Geographic stuff, guys!
Dog-friendly for medium to large-size breeds but know that they're going to get messy in the process. Leave the short-legged guys at home, the ground will be a little too dangerous for them. And for any dog brought out, please remember to keep them on-leash to avoid harming any of the wildlife including geese that all too often fall victim to inattentive dog owners. read more