Smack on the Bedford Basin, this is great park for all seasons and ages. For families with kids,…read morethe highlight would be the large playground. It has a rubbery artifical surface which means it doesn't get muddy, and softens trips and falls. The worn-out previous wooden ship playstructure was replaced in Fall 2015. There is a bathroom which is clean, heated and open all year round. As a bonus for those in the diaper way it also has change tables- in both bathrooms. There are lots of benches around the playground so it is easy to sit and keep an eye on the kids. In the Summer, the park is close to cool breezes from the Basin. It is fun to spread out a blanket and watch the ships sailing in and out of Bedford yacht squadron. There is a brick walkway that goes along the waterfront that is great for casual strolls and running. On a clear day you can see all the way to the Narrows. It is kept clear in the Winter so you often see people pushing strollers and older people getting some fresh air.

For me, this park was just okay. If you have kids I think you might enjoy it a lot more. It has a…read morehuge playground that you can comfortably watch your kids play. There is basically nothing blocking your view in the park. Which I'm guessing is a plus when you bring kids to the park to play, a pano view of the surroundings. It's basically a big patch of grass between the ocean and the parking lot. Lots of benches, lots of fantastic views of the basin. It was winter when I stopped in to check this park out, but I think there is a paved path/boardwalk that goes pretty far. It's a great place to walk your dog (on leash) or go for a stroll if you're in Bedford and in the market for that kinda thing.

I had visited this park before many times when I use to rock climb. There are some easy and more…read moredifficult climbs here with set bolts into the top of some cliffs. Really fun easy stuff. This past visit was simply to walk around. I haven't been in years and it's kind of difficult to find, the parking spot is hidden among many 'courts' and 'drives' in suburbia. I have a feeling this park is more of a teenage hang out spot to smoke and drink. The path is littered with debris and rock faces spray painted with teenage angst. That's why it gets the "A-OK" Yelp star rating. It's really too bad, the views are so lovely here! You can see clear over to Halifax from some cliff tops. If you just want to explore, I would suggest this spot. The paths are just worn foot paths, nothing graveled or taken care of. This park isn't the kind that has regular maintenance.

I wouldn't recommend visiting this park. I went for a walk with my dog and found 3 TICKS on my…read morebody/in my hair within the next few hours. Thank god they had not entered my skin yet. Only once we got out of the trail did we see the tick warning on a sign that we didn't pass on the way into the trail. Later we did research to find there have been a dozen cases of Lyme Disease in the area! It's not worth the risk considering the many beautiful trails all over Nova Scotia. Skip!

Sandy Lake Park is a great place to go even in the winter if you want to hike through some woods…read moreoff the beaten path. Even though the lake freezes over, there are some unfrozen spots which my dog enjoyed swimming in. In the summer, you can utilize some of the picnic tables overlooking the lake. There is a trail that is a circular loop but it's not exactly marked so I recommend coming early enough so you can find your way out. To get there, just take the 102 N to exit 3B - take a right on Smith Rd and drive to the end and there is a parking area.

Poorly marked trails in the off leash dog area, can't get to the beach as it suddenly became no…read moredogs allowed (even on a leash).

It was beautiful. Tides are well marked, and the grounds are clean and the washrooms were clean.read more

An amazing experience. There is a lot of natural beauty both filled and emptied. The guides are…read morevery accommodating and detailed. The most impressive part for me was the speed with which the Bay fills. You can watch the change happen and it is impressive! Definitely worth a trip.

This is a really fantastic long trail that's great for walking, running or biking! I've only walked…read moresections of the trail, but I've always wanted to do the whole thing. I like walking the start of the trail that begins by the Fairview Shoppers Drugmart down into Armdale. This part of the trail starts parallel to Joseph Howe Drive, goes past the golf course and a big pond, then through residential areas behind people's homes. There's an interesting penny-farthing statue when you reach Armdale! If you're doing this section you could park in the Superstore or Shoppers parking lots or park at the start of the golf course's driveway. I also regularly walked the trail between Chain Link Dr. and Lakeside Industrial Park. It's really nice to see Bayer's Lake. Before I started walking that trail, I didn't realize that the shopping district was named for an actual lake! There is also a little trail (Bayers Lake Trail) through the woods that runs alongside the other side of the lake (compared to the CoLT) if you want to be in a more wooded section, though it's quite short. For this section I usually parked either at the Gracenote or Top Gun parking lots.

The kids absolutely love jumping off the rock! It's a nice quiet spot, I wouldn't make a full day…read moreof it as there isn't much room to set up comfortably

Laurie Park is a popular swimming hole and campground located a 30 minute drive from Halifax. It is…read moreknown for being the best place in the surrounding area for rock jumping, a past time that is popular among people of all ages during the summer. The jumping rocks at Laurie park can be accessed by a trail leading from the parking lot through the woods. A fence protects the people who are wary of taking the big leap from getting too close to the edge, and I've used it as a clothes line so that my towels and clothing don't get wet while I'm in the water. The rocks themselves are about as tall as a two story house at the tallest section but there is also a section of smaller rocks that are better for younger kids to swim off of. There isn't a lifeguard on duty at the rocky section of Laurie Park so it's not the best place for children who are really young or are just learning to swim to play. The rocks while fun to jump off of don't provide much entertainment to anyone looking to play it safe. This isn't your typical beachy swimming hole but Laurie park always provides the means for hours of summer fun.

The cutest little park in Dartmouth that you've never heard of…read more Graham's Grove is barely noticeable; you've probably driven by it dozens of times completely unaware of its presence. Sitting just across from the Braemar Superstore, this little park has quite a lot going for it - y'know, other than size. It has a swimmable beach and a dock; both are popular points for kayakers and canoers to put their boats into the water. It has a few open clearings facing Lake Banook - great spots for picnics. There are some benches and picnic tables also littered throughout the space. It's also conveniently located on a multi-use trail that connects between Sullivan's Pond and Shubie Park. To paraphrase Vinyl Cafe, "It may not be big, but it's small."

This is a fantastic find! A small park, but nice trails, a big field, and it's very clean and…read morequiet. Easy to get to with lots of free parking. The only thing you need to watch out for are off leash dogs. Not everyone follows the "on leash" law. Otherwise, perfect.

We have been members of this park for approximately four and a half years. Our two dogs get great…read moreexercise and we get the benefit of good walks as well! The park is well maintained by the owners and they try hard to accommodate member's requests. There are nice large holding pens in which to remove your dog's leash before entering the park. It is great to be able to enjoy the outdoors in a wooded area while your dog gets to run free in a safely fenced park. Over the years we have met some wonderful people and dogs and made some great friendships!

We have been a member to this park for over 2 years and absolutely Love it there! I particularly…read moreenjoy how well maintained the park is. You don't have to worry about whether it's been ploughed or sanded. The park is also not just a rectangular box, there are actual path ways. My dog absolutely loves it there.

Beautiful park with lots of history, every time we go we find trails we haven't seen before!read more

This park really has something for everyone on your list, including your dog if you have one. There…read moreare a few ways to get into this large park set along the Shubie Canal system. You can bike there from Downtown Dartmouth in about 15 minutes either going down Waverly Road or entering just past Mic Mac Mall. This is my usual route, but it is also very accessible by car with lots of parking at both main entrances. When you get there you are greeted by well-maintained trails, lovely lakes and paths that take you off into the woods and along the old Shubie Canal system. There are lots of animals in the park and they are very tame and well fed. They might just follow you around a bit which can be a bit strange but just go with it. There is also a great off-lease dog park that is very popular, maybe a bit too popular at times but if you have a dog that likes to go off lease you will enjoy it. The best part of this park is that it is big enough that even though it can get busy it is very easy to vanish into the wood and explore.

Sullivan's Pond is a little park near downtown Dartmouth. It's known for hosting a variety of…read moreevents, such as the Dartmouth tree lighting. The pond itself is home to a wide variety of ducks and geese. While you are, of course, discouraged from feeding the fowl, lots of people do. Danger! Danger! The path closes to the water in the summer? There are lots and lots of birds. And not much of a clean-up crew. Make of that what you will. The park also hosts workout groups, the occasional live music performance and there is a field where you can play a great game of Frisbee with a good friend.

Having lived in downtown Dartmouth before it was cool to do so - meaning, before Two if by Sea…read morecroissants - I was a Sullivan's Pond regular. I'd see the same senior power-walkers every day, I'd have the same conversation with the same cray-cray person every morning as she walked off whatever she was on the night before, and I'd tell myself every day how silly it is that people shuttle in to Point Pleasant when they could be enjoying Sullivan's Pond and Lake Banook's boardwalk. Yep - every day I'd lug my poor confused miniature dachshund puppy out to Sullivan's Pond in hopes of TODAY BEING THE DAY that he'd 'get' what I expected of him when that leash went on. For weeks and weeks we repeated the routine up until he would do the full 5km ish route around the pond, Lake Banook, and Creighton Park. What all this means is I spent about a year strolling through this area, enjoying the flowers and foliage, smiling at happy young, urban families playing with their kids, and picking my jaw up off the ground when the area was invaded by an army of Abercrombie and Fitch models with no modesty for the world rowing championships. We go back every now and then in the summer to relive the memories but all he seems to want to do is scream at the geese. But hey - at least now I can enjoy a latté and a pastry while he does it.