The best walks and hikes around Region of Windsor and West Hants Municipality

The Avon Causeway walking and bike path follows the northern shore of Lake Pisiquid, along the gap between the lake and the Highway 101 and the Avon River beyond.

This mini park squeezed between the main roads and Lake Pisiquid is a great place to blow off some steam. There is play equipment for kids and exercise stations for adults. Nice views and easy access.

This gravel road off of Windsor Back Road is the gateway to Ettinger Falls. Drive down the gravel road until you reach a gate. Then park and walk the road for about 800 meters until a short hiking trail brings you down to the falls and swimming hole.

There are two ways to hike to Ettinger Falls. To approach from here, park on this country road, right behind the gate, off to the side of the road so any vehicles can pass, then walk down the county road to a short trail leading to the falls in the woods. The alternate is a forested hike approaching from the other side of the forest.

Ettinger Falls is a waterfall tucked away in a lush forest, green in summer, with colorful leaf changes in the fall. Even in winter, this waterfall is beautiful, cascading and creating large icicles around it. In summer, the weather is very warm, and the pools around the falls are still great for soaking your feet in or dipping your whole body in to cool off.

Minas Basin is the wide inner reaches of the Bay of Fundy, with a daily tidal range of 15 to 16 metres, among the highest in the world. The water takes on a unique reddish-brown colour from the large amounts of suspended silt churned continuously by the tidal currents, giving the basin a picturesque, ever-shifting character that changes with the tide. The area was designated a Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve in 1988, and the mudflats and shoreline attract hundreds of thousands of migrating shorebirds in season, making it as rewarding to stop and watch as it is to walk beside.

Avonport trail is an easy out-and-back that follows a dirt road along the shoreline of Minas Basin. The path is relatively straightforward and easy to follow, with the open water never far from your view and a lovely breeze off the basin. It’s a quiet trail that sees little foot traffic, making it an ideal route for enjoying some solitude. Just be sure to check tide times before you head out.

This trailhead, situated at the end of Avonport Road in the small community of Avonport, is your entry point to the Avonport shoreline trail overlooking Minas Basin. There is plenty of free parking in the cul-de-sac, and the trail is unlikely to be busy. From here, an easy dirt road takes you out along the coast, with beautiful views of the basin opening up ahead.