Things to Do in Westport

Brier Island is one of Nova Scotia’s premier destinations for outdoor adventure!

Our prime location at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy means whales galore! Enjoy the day on an Island whale watching cruise and spy some humpbacks, fin whales, dolphins, and other marine wildlife.

Hike one of our trails-inland or coastal-and enjoy the view. Between the dramatic basalt columns of our shores, to sunsets and lighthouses, there’s always something to point your camera at!

Brier Island is also a birdwatcher’s heaven as the Island is located on the Atlantic flyway,

 

          Accessible Inland Trail

The Big Meadow Bog Trail is located at 197 Water Street, Westport, and is an inland trail.  It is a 1.5 kilometre accessible (no stairs) wooden boardwalk trail, venturing into the Big Meadow Bog. In the1950s, the Bog was drained to use for farm land. Beginning in 2012, restoration of the Bog began.  The Brier Island Trails Committee (BITC) is a registered non-profit society formed in 2017 to support the restoration of Big Meadow Bog and to showcase the Eastern Mountain Avens, a species at risk.  To create public awareness of the Bog restoration project, the boardwalk has information pannels which guide the public along the Trail to observe plants, animal life, and migratory birds. The Trail is built with a Land Owner Agreement from the Kenney family and the Municipality of Digby.

For more information on BITC and the Big Meadow Bog project, please visit their facebook page.

 

           COASTAL TRAIL

The Brier Island Coastal Trail crosses 4 km of gently rolling seaside meadows and wide-open beaches within the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Brier Island Nature Reserve between Western Light and Pond Cove.

The trail offers spectacular coastal scenery, lots of wildflowers, and fantastic bird watching in season. Seals are a regular sight along this shore and whales can often be seen spouting in the distance.

Western Light is at 720 Lighthouse Road. The Pond Cove end of the trail is at 538 Gull Rock Road. Parking is available at both locations.

Trail improvements are being implemented.  Some sections of the trail may undergoing active work in 2025.

For more information, visit: https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/nova-scotia/featured-projects/brier-island.html