The Glooscap Trail is a scenic roadway in the

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

province of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

. It is located in the central and northern part of the province around the

Minas Basin The Minas Basin () is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides. Geography The Minas Basin forms the eastern part of the Bay of Fundy which splits ...

and

Cobequid Bay Cobequid Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and the easternmost part of the Minas Basin, located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The bay was carved by rivers flowing into the eastern end of the Bay of Fundy. The eastern end of the bay ...

, sub-basins of the

Bay of Fundy The Bay of Fundy () is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its tidal range is the highest in the world. The bay was ...

. The route connects Amherst in

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Cumberland, historic county *Cumberl ...

, near the interprovincial boundary with

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, with Scot's Bay in

Kings County, Nova Scotia Kings County is a county in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia. With a population of 62,914 in the 2021 Census, Kings County is the third most populous county in the province. It is located in central Nova Sco ...

. A

spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to ba ...

of Glooscap Trail follows Trunk 2 in

Truro Truro (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England; it is the southernmost city in the United Kingdom, just under west-south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is Cornwall's county town, s ...

, through the

Shubenacadie Valley The Shubenacadie Valley is a Canadian rural region in central Nova Scotia. The picturesque Shubenacadie River flows through the valley, which is framed by low hills from its source at Shubenacadie Grand Lake in north-central Halifax County, the ...

, to Enfield at the boundary with

Halifax Regional Municipality Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...

. The Fundy Shore segment branches off from the main route in

Parrsboro Parrsboro is a community located in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada. A regional service centre for southern Cumberland County, the community is also known for its Parrsboro Harbour, port on the Minas Basin ...

and continues along the Minas Basin shore until reaching

Advocate Harbour Advocate Harbour (2011 pop.: 826) is a rural community located in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada. The community is situated on Route 209 and has a small well-protected fishing harbour opening on the Bay of Fundy; the harbour dries at low ...

, where the route then follows the

Chignecto Bay Chignecto Bay () is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy located between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and separated from the waters of the Northumberland Strait by the Isthmus of Chignecto. It is a unit within the greater Gulf ...

, outlining the Chignecto Peninsula. The main route measures , with the Shubenacadie Valley spur being . Additionally, the Fundy Shore segment is 119 km (74 mi) long.

Name

According to a

Mikmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Brun ...

legend,

Glooscap Glooscap (variant forms and spellings ''Gluskabe'', ''Glooskap'', ''Gluskabi'', ''Kluscap'', ''Kloskomba'', or ''Gluskab'') is a legendary figure of the Wabanaki peoples, native peoples located in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Atlantic Ca ...

was a giant god-like man who was created by Gisoolg (the Great Spirit Creator) and lived on the high cliffs of

Cape Blomidon Cape Blomidon ( ) is a headland located on the Bay of Fundy coast of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Location Cape Blomidon is located in Kings County at the northeast edge of the Blomidon Peninsula. Its geology largely comprises sedi ...

, overlooking the

. He was created by a lightning bolt striking sand. The legend credits Glooscap with creating the Five Islands in the

. These islands were formed from giant clods of mud thrown by Glooscap at a disrespectful

beaver Beavers (genus ''Castor'') are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two existing species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are the second-large ...

(the beaver's dam had flooded Glooscap's garden). Glooscap smashed the beaver's dam and allowed the water to flow freely, creating the Bay of Fundy

tides Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...

Communities include

* Onslow *

Masstown Masstown (formerly Cobequid) is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located approximately from Truro. History Masstown has its beginnings with French settlers, known as Acadians. They first settled in this ...

Glenholme Glenholme is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provin ...

Great Village Great Village is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located along the north shore of Cobequid Bay in Colchester County. The community includes the localities of Highland Village and Scrabble Hill. Settlement ...

* Bass River *

Economy An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

* Five Islands *

* Springhill * Amherst * Green Oaks * Beaver Brook * Clifton * Old Barns * Maitland * Selma * Noel Shore * Densmore Mills * Minasville * Moose Brook * Tenecape *

Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada * Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingd ...

* Pembroke *

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

Bramber Bramber is a former Manorialism, manor, village and civil parish in the Horsham (district), Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It has a ruined mediaeval castle which was the ''caput'' of a large English feudal barony, feudal barony. B ...

* Cheverie * Kempt Shore * Summerville * Centre Burlington *

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places *Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region Australia New South Wales *Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...

Wolfville Wolfville is a Canadian town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. The town is home to Acadia University and Landmark East School. The town is a tourist destination d ...

* Belnan * Port Greville *

* Apple River *

Joggins Joggins is a rural community located in western Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada. On July 7, 2008 a 15-km length of the coast constituting the Joggins Fossil Cliffs was officially inscribed on the World Heritage List.Maccan Maccan is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Cumberland County 10 minutes away from Amherst, Nova Scotia on Route 302. The word Maccan is derived from the Mi'kmaq word 'Maakan' meaning a good place for fishing. ...

* Diligent River * Fox River * Spencers Island

Parks

*Five Islands Provincial Park *

Cape Chignecto Provincial Park Cape Chignecto Provincial Park is a Canadian provincial park located in Nova Scotia. A wilderness park, it derives its name from Cape Chignecto, a prominent headland which divides the Bay of Fundy with Chignecto Bay to the north and the Minas Cha ...

Museums

Fundy Geological Museum The Fundy Geological Museum is a geological museum in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, Canada. It first opened in 1993. It has received over 300,000 visitors since it opened, averaging more than 21,000 per year. The museum is part of the Nova Scotia Museu ...

Joggins Fossil Cliffs Joggins is a rural community located in western Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada. On July 7, 2008 a 15-km length of the coast constituting the Joggins Fossil Cliffs was officially inscribed on the World Heritage List.Age of Sail Museum *Bass River Heritage Museum *Ottawa House Museum

Lighthouses

* Apple River Lighthouse * Cape D'or Lighthouse * Spencers Island Lighthouse * Port Greville Lighthouse * Parrsboro Lighthouse * Bass River Lighthouse * Burntcoat Head Lighthouse * Walton Harbour Lighthouse

Highways

Trunk 1 Trunk may refer to: Biology * Trunk (anatomy), synonym for torso * Trunk (botany), a tree's central superstructure, and the stem of woody plants * Trunk of corpus callosum, in neuroanatomy * Elephant trunk, the proboscis of an elephant Comput ...

* Trunk 2 * Trunk 14 * Route 215 * Route 236 *

Route 209 The following highways are numbered 209: Canada * Manitoba Provincial Road 209 * Nova Scotia Route 209 * Prince Edward Island Route 209 * Quebec Route 209 * Saskatchewan Highway 209 China * China National Highway 209 Costa Rica * Natio ...

* Route 242

References

External links

Glooscap Trail
{{coord missing, Nova Scotia Roads in Kings County, Nova Scotia Roads in Colchester County Roads in Hants County, Nova Scotia Roads in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia Scenic travelways in Nova Scotia