Skyline Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Views

The Skyline Trail is in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and is a short, smooth, relatively flat trail to an amazing viewpoint looking out over the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the west. At the far point of the trail, there is a lovely boardwalk with 260 steps down and several platforms along the way with seating to enjoy the view.

Purchase parking in advance.
Four pit toilets on site only.
Nearest food or gas would be in Cheticamp to the South or Pleasant Bay to the North along the Cabot Trail.

After you show your parking pass at the entrance gate off the Cabot Trail, you are directed to a parking spot by an attendant. Hike a short way past a group of toilets to the trailhead.

Trail is in good shape and mostly gravel or hard dirt. After a little less than half a mile, you reach a split in the trail. You can go either direction around the loop, with the right trail (counter-clockwise) leading through a slightly rougher portion of the trail that dips a bit more than the left trail. There are a few lookouts along the way, though many are occluded by trees.

Once you reach the boardwalk area, you have 260 steps to go to the bottom, about 200 feet down, closer to the shore, but still fairly high up. There are a number of seating areas for the trip down and up.
Return either the same way you came or take the other trail for a completed circuit.

If you take the left trail at the split (or come back via that trail), there is a moose exclosure that you pass through along the way. Make sure to close and latch the gate of the exclosure on entry/exit.

There have been moose sightings reporting along this trail. Be prepared for insects, as well. Plenty o' them to be sighted.