2 Reviews & Comments

Trails in Route

Route POI

Details

More Stats for Bluenose Bikepacking Route mountain bike route

Mountain Bike

143.1 miles

Distance

3,060 ft

Climb

-3,061 ft

Descent

219 ft

High Point

The Bluenose Bikepacking Route winds through the St. Margaret's Bay and Mahone Bay portions of Nova Scotia's southwest coast. Passing through Hubbards, Chester, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, LaHave, and Bridgewater. The majority of the route is on the former Halifax & South Western Railway, which is now a network of rail trails. It's a relatively easy route, with no major technical challenges. There are many great dining options and sites to see along the route. The ride out of Lunenburg along the west bank of the LaHave River is especially scenic, and includes a ride on a cable ferry.

This route starts in Upper Tantallon at the Sonny's Rd. parking lot, but it is possible to start from anywhere along the rails to trails.

There are many camping options along the route, as well as historic Inns and Bed & Breakfasts. (This is a popular tourist destination and accommodations tend to book up quickly.) This route reflects my camping spots in Lunenburg and at Grave's Island Provincial Park.

Detailed Description

Bluenose Bikepacking Route is a 143 mile popular route located near Tantallon Nova Scotia. This gravel bike primary route can be used both directions and has a easy overall physical rating. This route includes 5 trails. This route climbs 3,060 ft with a max elevation of 219 ft then descends -3,061 ft.

Score Time Route

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	Grave's Island Provincial Park	Camping
	Lunenburg Campground	Camping
	Fancy Pants Cafe	Water Fountain/Source
	LaHave River Ferry (ferry)	Other
	Oak Island	Sight

Riding area

Tantallon
Primary Activity

Gravel Bike
Other Activities
- Mountain Bike
Difficulty rating

Secondary Access Road/Trail
Route Type

Out & Back
Bikepacking

Yes
eBike Allowed

No
Bike type

XC, Fat, Gravel
Direction

Both Directions
Physical rating

Easy

Aspotogan Trail

Chester Connecton Trail

Bay To Bay Trail

Back Harbour Trail

Aspotogan Trail

Avg time

13 hr 14 min
Altitude start

115 ft
Altitude end

118 ft
Grade max

-37.4%
Grade min

29.8%
Distance climb

53 miles
Distance down

60 miles
Distance flat

30 miles

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Trail Conditions

1 Day
1 Week
1 Month
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Unknown
Snow Groomed
Snow Packed
Snow Covered
Snow Cover Partial
Freeze/thaw Cycle
Icy
Prevalent Mud
Wet
Variable
Ideal
Dry
Very Dry

Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)

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> 80%
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> 50%
< 50%
bi-directional trail
no data

Trail Last Ridden

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< 2 days
< 1 week
< 2 weeks
< 1 month
< 6 months
> 6 months

Trail Ridden Direction

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Downhill Only
Downhill Primary
Both Directions
Uphill Primary
Uphill Only
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Trail Popularity ?

Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more rides = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.

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ATV/ORV/OHV Filter

ATV - 50 inches
OHV, SxS - 60 inches
Jeep - 72 inches

Max Vehicle Width

inches

Ridelog Year

Radar Time

x Activity Recordings

Trailforks users anonymized public ridelogs from the past 6 months.

mountain biking recent
mountain biking (>6 month)
hiking (1 year)
moto (1 year)

Activity Recordings

Trailforks users anonymized public skilogs from the past 12 months.

Downhill Ski
Backcountry Ski
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Winter Trails

Warning A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.

x Missing Trails

trail	date	description
Aspotogan Trail	Jul 27, 2024 @ 1:30am Jul 27, 2024
Bay To Bay Trail	Aug 24, 2023 @ 1:32pm Aug 24, 2023	https://www.facebook.com/Baytobaytrail/posts/pfbid02bsT8Ncv9GVUS4h8GdtCMDr3ctuT1MHy8X1ZZ5MSYd177N1d56BGELRKKyVf5k5tpl "We are very pleased to tell you that the major repairs at the junction of the Dynamite, Adventure and Bay to Bay Trail have been completed (washout area repaired and filled, blocked culverts removed, ditching, surface gravels). Thanks to the Dynamite Trail Association for taking the lead on this repair. Please note the Bay to Bay Trail still has repairs to complete but at least the full trail is now open to our trail users. Take care while using the trail as there are still areas with small ruts, loose gravel, etc that will be repaired at a later date. So get on out there and enjoy the trail!" reporter
Chester Connecton Trail	Aug 6, 2023 @ 6:46am Aug 6, 2023	https://www.facebook.com/ChesterRecParks/posts/pfbid02iuT469FjWKbm6waeUzEbjPvnZYMu9QhC4jkT2eTLMC8BRFoNFWABYW4T8whzjTZ4l " All trails in the Municipality of Chester remain closed EXCEPT for the following trails/sections that are OPEN: • Rum Runners Trail (Chester Connection): Chester (Smith Rd) to East Chester (Duncan Road) • Rum Runners Trail (Aspotogan): East River to Hubbards • Haughn Property Trails at 4956 Highway 3, Middle River • Gold River Trails at 1458 Beech Hill Road Damage to the rail-trail is extensive in many areas. Repairs are underway, but some sections will remain closed for the foreseeable future. Please respect closures. Dangerous conditions exist, and emergency services cannot access some areas, particularly between Goat Lake and East River which includes the Castle Rock trail system. More sections of the rail-trail will reopen shortly." reporter
Back Harbour Trail	Aug 26, 2022 @ 6:43am Aug 26, 2022