Directions:
Go to exit 4 on highway 103, turn right onto the St.Margret's Bay Road (Rt.3) heading back to Halifax, go 2 km to Bay Self-Storage on the right. The Bluff Trail parking lot access is the gravel driveway just past the entrance to the self storage on the right.

Description:

The trailhead is located on the Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea (BLT) Trail. To start the Bluff Trail system head to the right from the parking lot and walk under the highway. The trail is four stacked loops that start on the left just after passing under the highway. The first loop is the Pot lake loop which quickly meets Cranberry Lake (the long skinny one you can see from the highway).Hiking on the Pot Lake loop is not very hilly or wet even though it is close to two lakes. After following Cranberry Lake for a little over 2km the loop heads to the left and bends back around Pot Lake (~5km). If you decide to continue you will start on the Indian Hill Loop which heads up hill a little and across a bluff that is quite high offering great views of the area. After reaching the top of the hill the loop bends down towards Upper Marsh Lake which you can see from the top, the trail stays in the trees and heads toward Lower Marsh Lake this loop is a little over 6km. The total hike of the first two loops is about 12km and takes 4-5 hours.

These last two loops are intended for access by canoe via Hubley Big Lake's Paradise Cove. It would be difficult to hike all 30km in one day.

The next loop in the system is the Bluff Loop (~5km) and starts just after the top of the bluff on the Indian Lake loop as you hike down toward another lake (Frederick Lake) after Frederick Lake the trail stays in the woods and remains fairly flat then heads straight up a hill (28m elevation change). At the top of this hill (114m) you will find the access to the last loop in the system The Hay Marsh Loop. If you turn left and head back on the Bluff Loop you will meander through the woods for a couple more kilometers before emerging on a long bluff. The trail follows this long narrow chunk of barren rock which heads directly back toward the high point of the Indian Lake loop.

The Hay Marsh loop (~6km) starts with a 1.5km decent toward a side trail that leads off to the right to Paradise Cove on Hubley Big Lake. This side trail is a straight out and back of almost 1km each way. After the Paradise Cove access the trail continues along Upper Five Bridge lake eventually crossing Five Bridge stream which connects Five Bridge Lake to Middle Five Bridge Lake. After rounding the stream you are now headed back to the Bluff Loop along a slightly hilly, wooded trail.

The total loop from the BLT around Hay Marsh Loop and back is about 30km. The construction of campsites was prohibited by the agreement between the WRWEO and the Province that allowed the development of the trails.