Island-Wide Waterfall Weekend!

Cape Breton Island ambassadors and influencers will convene at Live Life in Tents in Margaree to travel to 12 different waterfalls on Saturday, May 17, 2025, to highlight the benefits of waterfall chasing. Visitors and locals alike are invited to meet and hike with them! You’re also invited to travel back to Big Spruce Brewing for a “Big Summer Splash”. Enjoy live music with the Town Heroes and our specially crafted Waterfall Season beer, Oh Chute! If you’ve ever wanted to explore waterfalls like Second Branch Humes River Falls or MacIntosh Brook Falls, this is the time to do it!

We hope that you’re inspired to get outside and explore Cape Breton Island not only this weekend but every weekend. To encourage everyone to explore the Island’s waterfalls we’ve created a contest where if you scan three QR codes that we’ve placed at each of the 12 waterfalls with our waterfall app, you’ll be entered into a Cape Breton Waterfalls Adventure Weekend Contest where you can win a 2-night stay on Cape Breton Island with some amazing prizes!

In addition to this contest, we are hosting weekly challenges to keep you chasing waterfalls throughout the season. We’ll be announcing a new challenge each Wednesday during the campaign on our social media channels. Be sure to follow us at @VisitCapeBretonIsland!

Our new Visit Cape Breton App is available here on the Apple App Store and here on the Google Play Store.

The Big Summer Splash at Big Spruce

Join us after your waterfall hike on Saturday, May 17 at Big Spruce! Big Spruce will have live music from Cassie and Maggie and Town Heroes starting at 1 pm, amazing food all day from Rose’s Smash Burgers and Fish Out of Water.  Meet up to relax after a great hike and meet other waterfall chasers!

Group Hikes

We are going to change the start times to an hour earlier than last year to let people get back to Big Spruce to enjoy the live music longer. Hikes are set to start at 11 am, except for the Humes River Falls hike, which will start at 10 am due to the length of the trail.

Please be advised that the influencers and ambassadors are not guiding the hike or responsible for anyone. This is solely a chance to meet up with others and enjoy a hike together.

Be sure to follow our Instagram account to follow along on their adventures!

Egypt Falls

Join Cape Breton Island outdoor adventure ambassadors, Davey & Sky and Nova Scotia photographer, Jake Brenner from Jake’s Escapes, for a hike to Egypt Falls! A new trail will lead you to a new staircase to take you down to the falls safely. Be aware that the climb back up can be tiring!

Embree’s Brook Falls

Join PEI Influencer,  Devon Bernard as he explores Embree’s Falls located on the Port Hawkesbury Community Trails.

Beulach Ban Falls – Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Outdoor adventure ambassadors Shane and Alysha Wilkie will be travelling north to explore the magnificent Beulach Ban Falls!

Second Branch Humes River Falls

Some of Nova Scotia’s most intrepid waterfall chasers, Benoit Lalonde, Gordon Collinet, Chris Surette and Jamie Vasallo, will be hiking to Second Branch Humes River Falls. At 10 km (return), this is the longest of the hikes available this weekend. Be sure you are physically able to take on this hike as it involves two river crossings!

Please note this hike will begin at 10 am.

Lower Falls at North River

Cape Breton Island ambassadors, Sherin Paul and Sheethal Vettom, Wallace Bernard and Nova Scotia photographer Kyler McGregor, will be exploring the unique landscape of Lower Falls at North River. These falls are relatively easy to access and are home to great fishing.

Uisge Bàn Falls

These waterfalls are located in the heart of Cape Breton Island. Tucked away in the highlands of Rear Baddeck, these falls plunge an impressive 15 metres! Cape Breton Island ambassadors Madison Parsons and Darlin Garland will be exploring these photogenic falls.

MacIntosh Brook Falls – Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Local Ambassador Tia Abbott will travel north to MacIntosh Brook Trail found in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. These falls, tucked away in a small valley in the Highlands are a perfect hike for a family or someone new to hiking. This short, gentle trail leads you through a beautiful Acadian forest where you can watch and listen to birds as you follow the trail to the falls.

Gairloch Mountain Falls

Join outdoor adventure ambassador Ashley George and Nova Scotia waterfall chasers Chelsea Donnelly and Fawn Logan-Young on a trek to Gairloch Mountain Falls. The trail goes down slowly for the first part, but then becomes very steep at the end. Ropes for the climb down are in place, but be extra careful using them. Once you reach the bottom of the valley, the waterfall is only a few steps upstream.

Only experienced hikers should attempt this trail. While the trail is not long, it does descend steeply to the falls and the use of ropes is needed. We recommend only SUV-type vehicles tackle the road to the falls. It can be very rocky.

Corney Brook Trail Falls – Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Cape Breton Island ambassadors Leah Jackson and Mike Morrison will be hiking the Corney Brook Trail to see these deceivingly large falls. The trail follows the lazy, meandering brook through a box canyon. This trail is 7 km (return) and is a perfect leisurely stroll through a beautiful Acadian forest.

Grand River Falls

Join Cape Breton Island ambassadors Katherine MacLeod and Emily Madinsky explore Grand River Falls and fish ladder! This unique addition to our list is home not just to great scenery but also to a great amount of wildlife. Watch eagles, kestrels, herons and other birds of prey as they perch in riverside trees and wait for the perfect opportunity to grab a quick bite.

Devils Hill Falls and Greenlink Rotary Trail Falls

Nature photographer Adam Hill will be exploring Devils Hill Falls just south of the Mira River. These falls carry an ominous name, and as legend has it, a man coming back from a dance in the community encountered the Devil! We’re sure if you explore these falls, you’ll have a much more pleasant experience. Adam will be travelling to Greenlink Rotary Trail Falls after Devils Hill.