About the Island / Locals Know Blog / Outdoor & Adventure

Waterfall Chasers – Off Grid Paradise

Unplug and disconnect from the digital world and get back to living in reality. Hiking to waterfalls and staying in an off-grid cabin is the perfect way to reconnect with yourself.

Disconnect with an off-grid lifestyle

Travel to Englishtown and just past the ferry is Sally’s Brook Wilderness Cabins. The cabins at Sally's Brook are off-grid and have a few different types of accommodations. I stayed in Raven’s Roost, which is the largest cabin and sleeps four (double bed with two futons). The bathrooms are in a separate building right next door and there is also a cookhouse available to use if you want to prepare your own meals. The other available accommodations are smaller pod cabins, glamping tents and a converted shipping container.

The Raven’s Roost cabin has tons of board games there for you to use and has a fantastic balcony with a view of the ocean and mountains. If you’re there during the colder months, it has a wood stove inside and there’s a sauna on the property as well.

Time to eat!

For breakfast the next morning, take the ferry to North Shore where the Clucking Hen Café and Bakery is located. I got breakfast there and also ordered a sandwich to go to take along on the waterfall hike.

Next, head to the North River Falls Provincial Park where there are two waterfall hikes. The trail for the big falls was damaged during the rain storm last fall and is currently closed.

Reconnect with Nature

The Lower North River Falls is that perfect little hike that will take you out into a beautiful forest along the North River that won't leave you exhausted. Use this hiking trail as an opportunity to get away from the world around you, slow down and appreciate where you are. This short trail leads you through a beautiful old forest where you can listen to songbirds call each other, small brooks babbling and the river rushing past. You may even see fly fishers casting a line for their day's catch!

This getaway was the perfect was to disconnect with tech and reconnect with nature.

About the Author

Ashley MacDonald

Ashley is from Middle River, Cape Breton Island and is currently a university student studying Engineering. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, photography, camping, and going on all the adventures Cape Breton has to offer.

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