Katie Returns: @Katiegoldie Returns to Cape Breton Island in Autumn

Canadian travel creator and photographer Katie Goldie first visited Cape Breton Island with us five years ago — in the summer, when the days are long and the Island is at its most social. This time, we invited her back in the fall to see the Island through fresh eyes and in a different season. What she discovered is something locals have always known: autumn might just be when Cape Breton Island is at its absolute best.

Golden hills, crisp Atlantic air, trails with real payoff and a quieter, deeper version of the place she had already fallen for. Here is how five days unfolded.

Day 1: Waterfalls and the Margaree Valley

Katie's first day dropped her into the Margaree Valley at its most spectacular. Egypt Falls roars into pristine pools and is one of the most photogenic waterfalls in Nova Scotia. The afternoon took her to Lake O'Law Provincial Park and then the rewarding descent through mature maple and beech forest to Gairloch Mountain Falls, the canopy absolutely ablaze with autumn colour.

Fuel came from The Dancing Goat Café & Bakery, a Margaree Valley must-stop, and dinner at The Freight Shed on the Wharf in Baddeck with views over the Bras d'Or Lake to match.

Overnight: Inverary Resort, Baddeck. Set on 11 waterfront acres at the start of the world-famous Cabot Trail, Inverary is a Cape Breton Island classic. Comfortable rooms and cottages overlook the Bras d'Or Lake, the Lakeside Restaurant serves fresh local seafood and the warmth of the place hits you the moment you arrive. A fitting homecoming for someone returning to the Island after five years away.

Day 2: Highland Cattle, Chowder and North River Falls

Day two opened with a chance encounter with Highland cattle in Rear Baddeck: shaggy, soulful and one of those quintessentially Cape Breton Island moments you simply cannot plan for. Breakfast at Highwheeler Café & Bakery in Baddeck meant seafood chowder first thing, which is exactly as good as it sounds.

The main event was a guided tour to North River Falls with Cape Breton Backcountry Adventures: an iconic Jeep ride through the boreal forest to the breathtaking 30-metre waterfall. The evening wound down over a well-earned pizza at Tom's Pizza, a Baddeck institution since 1985.

Overnight: Ridge on the Chimney. Perched on the Atlantic coast with sweeping ocean views from every angle, Ridge on the Chimney offers luxurious modern accommodations that feel completely connected to the wild landscape surrounding them. Spacious living areas, access to hiking and a private hot tub that would prove very useful by Day 3.

Day 3: The Acadian Trail, Chéticamp and a Hot Tub Sunset

The Acadian Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park climbs 365 metres above the Chéticamp River to sweeping views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the canyon below and the Acadian coastline. In autumn with old-growth maples and moose on the plateau, it is as good as hiking in Nova Scotia gets.

Afterwards, a wander through Chéticamp included a stop at Marguerite Boutique et Provisions and a sunset dinner on the patio at L'abri Café, Restaurant and Bar. The evening ended in the hot tub at Ridge on the Chimney, watching the last of the light fade over the Atlantic. Some days you earn that kind of quiet.

Day 4: Wilkie-Sugarloaf Mountain and the Markland

Wilkie-Sugarloaf Mountain in northern Cape Breton Island tops out at 411.8 metres and delivers some of the most dramatic highland scenery in Nova Scotia. Day four was a full day in the backcountry rewarded with big, wide-open views.

Overnight: The Markland Coastal Beach Cottages and Restaurant, Dingwall. Nestled between the mountains and the sea in the North Highlands, the Markland is intimate, beautifully situated and a world away from the ordinary. Beach cottages sit steps from Dingwall Beach and the restaurant celebrates the best of local land and sea with wild halibut, lobster, scallops and oysters prepared with real care. Waking up here with the sound of the ocean and the Highlands at your back is its own kind of reward.

Day 5: Sunrise on Aspy Bay, Franey Trail and the Gondola at Cape Smokey

The Island saved one of its finest moments for last. A sunrise paddle on Aspy Bay with Surf & Turf Adventures saw the light come up slowly over the North Mountains and spill gold across the water. It is the kind of experience you carry home with you.

The morning continued with a climb up Franey Mountain Cape Breton Highlands National Park: 360-degree views of the Clyburn Brook canyon, the Atlantic coastline and the rocky highland ridgeline. The perfect finale was a ride up the Gondola at Cape Smokey, Atlantic Canada's first gondola, with panoramic views of the Cabot Trail, the Highlands and the open ocean from three viewing platforms at the summit.

Five days. Five very full days. And for Katie, a reminder that Cape Breton Island does not just hold up on a second visit. It gives you something completely new every time.

Start planning your fall trip at cbisland.com.