Bridgewater combines trails and parks with the LaHave River and tangible connections to local history. When planning your stay, you can choose from activities on trails, natural areas with different features, time by the riverfront, and local history topics. This makes it easy to shape your city stay around nature, water or history.
Trails and Parks
The 8-kilometre Centennial Trail runs through the centre of Bridgewater and is suitable for hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing. It is a clear option if one of these three activities is to shape your day’s plans. The Glen Allan Park Trail offers a different focus: it follows a stream through woodland and crosses four bridges. The Centennial Trail stands out for its length and activities; Glen Allan for its stream, woodland and bridges. The two trails therefore differ in the features specifically noted.
Woodland Gardens Park covers 24 acres and includes nature trails, areas for passive recreation and a pond. Riverview Park has mature stands of Weymouth pine and spruce. The two parks therefore offer different features: Woodland Gardens combines trails, recreation areas and a pond; Riverview is defined by its mature trees. This can help you choose a park based on which of these features interests you most.
By the LaHave River
Shipyards Landing is on the west bank of the LaHave River at the southern end of town. It offers shaded picnic areas and a chance to watch boat traffic. Visitors can launch their own watercraft via a slipway. The riverside spot thus offers both a place to relax on land and a practical option for visitors with their own watercraft.
Local History and Orientation
An information panel in the centre of Bridgewater overlooks Pijinuiskaq Park. It explains the selection, meaning and pronunciation of the name Pijinuiskaq, as well as the park’s founding; it was installed in 2022. The self-guided Pleasant Street Tour begins at the corner of Pleasant Street and Phoenix Street. Another connection to the town’s history is the Wile Carding Mill Museum on Victoria Road. It is located in an area regarded as an industrial centre in the 19th century and locally known as Sebastopol. Those interested in local history can explore a range of topics: the history of the park’s name, a self-guided tour or the industrial past of the museum site.
A Regional Look at Lunenburg County
In Lunenburg County, the Holden Lake Wilderness Area protects about 1,700 hectares of mature mixed forest in the Gold River watershed, surrounding much of Holden Lake. The shoreline extends for about 10 kilometres along Holden Lake and about 4 kilometres along the Gold River. This regional area complements Bridgewater’s trails and parks with a perspective on forest, watershed and shoreline.
Explore Bridgewater’s visitor directory helps you discover local shops, restaurants, attractions and services throughout Bridgewater. This makes it possible to look beyond trails, parks and history to explore other local interests.
Discover more destinations: Mahone Bay, Barss Corner, Western Shore, Chester, Lunenburg, Hubbards
Return to the main travel overview: Lunenburg County.
