Nearly 3,500 hectares of remote wilderness: the Shelburne River Wilderness Area protects the lower watershed of the Shelburne River in Queens County. The landscape here tells the story of an entire river basin rather than just a single riverbank. The Peppered Moon Nature Reserve offers a different emphasis. Its undisturbed coastal forest provides habitat for rare lichens such as the peppered moon lichen. Together, the protected areas show how varied nature in the county can be shaped by both a large watershed and a distinctive coastal forest.
Coast, Beach and Trails
At Kejimkujik Seaside, you can explore trails and a beach in a free day-use park. The Seaside includes the Harbour Rocks Trail and the Port Joli Head Trail. Cycling is another option: visitors of all ages can ride bikes in Kejimkujik National Park. This lets you explore the landscape through two different activities, without focusing on just one trail or a single day’s itinerary.
Near Liverpool, Beach Meadows Municipal Beach is a one-kilometre-long white-sand beach with salt water and views of Coffin Island. The beach has a picnic area, playground, washrooms, change rooms and wharves; it also has wheelchair-accessible access. If you are planning a beach visit, you will find both scenery and practical amenities in one place. Check current local conditions before your visit.
Another option near Liverpool is the Trestle Trail. The flat trail is suitable for all skill levels and follows a former section of railway along the Mersey River through Liverpool. Its former use as a rail line is part of the route’s history; today, it is a trail where you can follow the river through town.
Routes and Historic Places
The Kejimkujik Scenic Drive, also known as Highway 8, connects Liverpool with Annapolis Royal and passes through Milton, Middlefield and Caledonia. These places provide specific points of reference along the route. In Caledonia, the Queens County Fair is part of agricultural life: the fair takes place after the fall harvest, and its first exhibition was held in 1886. The fair’s history offers a different perspective on the area from its coastal trails and protected areas.
In Liverpool stands the Fort Point Lighthouse, built in 1855. It is the third-oldest surviving lighthouse in Nova Scotia and a rare example of a pre-Confederation lighthouse. It can be visited as a museum and gift shop; check current opening hours in advance.
The Queens County Museum devotes its exhibitions to Mi’kmaq history, early medicine, maritime history and wartime memorabilia. A special exhibit is the replica deck of the privateer ship “Liverpool Packet”: you can step aboard and learn why Liverpool was known as the “Port of the Privateers.” The visit thus combines a hands-on experience with the maritime history of the area.
Perkins House in Liverpool also offers a journey into the past. It was built for Simeon Perkins in 1766 and is the oldest house in the Nova Scotia Museum collection. The house is home to the Perkins Diary, Simeon Perkins’ 40-year record of colonial life in Liverpool. The building and the diary offer two different ways to explore the same past: the house as a historic building and the diary as a longer-term account of life in that era.
Discover more destinations: Port Medway, Liverpool, Greenfield, Hunts Point, Port Mouton, Mill Village, Yarmouth County, Inverness County.
For the broader travel overview: Nova Scotia.
